AP National Business

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — Pulled from a sunken trunk at an 1857 shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina, work pants that auction officials describe as the oldest known pair of jeans in the world have sold for $114,000. The white, heavy-duty miner’s pants with a five-button fly were among

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Production of oranges in Florida this season is forecast to be down 36% from earlier estimates, in part a reflection of twin hurricanes that battered growing regions, according to U.S. Agriculture Department figures released Friday. The latest forecast calls for about 18 million boxes of

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines and JetBlue are expanding their partnership in the Northeast even while the government tries to kill the airlines’ agreement. American and JetBlue said Friday they plan to add some new routes in New York and Boston next spring. And they will trade places on New York-to-Atlanta flights, with

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana has opened bidding on 14 new offshore oil and gas blocks, hoping to capitalize on interest in lucrative fields that are expected to make the South American nation a major oil producer. Guyana is home to one of the largest oil discoveries in the last decade. In 2019, two years

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators and Honda Motor Co. are urging drivers once again to make sure their vehicles haven’t been recalled after another person was killed by an exploding Takata air bag. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the person was killed in a crash involving

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The World Trade Organization has rejected the 2018 import taxes that then-President Donald Trump imposed on foreign steel and aluminum, saying they violated global trade rules. Trump’s tariffs of 25% on foreign steel and 10% on aluminum outraged America’s long-standing allies, including the European Union and

By JOHN HANNA, RYAN J. FOLEY and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil this week into a northeastern Kansas creek to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline

By DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Lawmakers in Greece have approved legislation banning commercial spyware and reforming rules for legally-sanctioned wiretaps following allegations that senior government officials and journalists had been targeted by shadowy surveillance software. Friday’s 156-142 vote in parliament followed two days of debate, during which opposition lawmakers accused the government

By CARLA BRIDI Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is unveiling some of the faces that will comprise his incoming administration, including his much-awaited pick for finance minister: former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad. Haddad’s nomination ends weeks of suspense that have led to stock market volatility amid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The rulemaking arm of Tennessee’s high school sports oversight organization has made a change that allows student athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. A news release from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association says its legislative council voted for the change on Thursday, effective immediately. Students could receive

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department says it is imposing sanctions on a broad array of people and companies around the world for corruption and human rights abuses — from illegal fishing operations in Chinese waters to kickbacks in Guatemala. The sanctions on Friday are a recognition of International Anti-Corruption

PARIS (AP) — French energy giant TotalEnergies says it will walk away from its stake in Russian natural gas producer Novatek and take a $3.7 billion loss. The company has come under criticism for pursuing some of its activities in Russia amid the war in Ukraine. TotalEnergies said Friday it will no longer account for

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States rose 7.4% in November from a year earlier, a fifth straight slowdown and a hopeful sign that inflation pressures across the economy are continuing to cool. The latest year-over-year figure was down from 8% in October and from a recent

By IAIN SULLIVAN Associated Press ALICANTE, Spain (AP) — Spain, France and Portugal have agreed to build a major undersea pipeline to transport hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula to France and Europe by 2030. The pipeline is aimed at making the European Union more energy independent, a goal expedited by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The CEO of Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade publisher, is stepping down. Markus Dohle’s decision, effective at the end of the year, comes just weeks after a federal judge blocked the company’s attempt to buy rival Simon & Schuster. “Following the antitrust decision

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s state-run news agency and a judicial official say a Lebanese actress with links to the country’s controversial Central Bank governor was briefly arrested after she answered summons and showed up for questioning at the Beirut prosecutors office. She was released hours later on Friday on condition

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Workers at a General Motors joint venture electric vehicle battery factory in Ohio have voted to join the United Auto Workers union. About 900 employees at the new plant near Warren, Ohio, are the first to decide on union representation at a battery plant.  The National

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX says he is willing to testify to Congress next week. But he says he will be limited in what he can say and that he “won’t be as helpful” as he’d like to be. Sam Bankman-Fried tweeted in response to

MOSCOW (AP) — One man is dead after a massive fire ravaged a shopping mall on Moscow’s northwestern outskirts. Authorities said Friday’s blaze at the OBI store that is part of the MEGA mall in Khimki outside the Russian capital was sparked by welding that apparently violated safety regulations. The huge blaze erupted before the

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste. Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese airline has become the first customer to take delivery of a long-range jetliner produced by a state-owned manufacturer set up to try to compete with Boeing and Airbus. The C919 plane made by Commercial Aircraft Corp. is part of the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to transform the country into a

By IAIN SULLIVAN Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Leaders and representatives of nine Mediterranean and Southern European countries have called on the European Union to come up with a more flexible gas price cap mechanism than the recently proposed one of 220 euros per megawatt hour. The call made at a EU-Med9 summit in Spain

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A rash of COVID-19 cases in schools and businesses were reported Friday in areas across China after the ruling Communist Party loosened anti-virus rules as it tries to reverse a deepening economic slump. While official data showed a fall in new cases, they no longer cover large

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Ukraine’s finance minister says crucial Western financial support is “not charity” but “self-preservation” in the fight to defend democracy as his country deals with growing costs to repair electrical and heating infrastructure wrecked by Russian attacks. Serhiy Marchenko also told The Associated Press in an

By STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers A choppy day of trading on Wall Street ended with stocks broadly lower Friday, after a new report showed that inflation is slowing less than hoped just days before Federal Reserve officials are expected to raise interest rates again. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite each

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Thousands of South Korean truckers are returning to work after voting to end their 16-day walkout that disrupted construction and other domestic industries. Thousands of truckers seeking financial protections in the face of rising fuel costs went on strike Nov. 24. The vote Friday to

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa said Friday that K-pop star T.O.P will be among eight people who will join him on a flight around the moon on a SpaceX spaceship in the coming years. The Japanese tycoon launched plans for the lunar voyage in 2018, buying all the

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — A month into the nation’s largest strike involving higher education, the work stoppage by University of California academic workers at 10 campuses is causing stress for many undergraduate students. They are facing canceled classes, no one to answer their questions and uncertainty about how they

By MARI YAMGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan has announced it will jointly develop its next-generation fighter jet with the U.K. and Italy. Tokyo is looking to expand defense cooperation beyond its traditional ally, the United States. The Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet, which Japan plans to deploy in 2035, will replace its aging fleet

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A store that had been openly and illegally selling psychedelic mushrooms in Portland, Oregon, was raided by police on Thursday, authorities said. In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the country to legalize the use of psilocybin for people 21 and older in a controlled, therapeutic environment under the supervision

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United’s owners have not taken their semi-annual dividend for fiscal year 2023 according to the Premier League club’s quarterly financial reports. The decision preceded the Glazer family’s recent announcement that it would consider putting the club up for sale. Dividends amounting to $44 million were paid to the Glazers and

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has launched a batch of internet satellites for a competitor. Elon Musk’s company stepped in to help after the London-based OneWeb halted its flights with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. The Falcon rocket blasted off at sunset Thursday from Florida’s Kennedy Space

By DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A group of workers at a Kentucky candle factory destroyed by a tornado have filed a second lawsuit. They say they were not allowed to leave work before the tornado slammed into the Mayfield Consumer Products plant nearly a year ago. The suit filed Thursday accuses

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials outlined new conditions Thursday for a proposed permit for the U.S. government to continue the disposal of nuclear waste in the southeast corner of the state, part of a multibillion-dollar federal cleanup program. As a hedge against becoming the nation’s only permanent

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — A sand storm at the Jersey shore is escalating. New Jersey is suing a coastal town that repaired beach erosion from an October storm in defiance of a state order not to do so. And the town, North Wildwood remains defiant: It says it will

The Associated Press Stocks closed higher on Wall Street but remain lower for the week after five straight losses. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Thursday and the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%. U.S. crude oil prices settled lower, marking their lowest point of the year. Activision Blizzard fell 1.5%

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Tesla Inc., down 60 cents to $173.44. Investors are worried that the electric vehicle maker could suffer financially because of CEO Elon Musk’s focus on Twitter. Landstar System Inc., up $1.88 to $170.24. The transportation services company increased its stock buyback

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery fell 55 cents to $71.46 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude for February delivery fell $1.02 to $76.15 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery fell 3 cents to $2.05 a gallon. January heating oil rose 10 cents to $2.88 a gallon. January natural gas rose

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In 2014, Oregon voters approved a ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana after being told it would eliminate problems caused by “uncontrolled manufacture” of the drug. Illegal production of marijuana has instead exploded. Oregon lawmakers, who have heard complaints from police, legal growers and others, are now

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued to block Microsoft’s planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft’s Xbox game console and its growing games subscription business. The FTC’s challenge could be a test case for President Joe Biden’s mandate

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homebuilders have pumped the brakes on new single-family home construction this year, a trend that’s likely to extend into 2023, according to several forecasts. Single-family housing starts will fall this year for the first time in over a decade, with another pullback projected in 2023.

By JOHN HANNA, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, and JOSH FUNK Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday. Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Committee on Oversight and Reform says the Washington Commanders created a “toxic work culture” for more than two decades and downplayed sexual misconduct by men at the top levels of the organization. That’s according to a report published Thursday. The report also says team owner Dan Snyder was involved in

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Two women who lost their jobs at Twitter when billionaire Elon Musk took over are suing the company in federal court, claiming that last month’s abrupt mass layoffs disproportionately affected female employees. The discrimination lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges over Musk’s decimation of Twitter’s

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has called for a review of the state’s investments to determine if it has stakes in Chinese companies. The Republican governor, who is seen as a potential contender for her party’s nomination to run for president in two years, has

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell for the fourth week in a row and have fallen more than three-quarters of a point since hitting a 20-year high last month. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the benchmark 30-year rate dipped to

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer U.S. regulators have cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5. Omicron-targeted booster shots made by both Moderna and Pfizer already are urged for everyone 5 and older. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration said younger children who’ve had two original Moderna shots qualify

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group and a South Korean battery maker say they will jointly invest $4 billion to $5 billion in Georgia to build a new electric battery plant. The plant northwest of Atlanta would hire a projected 3,500 employees to supply batteries to Hyundai and Kia electric

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis has long suffered from disproportionately high homicide rates. And like many other cities, it endured a surge in homicides in 2020 on the heels of the pandemic. The violence seized the attention of Patrick Lawler, who runs the nonprofit Youth Villages. Lawler discovered a body

DETROIT (AP) — Fifteen automakers have made life-saving automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all of their new passenger vehicles in the U.S. this year, fulfilling a voluntary commitment made six years ago. That leaves five companies —  General Motors, Porsche, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia and Maserati — still needing to meet the pledge by Aug.

By NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAGNY Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Families of the 228 people killed aboard a Rio-Paris flight that crashed in 2009 were hoping for justice at last. Instead, they’re wracked with anger and disappointment as a long-awaited trial wraps up Thursday with little sign that anyone will be held accountable. Airbus and Air France

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly more Americans filed for jobless claims last week but the labor market remains one of strongest parts of the U.S. economy. Applications for unemployment benefits rose to 230,000 for the week ending Dec. 3, up by 4,000 from the previous week’s 226,000, the Labor Department

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Federal regulators opened their campaign to block Facebook parent Meta’s acquisition of a virtual-reality company in a San Jose, California, courtroom. In a landmark legal challenge Thursday to a Big Tech merger, the Federal Trade Commission has sued to prevent Meta’s acquisition of Within Unlimited and its fitness app

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Google has to delete search results about people in Europe if they can prove that the information is clearly wrong, the European Union’s top court said Thursday. The European Court of Justice ruled that search engines must “dereference information” if the person making the request can

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on Thursday with Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince while on a visit to the kingdom, solidifying ties with a region crucial to his country’s energy supplies as sanctions intensify on Russia over its war on Ukraine. Xi arrived

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and JOSH BOAK Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has helped mark a milestone in U.S. history by holding up a newly minted $5 bill signed for the first time ever by two women. Yellen’s signature will appear alongside that of U.S. Treasurer Lynn Malerba, the first

By DAVID A. LIEB and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is providing nearly $36 billion to shore up a financially troubled union pension plan. The federal aid is intended to stop severe cuts to the retirement incomes of more than 350,000 Teamsters workers and retirees. The Biden administration

BERLIN (AP) — The former chief executive of financial services company Wirecard and two other ex-managers has gone on trial over the firm’s collapse. It has been described as the biggest case of fraud in post-war Germany. Wirecard was the darling of Germany’s fintech scene until it filed insolvency proceedings in 2020, saying 1.9 billion

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — People across China reacted with relief and caution Thursday to the dramatic government decision to loosen some of the world’s most severe COVID-19 restrictions. For the first time in months, Jenny Jian hit the gym in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou without being required to scan

By WILLIAM J. KOLE Associated Press WARWICK, R.I. (AP) — One tarnished silver coin at a time, the ground is yielding new evidence that in the late 1600s, one of the world’s most ruthless pirates wandered the American colonies with impunity. Newly surfaced documents also strengthen the case that English buccaneer Henry Every — the

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s once burgeoning banking sector has been hard hit by the country’s historic economic meltdown. It has suffered staggering losses worth tens of billions of dollars and many of the small nation’s lenders now face possible closures or mergers. Yet bankers have been resisting attempts to make

By JIM SALTER and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — As of Thursday, it’s lawful for adults to possess and use marijuana in Missouri. That doesn’t mean you can legally buy it just yet, or use it everywhere. Medical marijuana has been legal in state since 2018, but voters went a step further

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has reported its economy contracted less than previously thought in the last quarter, weathering the country’s latest big COVID wave with less damage than had been thought.  The report Thursday showed the world’s third-largest economy shrank at a 0.8% annual rate in July-September. That was better than minus 1.2% annual growth

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government has expanded its back-to-work orders against thousands of cargo truck drivers who are staging a nationwide walkout over freight fare issues. The government says a prolonged strike could inflict “deep scars” on the country’s economy. The orders were initially issued on some

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina county where Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper started building and then abandoned a new $800 million practice facility has reached a settlement over $21 million in sales tax money given to the NFL team. A statement Wednesday night from York County says the

By ARLEIGH RODGERS Associated Press/Report for America INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s attorney general on Wednesday sued Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, claiming the video-sharing platform misleads its users, particularly children, about the level of inappropriate content and security of consumer information. Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a complaint filed Wednesday that while the

By TARA COPP and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Google, Oracle, Microsoft and Amazon will share in the Pentagon’s $9 billion contract to build its cloud computing network. The announcement comes a year after accusations of politicization over the previously announced contract and a protracted legal battle resulted in the military starting over

SEATTLE (AP) — After more than half a century, the last Boeing 747 has rolled out of a Washington state factory. The jumbo jet has been used as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and as the Air Force One presidential aircraft. When it debuted in 1969, it was

By NARDOS HAILE and SHARON JOHNSON ATLANTA, Ga (AP) — Ludacris and Mercedes-Benz have surprised schoolchildren in Atlanta with more than 500 new pairs of shoes just in time for the holidays. “It’s all about giving kids moments that they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives,” Ludacris said Wednesday at Miles Elementary

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Many decisions by New Mexico’s most powerful regulatory panel have had direct economic and environmental consequences for one corner of the state, and yet not one candidate nominated to fill the Public Regulation Commission is from northwestern New Mexico. Critics are concerned about the lack

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida lawmaker who sponsored the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” has been indicted on charges of defrauding a federal coronavirus loan program for small businesses. Federal prosecutors on Wednesday said Harding illegally obtained or tried to obtain more than $150,000 from the Small

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Apple has embarked on its latest privacy-enhancing move. The tech giant says it will now offer full end-to-encryption for nearly all the data its users store in its cloud system. That will make it more difficult for hackers, spies and law enforcement agencies to access sensitive

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is urging Georgia officials to deny permits for a proposed mine near the edge of the famed Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says in a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that the

The Associated Press More weakness in tech stocks sent Wall Street mostly lower after another day of wobbly trading. The S&P 500 ended 0.2% lower Wednesday, its fifth straight loss. The Nasdaq, which is heavily weighted with tech companies, lost 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended just barely in the green. Treasury yields fell.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Campbell, MongoDB rise; Smith & Wesson, AeroVironment fall.

By ALEXANDRA OLSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of New York Times journalists and other staff have walked off the job for 24 hours. They’re frustrated by contract negotiations that have dragged on for months in the newspaper’s biggest labor dispute in more than 40 years. Reporters, editors, photographers and other employees

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery fell $2.24 to $72.01 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for February delivery fell $2.18 to $77.17 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery fell 7 cents to $2.08 a gallon. January heating oil fell 14 cents to $2.78 a gallon. January natural gas rose 25

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press President Joe Biden has signed legislation curbing the use of confidentiality agreements that block victims of sexual harassment from speaking publicly about misconduct in the workplace. The bipartisan Speak Out Act bars the use of nondisclosure agreements that employees or contractors are required to sign, often as a condition

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — For years, Mark Hager’s job as an observer aboard New England fishing boats made him a marked man, seen as a meddling cop on the ocean, counting and scrutinizing every cod, haddock and flounder to enforce rules and help set crucial quotas. On one particularly perilous

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has proposed travel bans and asset freezes on almost 200 more Russian officials and military officers as part of a new round of sanctions aimed at ramping up pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. The proposals were made Wednesday by the EU’s

PARIS (AP) — French animal rights activists have protested against what they say are broad exceptions to a new legislation that was meant to ban the practice of killing male chicks after they hatch.The ban is set to enter into force in January. Yet France-based animal rights group L214 said exceptions to the rule that

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The former head of Poland’s state broadcaster says he now has a job the World Bank. It’s spurred disbelief in the European Union country where he’s known for turning the news channel into a propaganda tool for the right-wing government. Kurski tweeted Wednesday that he’s been named an alternate executive director

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Italian confectioner Ferrero is acquiring Wells Enterprises, one of the largest U.S. ice cream makers. Wells, a 100-year-old family-owned company based in Le Mars, Iowa, makes Blue Bunny, Halo Top and other brands. It produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year at plants in Iowa,

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS and JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled in favor of state efforts to control public access to a set of ancient ceremonial and burial earthworks built by American Indians. At issue before the court were the 2,000-year-old Octagon Earthworks in Newark in central

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is bringing back dividends for shareholders. The airline said Wednesday that it will restore the quarterly dividend of 18 cents per share in late January. Southwest suspended dividends after the pandemic devastated the airline business in early 2020. The move comes as air travel

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government says it could take “tough” action to curb strikes. Its warning came as airport passport officers became the latest public sector workers to announce December walkouts. The Public and Commercial Services union said its members at Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports will

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will increase exports of liquefied natural gas to Britain under a new agreement calling for the two countries to work together to boost energy security and drive down prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the

By TOM KRISHER and PAUL WISEMAN AP Business Writers The supply backlogs of the past two years — and the delays, shortages and outrageous prices that came with them — have improved dramatically since summer.  The web of factories, railroads, ports, warehouses and freight yards that link products to customers have nearly regained their pre-pandemic

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street sagged under weakness in tech stocks. U.S. futures edged lower while oil prices rebounded. Japan revised upward its GDP data to show the economy contracted less than earlier reported in July-September, in a sign the country weathered

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AP Science Writer NEW DELHI (AP) — The leading hospital in India’s capital is limping back to normalcy after a cyberattack crippled its operations for nearly two weeks. Online registration of patients has resumed after the hospital was able to access its server and recover lost data. The hospital worked with federal

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — For years, Mark Hager’s job as an observer aboard New England fishing boats made him a marked man, seen as a meddling cop on the ocean, counting and scrutinizing every cod, haddock and flounder to enforce rules and help set crucial quotas. On one particularly perilous

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and MATTHEW PERRONE AP Business Writers Embattled vaping company Juul Labs has reached settlements covering thousands of lawsuits over its e-cigarettes, which in recent years became a scourge in schools and communities nationwide. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Juul said that it has secured an equity investment to

By ABBY BADACH DOYLE of NerdWallet From rising home prices  to soaring interest rates,  it’s a daunting time to be a home buyer. To achieve homeownership, some single buyers are trying a different approach: co-buying with friends or family members. But co-buying isn’t a short-term hack – it’s a lifestyle shift. Before you team up,