AP National Business

By The Associated Press Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES — At long last, “Top Gun: Maverick” is coming to a streaming hub. The biggest film of the year is gearing up to land on Paramount+ as of

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a sweeping property insurance bill. How much and when it will work to stabilize the stormy market is another question. One of the key goals of the legislation signed Friday is to keep the claims process from ending up being

BERLIN (AP) — German police say they have taken down three darknet sites used to distribute images and videos of child sexual abuse. Federal Criminal Police said Friday four men were arrested in connection with the sites, which had hundreds of thousands of registered users. Those arrested included a 21-year-old man from the eastern German

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says its latest round of sanctions will hit Russia’s military-industrial complex, as well as people and groups that are attacking Ukrainian civilians or kidnapping children. A European Commission vice-president said on Friday that the package would deal a blow to 168 companies or state

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The International Energy Agency says coal use across the world is set to reach a new record this year amid persistently high demand for the heavily polluting fossil fuel. The Paris-based agency said in a report published Friday that while coal use grew by only 1.2% in

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, California (AP) — Facebook parent Meta is sparring with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over its pending acquisition of virtual reality fitness company Within Unlimited in federal court in San Jose, California. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify as a witness. At issue is whether Meta’s

By MAE ANDERSON and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writers Elon Musk’s abrupt suspension of several journalists who cover Twitter widens a growing rift between the social media site and media organizations that have used the platform to build their audiences. Individual reporters with The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America and

By DAKE KANG Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Deaths linked to the coronavirus are appearing in Beijing after weeks of China reporting no fatalities, even as the country is seeing a surge of cases. Relatives of people who died in Beijing said their loved ones had tested positive for COVID-19, while employees at shops in

BRUSSELS (AP) — Over 15,000 demonstrators have braved the bitter cold in Brussels to call for more measures to shield them from high energy prices and better pay to counter runaway inflation. Because of the protest backed by the three main unions, public services were affected throughout Belgium, especially rail and subway systems in and

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating reports that autonomous robotaxis run by General Motors’ Cruise LLC can stop too quickly or unexpectedly quit moving, potentially stranding passengers. Three rear-end collisions that reportedly took place after Cruise autonomous vehicles braked hard kicked off the probe, according to the

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Commerce is adding 36 Chinese companies to an export controls blacklist, citing concerns over national security. The addition of the companies to the “entity list” means that export licenses will likely be denied for any U.S. company trying to do business with

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Starbucks workers around the U.S. are planning a three-day strike starting Friday as part of their effort to unionize the coffee chain’s stores. More than 1,000 baristas at 100 stores are planning to walk out, according to Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing the effort. The strike will

By Mae Anderson AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In some ways, the bustling holiday shopping season feels like a return to pre-pandemic days: More people are out and about, shopping in groups and buying for themselves as well as gifts. And there’s plenty of merchandise to select from because the supply chain snags

By AYSE WIETING and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ISTANBUL (AP) — Economic turmoil driven by inflation of 85% has plunged Turkey into one of its worst property crises. Skyrocketing prices have made finding affordable housing to rent or buy an uphill battle for many, especially for millions earning minimum wage who also struggle to cover

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ and DAVID McHUGH Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — At a gas station outside New York City, retired probation officer Karen Stowe was faced with a pump price she didn’t want to pay. She bought groceries from the convenience store instead, planning to buy cheaper gas elsewhere. “The price is so high,

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Wall Street racked up more losses Friday, as worries mounted that the Federal Reserve and other central banks are willing to bring on a recession if that’s what it takes to crush inflation. The S&P 500 fell 1.1%, its third straight drop. The Dow Jones

By PAUL WISEMAN and STAN CHOE AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — After scaling 40-year highs, inflation in the United States has been slowly easing since summer. Yet the Federal Reserve seems decidedly unimpressed — and unconvinced that its fight against accelerating prices is anywhere near over. On Thursday, stock markets buckled on the growing

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Twitter on Thursday suspended the accounts of journalists who cover the social media platform and its new owner Elon Musk, among them reporters working for The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America and other publications. The company hasn’t explained to the journalists why it took down

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Panama’s government has ordered the local subsidiary of a Canadian mining company to cease operations at its huge open pit copper mine after it failed to sign a new contract outlining substantially higher payments to the government. Minera Panama is a subsidiary of Canada’s First Quantum Minerals Ltd. It is the

CINCINNATI (AP) — The E.W. Scripps Company has announced the launch of a sports division as it looks to acquire local and national rights for teams and leagues. Scripps has stations in 61 markets and is the nation’s fourth-largest local TV broadcaster. It also purchased ION Media last year, which has the fifth-largest national broadcast

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Officials say a pilot had safely ejected from a plane after a failed landing at a North Texas military base. Video that captured the crash shows the Marine Corps variant of a fighter jet, known as a F-35B, took a nose dive and spiraled after its wheels briefly touched down

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York City’s ban on the sale of foie gras had already been delayed by a court challenge. Now it has been found in violation of state agricultural law. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets informed city officials Wednesday that the ban “unreasonably restricts” the business of two upstate foie

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have ordered a review of security standards at the nation’s far-flung electricity transmission network. The review follows shootings at two electric substations in North Carolina that damaged equipment and caused more than 45,000 customers to lose power. The order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Federal officials on Thursday granted Spire Inc. a permanent certificate to operate a natural gas pipeline in Missouri and Illinois, angering the environmental group that had sued over the project. The pipeline carries natural gas to the St. Louis region, where Spire serves around 650,000 customers. But the Environmental Defense Fund

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press Residents of The Dalles, Oregon, are learning how much of their water Google’s data centers have been using to cool the computers inside the cavernous buildings — information that previously was deemed a trade secret. Google says its data centers in the Oregon town consumed 274.5 million gallons (1 billion

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and SEUNG MIN KIM The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers who eagerly accepted piles of cash from Samuel Bankman-Fried now can’t move fast enough to offload contributions from the disgraced crypto mogul to anywhere but their own campaign coffers. Before Bankman-Fried’s arrest, he was a prolific political donor to individual candidates

The Associated Press Stocks tumbled in the U.S. and Europe as investors grew increasingly concerned that the Federal Reserve and other central banks are willing to risk a recession to bring inflation under control. The S&P 500 fell 2.5% Thursday, erasing its gains from early in the week. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite and the Dow

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — An engineering firm has settled a lawsuit with four families after being accused of not doing enough to stop lead contamination in the Flint, Michigan, water supply. The deal involving Lockwood, Andrews & Newman comes four months after a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. No details were disclosed. LAN and

By MAYSOON KHAN Associated Press/Report for America ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York has become the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an attempt to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as “puppy mills.” The new law was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday.

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Nordson Corp., up $5.93 to $241.84. The maker of adhesives and industrial coatings beat analysts’ fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., down 98 cents to $10. The owner of HBO, Discovery Channel and the Food Network raised its estimates for restructuring

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery fell $1.17 to $76.11 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude for February delivery fell $1.49 to $81.21 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery fell 7 cents to $2.17 a gallon. January heating oil was unchanged at $3.28 a gallon. January natural gas rose 54 cents

By CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Bayer, the German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, will pay Oregon $698 million to end a lawsuit over PCB pollution associated with products made by Monsanto, the agriculture giant it now owns, the state’s attorney general announced Thursday. The move makes Oregon the latest U.S. state to

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire have banned TikTok and  popular messaging applications from all computer devices controlled by their state governments. The Republicans issued their orders Thursday, also banning the messaging app WeChat. Kemp also banned Telegram. Kemp says there’s too

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate says he opposes spending any state money to help Madison bring a passenger rail line connecting the capital city to Milwaukee, joining the state’s other top GOP legislative leader against the project. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told The

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has imposed a new round of financial penalties on people and entities involved in Russia’s financial sector. The targets include one of that country’s richest men, Vladimir Potanin, his family and a commercial bank he acquired this year. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CES, the annual tech industry event formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, is returning to Las Vegas this week with the hope that it looks more like it did before the coronavirus pandemic. Media previews start Tuesday and Wednesday, with the show opening Thursday

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press WHITINGHAM, Vt. (AP) — Organic dairy and other livestock farmers are seeking emergency federal aid as they grapple with skyrocketing organic feed costs, steep fuel and utility expenses as well as the consequences of drought in many parts of the country. Two dozen U.S. senators and representatives wrote to U.S.

By JOHN HANNA Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The operator of a pipeline with a large onshore crude oil spill has reopened all of it except for the stretch in Kansas and northern Oklahoma that includes the site of the rupture. Canada-based T.C. Energy said in a statement Wednesday night that its Keystone system

By The Associated Press Billionaire Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter in 2022 began what would turn out to be an upending of one of the world’s predominant social media platforms. It’s an upheaval that is still continuing. It’s fueled by Musk’s actions after he took over, his approaches to free speech and advisory oversight and

By PAUL WISEMAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — At times, 2022 felt like the 1970s or early ’80s. Inflation running rampant. A bleak outlook leaving people feeling sour and anxious. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. When the Federal Reserve’s policymakers made their 2022 forecasts a year ago, they

By EMILY SCHULTHEIS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A ship that will serve as one of Germany’s floating terminals for liquefied natural gas imports has arrived at the German port of Wilhelmshaven. Its arrival Thursday came as German officials warned that the country is not saving enough energy at the start of a difficult winter.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say family members who ran a sham ministry have been charged with defrauding the federal government of COVID-19 relief funds in a scheme to buy a luxury home at Walt Disney World. Evan Edwards and son Joshua Edwards were arrested Wednesday on charges including bank and visa fraud. An attorney

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A German official who won a defamation case against Twitter this week has dedicated his legal victory to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert recently targeted by Elon Musk. A Frankfurt regional court ruled Wednesday that Twitter has to remove false or defamatory tweets

By THALIA BEATY and GLENN GAMBOA Associated Press Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott says her donations have yielded more than $14 billion in funding for about 1,600 nonprofits since 2019, according to her long-awaited website called Yield Giving. Unveiled Wednesday night, the site also announced plans to introduce an “open-call process” that allows nonprofits seeking donations from

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders have met to seek ways to stand up to the United States over its new green technologies plan that they say unfairly discriminates against European companies. The leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday discussed means to counter fears that the EU is a waning

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Shares of Tesla rose slightly Thursday despite news that CEO Elon Musk sold another $3.58 billion worth of the electric vehicle maker’s stock this week. The stock closed at $157.67, up less than 1% but still close to its two-year lows. Tesla did fare better than the broader U.S. stock market,

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign that the labor market remains strong even as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates in an effort to cool the economy and slow inflation. Applications for jobless claims fell to 211,000

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans cut back their retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season began amid high prices and rising interest rates that are forcing some families, particularly those with lower incomes, curtail their consumption. The government said Thursday that retail sales fell 0.6%

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of nurses have walked off their jobs in England, joining ambulance and postal workers, bus drivers and airport baggage handlers who have staged strikes or planned them this month. The Royal College of Nursing said emergency hospital care would continue as normal on Wednesday and nurses will still staff chemotherapy and

By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer HONG KONG (AP) — The company that assembles Apple Inc.’s iPhones has announced it is easing COVID-19 restrictions at its largest factory in China that led thousands of workers to quit and drastically slowed production. Foxconn Technology Group said in a statement on one of its official WeChat social

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank has slowed its record pace of interest rate increases. But not by much. The bank decided Thursday meeting to hike rates by half a percentage point instead of three-quarters of a point after inflation fell unexpectedly in November. That’s still a

By KELVIN CHAN Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Self-proclaimed free speech warrior Elon Musk’s more unfettered version of Twitter could collide with new rules in Europe, where officials warn that the social media company will have to comply with some of the world’s toughest laws targeting toxic content. While the new digital rulebook means the

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has reported its trade deficit surged to over 2 trillion yen ($15 billion) in November as higher costs for oil and a weak yen combined to push imports higher. It was the 16th straight month of red ink and a record high for the month of November. The deficit for November

By DAKE KANG Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A week after China dramatically eased some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 containment measures, uncertainty remained Thursday over the direction of the pandemic in the world’s most populous nation. While there are no official indications yet of the massive surge of critically ill patients some feared, social

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares followed Wall Street and Europe lower on Friday, with markets jittery over the risk that the Federal Reserve and other central banks may end up bringing on recessions to get inflation under control. Oil prices and U.S. futures edged higher. China’s move to relax

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A report by environmental group Oceana has found that plastic waste from Amazon packages went up by 18% last year, but Amazon says it has reduced its use of single-use plastic across its network. According to the Oceana’s estimates, Amazon’s plastic waste jumped from 599

By CORA LEWIS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s move Wednesday to raise its key rate by a half-point brought it to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, the highest level in 14 years. The Fed’s latest increase — its seventh rate hike this year — will make it even costlier for

DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk sold another $3.58 billion worth of Tesla stock this week, but it wasn’t clear where the proceeds were being spent. The Tesla CEO and new owner of Twitter sold the shares from Monday through Wednesday, according to a filing posted Wednesday night by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators and shippers are questioning Union Pacific’s decision to temporarily limit some businesses’ shipments as part of its effort to clear up congestion across the railroad. The head of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board said Wednesday he’s concerned about the railroad’s increasing use of

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada wildflower was declared endangered at the only place it’s known to exist — on a high-desert ridge where a lithium mine is planned to help meet growing demand for electric car batteries, U.S. wildlife officials announced Wednesday. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s formal listing

By BERT WILKINSON Associated Press GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — After Chinese state firms won a string of large state contracts in Guyana, an American company has sealed a $760 million deal to build two plants for using natural gas from offshore oil fields to produce electricity. Houston-based Lindsayca and CH-4 of Puerto Rico are partnering

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — A hacker claims to have posed as the CEO of a financial institution to obtain access to the more than 80,000-member database of InfraGard. That’s an FBI-run outreach program that shares sensitive information on national security and cybersecurity threats with public officials and private sector individuals

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Railroad workers who are fed up with their demanding work schedules and disappointed in the contract they received aired their frustrations this week at rallies across the country and in a leadership vote at one of the biggest unions. Workers gathered in Washington D.C. and

The Associated Press Stocks ended lower in bumpy trading on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate in its fight against inflation and signaled that more hikes lay ahead. As expected, the central bank raised its key short-term rate by half a percentage point Wednesday, marking its seventh increase this year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Delta Air Lines Inc., up 93 cents to $34.31. The airline raised its profit forecast for the current quarter and said demand remains strong. Lennox International Inc., down $7.40 to $258.75. The maker of furnaces and air conditioners gave investors a

RIDGEVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A battery recycler from Nevada says it will spend $3.5 billion and hire 1,500 workers on a new plant near the South Carolina coast. Redwood Materials says it plans to pull out key components of batteries such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper, and reuse them to make electrodes for electric

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery rose $1.89 to $77.28 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for February delivery rose $2.02 to $82.70 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery rose 8 cents to $2.24 a gallon. January heating oil rose 18 cents to $3.28 a gallon. January natural gas fell 51

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Police say a person with a gun shot and wounded a contract worker outside an Amazon delivery station in Arizona before a second worker who was armed fatally shot the suspect. Authorities said the second contract worker possibly stopped an active shooter situation Wednesday at the delivery hub in the Phoenix

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer Whether increased regulation would have prevented the spectacular collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX was fiercely debated at a hearing of the Senate’s banking committee Wednesday. However, new legislation is potentially on the way. Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced at the hearing bipartisan legislation aimed at cracking down on cryptocurrencies being

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Cohen’s New York Mets are on track to shatter spending records in his third season as owner, boosting payroll to about $350 million for purposes of the luxury tax and poised to pay a penalty of about $80 million. New York added starters Justin

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The government on Wednesday charged eight men of earning more than $100 million in illicit stock market profits by manipulating their novice-investor followers on social media. The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission said that from early 2020 to around April of this year

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ten years after receiving it, New York University publicized a $100 million gift from the hedge fund leader John Paulson. The gift supported the construction of a now mostly-complete building that will also be named after Paulson, who made a fortune shorting the subprime housing crisis.

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON and CURT ANDERSON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida House has passed sweeping legislation that would overhaul the state’s property insurance system, which has struggled due to insolvencies, high costs and major storms. The Republican proposal previously approved by the Senate Tuesday comes during the GOP-led Legislature’s second special session

By LOU KESTEN Associated Press It’s been a bumpy year for video games, in part thanks to the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic. Some major releases got delayed (2023 could be a doozy), but enough crossed the finish line to keep gamers happy. Indie developers held up their end, delivering innovative challenges and fascinating stories.

By MARTINA REBECCA INCHINGOLO Associated Press “These are the drones you’re looking for,” reads an appeal for donations to a Ukraine fundraising effort next to a picture of none other than legendary “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill. Since Hamill was tapped as an ambassador for United24’s “Army of Drones” campaign earlier this fall, a lot

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Twitter on Wednesday suspended an account that used publicly available flight data to track Elon Musk’s private jet, despite a pledge by the social media platform’s new owner to keep it up because of his free speech principles. Then, hours later, Musk brought back the jet-tracking account after imposing

BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers have given the go-ahead for a series of defense procurement projects, including the purchase of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, as Berlin begins to spend a huge fund to strengthen the country’s military. Germany in mid-March announced plans to replace aging Tornado bomber jets with 35 F-35A Lightning II aircraft

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Disappointment has set in two years after the election of U.S. President Joe Biden was supposed to reset trans-Atlantic relations with the European Union. EU leaders are openly talking about fights, not only friendship. They say conflict with Washington is the last thing they want, with war

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s national carrier has scheduled two extra flights from Buenos Aires to Qatar to take soccer fans to the World Cup final. Both Aerolíneas Argentinas flights sold out quickly. The first one leaves from Argentina’s capital on Friday morning. Tickets for that flight were gone within a half-hour of the

NEW YORK (AP) — A unit of American International Group that played an outsized role in the 2008 global financial crises is nearing its official end. AIG said Wednesday that its Financial Products unit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Bad bets on mortgages by the Financial Products unit knocked parent AIG off its

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer More than half of U.S. adults say it’s harder to afford holiday gifts this year. According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 69% of them say they have seen higher prices for holiday gifts in recent months, up from 58% last year.

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press British banking giant HSBC announced Wednesday it will no longer finance new oil and gas fields as part of its updated climate strategy. But the bank added it would still give finance to current projects “in line with current demand.” It would also continue to provide finance and advisory services

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union and southeast Asian countries are commemorating 45 years of diplomatic ties with a summit overshadowed by political distractions such as the war in Ukraine and an EU Parliament bribery scandal. EU leaders hosted counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Wednesday. The meeting is a nod to Asia’s

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling more than 825,000 SUVs and cars in the U.S. and Canada because the daytime running lights may not turn off when the headlights are on. The recall covers certain 2022 and 2023 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, and GMC Yukon SUVs.

By ALEXANDRA OLSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Say goodbye to virtual wine tastings, and bust out the karaoke. Love them or hate them, company holiday parties are back — in a toned-down kind of way. After more than two years of working in pajama bottoms and clinking glasses over Zoom, many office