AP National Business

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police in suburban Portland, Oregon, say they arrested a crime ring leader responsible for trafficking over 44,000 stolen catalytic converters since 2021. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports detectives say they identified Brennan Doyle as the leader of the operation and last week arrested him and searched his Lake Oswego home, along with

By The Associated Press Gas prices hit record highs just two months ago, but now they’re sinking below $4 a gallon. The auto club and insurer AAA said Thursday that the nationwide average price was $3.99 a gallon. There are several factors behind the dramatic drop, and the biggest is a sharp pullback in oil

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres, Jordan’s Queen Rania, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will help relaunch the Clinton Global Initiative in September. That’s when the gathering of international dignitaries returns after six years. The two-day meeting Sept. 19 and 20

By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether it’s the fitness tracker on your wrist, the “smart” home appliances in your house or the latest kids’ fad going viral in online videos, they all produce a trove of personal data for big tech companies. How that data is being used and protected has

The Associated Press An afternoon pullback left stock indexes on Wall Street mixed Thursday, erasing most of their morning gains fueled by another encouraging report about inflation. The S&P 500 closed 0.1% lower. The Nasdaq also fell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly. Investors weighed new data showing inflation at the wholesale level

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s central bank has raised its interbank interest rate by 0.75% to 8.5% — the highest level in at least 16 years. The Bank of Mexico cited continuing inflationary pressures, and predicted inflation would peak at 8.5% in the third quarter. Authorities did not rule out future rate increases, and Intercam

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery rose $2.41 to $94.34 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude for October delivery rose $2.20 to $99.60 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for September delivery was unchanged at $3.07 a gallon. September heating oil rose 7 cents to $3.48 a gallon. September natural gas rose 67 cents

By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — A federal court ruling this week has thrown into doubt the future of a valuable commercial king salmon fishery in Southeast Alaska, after a conservation group challenged the government’s approval of the harvest as a threat to protected fish and the endangered killer whales that eat them.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A military statement says nine Indian crew members whose vessel sank off the Pakistani port of Gwadar in the Arabian Sea have been rescued by a tanker and Pakistan’s navy. Thursday’s statement says the sailing vessel Jamna Sagar sunk on Tuesday off Gwadar after sending a distress signal. Pakistan’s navy asked Belgium-flagged

LONDON (AP) — Heathrow Airport in London said Thursday that its limit on the number of passengers is easing a travel crunch that has led to flight cancellations and lost luggage as soaring demand for summer trips runs up against pandemic-era staffing shortages. Britain’s busiest airport has capped the daily number of departing passengers at

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates soared this week in a continued volatile market as the key 30-year loan rate jumped back over 5%. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year rate rose to 5.22% from 4.99% last week. The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular among those looking to refinance

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says a new U.S. tax credit plan aimed at encouraging Americans to buy electric vehicles could discriminate against European producers and break world trade rules. The Inflation Reduction Act is nearing approval in Congress. It would grant a tax credit of up to $7,500 to lower the cost of

By ADRIANA MORGA The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Gas prices have fallen from the record highs they reached earlier this summer, but they’re still higher than a year ago. And with inflation driving up the cost of pretty much everything else, finding the funds to cover your commute may be increasingly tricky. Whether

By ADRIANA MORGA The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Gas prices are falling but still high. And inflation is making everything else more expensive. But experts say there are ways to save on commuting costs. If you drive, AAA recommends avoiding traffic and adjusting your normal route in order to avoid unnecessary driving. Driving

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and senior ministers have held inconclusive talks with energy companies amid mounting pressure to help people cope with soaring gas and electricity prices. Johnson, who is in his final weeks as prime minister, joined his Treasury chief at the meeting with firms

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices at the wholesale level fell from June to July, the first month-to-month drop in more than two years and a sign that some of the U.S. economy’s inflationary pressures cooled last month. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that the producer price index —

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who signed up for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since November, though the U.S. job market continues to show signs of strength. Applications for jobless aid climbed by 14,000 to 262,000 and now have risen five out of

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president has threatened to fire top agricultural officials if an investigation shows they improperly made and announced a decision to import sugar amid a shortage without his approval, his press secretary said Thursday. It’s the stiffest punitive step newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could take against officials over

By KELSEY SHEEHY NerdWallet Relying on your business to fund your retirement is a risky bet. A business failure, health issues or shifting market conditions can leave you unable to retire fully. Rather than gamble on everything going right, diversify your nest egg so it will last you well into your later years. Prioritize setting

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A man has been convicted of dumping straw on a Dutch road last month and sentenced to perform 80 hours of unpaid community service work. Thursday’s court case was one of the first stemming from widespread protests by farmers against government plans to slash nitrogen emissions. The 42-year-old man’s identity

By SUSIE BLANN Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western nations have made more pledges to send arms to Ukraine as Britain’s Defense Ministry claimed that sanctions against Moscow are hurting Russian defense exports. On a day of give and take, the European Union’s full ban on Russian coal imports also kicked in Thursday. Britain

By SYLVIE CORBET and VANESSA GERA Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Firefighters from across Europe struggled Thursday to contain a huge wildfire in France that has swept through a large swath of pine forest, while Germans and Poles faced a mass fish die-off in a river flowing between their countries. Europe is suffering under a

By DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writer DALLAS (AP) — Gasoline prices have dipped under $4 for the first time in more than five months — good news for consumers who are struggling with high prices for many other essentials. AAA said the national average for a gallon of regular was $3.99 on Thursday, down from

By IGNATIUS SSUUNA Associated Press KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday rebuked Rwandan authorities over democracy and human rights concerns, saying the central African country may not reach its full potential without opening up political space and protecting freedoms. Blinken said the United States recognizes Rwanda’s incredibly difficult history

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand house prices have fallen year-on-year for the first time in more than a decade as rising interest rates finally halted a dizzying boom that had only gained momentum after the coronavirus pandemic first hit. The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand on Thursday

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed Friday in Asia after a muddled day on Wall Street, where benchmarks meandered following another encouraging report about inflation. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 surged 2.5%, catching up on gains after being closed Thursday for a holiday. Hong Kong and Seoul also advanced, while Shanghai

By The Associated Press The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Instead, men in uniform arrived and offered them amnesty — if they agreed to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine. Over the following days, about a dozen

By SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Tens of thousands of Music Midtown festivalgoers are no longer going to descend on Atlanta’s massive Piedmont Park next month to cheer on hip-hop star Future or watch beloved rock band My Chemical Romance take the stage. In fact, some people are convinced Atlanta — center of

By KRUTIKA PATHI and BHUMIKA SARASWATI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — As India’s economy grew, the hum of factories turned the sleepy, dusty village of Manesar into a booming industrial hub, cranking out everything from cars and sinks to smartphones and tablets. But jobs have run scarce over the years, prompting more and more

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Metallica, Mariah Carey and The Jonas Brothers will headline a free concert in New York’s Central Park next month marking the 10th anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival organized by the international nonprofit fighting extreme poverty. The Sept. 24 event will also feature a concert

By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. officials won’t approve a natural gas pipeline from Idaho to Wyoming until additional environmental studies are completed. A U.S. District Court on Wednesday approved an agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and two environmental groups that filed a lawsuit to stop the 50-mile (80-kilometer) Crow

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Air travelers are finally getting a break on fares. The government said Wednesday that the average airfare dropped nearly 8% in July compared with June, to $311. The bad news is, that’s still almost 28% higher than last July. Airlines pushed fares up for most of

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Reporter Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday it is raising prices for streaming subscribers in the U.S. who want to watch Disney+ without ads, as more viewers switch to what CEO Bob Chapek described as the “best value in streaming.” The price increases are tied to a new tiered service Disney

The Associated Press Stocks are closing at three-month highs on Wall Street as investors cheered a report showing inflation cooled more than expected in July. The S&P 500 jumped 2.1% Wednesday on expectations that slower inflation will mean the Federal Reserve won’t hike interest rates as much as feared. Technology stocks, cryptocurrencies and other investments

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers struggling with skyrocketing prices for food, gas, autos and rent got a tantalizing hint of relief last month, when prices didn’t budge at all from June after 25 straight months of increases. With gas prices continuing to fall, inflation is probably slowing

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Hundreds of Bulgarians have taken to the streets of the capital Sofia, voicing fears that the country’s caretaker government could break with the policies of its pro-Western predecessor and revert to close energy ties with Russia. The second in a planned series of protests under the slogan #GAZwithme took place Wednesday

By JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco’s opioid crisis for over-dispensing opioids for years without proper oversight and failing to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu says the

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery rose $1.43 to $91.93 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for October delivery rose $1.09 to $97.40 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for September delivery rose 11 cents to $3.07 a gallon. September heating oil rose 8 cents to $3.41 a gallon. September natural gas rose 37

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sesame Place has announced the implementation of diversity and inclusion training for its employees following a $25 million class-action lawsuit alleging multiple incidents of discrimination after outcry sparked from a video of a costumed character snubbing two 6-year-old Black girls went viral online. The Sesame Street-themed park, operated by SeaWorld Parks, in

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer As concerns about social media’s harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features they say will make their services safer and more age appropriate. But the changes rarely address the elephant in the the room — the algorithms

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission says it’s winding up years of surveillance of Greek government spending. The move, on Aug. 20, will mark a formal end to a major crisis that threatened to see Greece ejected from the euro single currency group. It also imposed severe hardship imposed on Greek citizens and created a

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who is leading in opinion polls ahead of Sept. 25 parliamentary elections, insists she won’t be a danger to democracy if she becomes premier, contending that the Italian political right has “unambiguously” condemned the legacy of fascism. She also dismissed as “nonsense”

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump showed up Wednesday for questioning under oath in New York’s civil investigation into his business practices. But he quickly made clear he wouldn’t be answering. The ex-president issued a statement saying he had done nothing wrong but was invoking the Fifth Amendment’s

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Elon Musk has sold nearly $7 billion worth of shares in Tesla as the billionaire gets his finances in order ahead of his court battle with Twitter. Musk disclosed in series of regulatory filings that he unloaded about 8 million shares of his company Tesla Inc. in recent days.

KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet At its current pace, Medicare’s Hospital Insurance trust fund will run out of money in 2028, according to the latest Medicare trustees report. That’s a two-year extension on the previous estimate, but experts say it’s still not good news, and the government needs to stop twiddling its thumbs. If Medicare exhausts

By RONALD MONTOYA Edmunds As if buying a new car in today’s supply-constrained market wasn’t hard enough, this year, many shoppers are experiencing sticker shock when they realize that the car they wanted has a price tag well over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. It’s the sad but true reality of the current car buying

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — Slovakia’s economy minister says oil shipments from Russia through a critical pipeline to several European countries have resumed after a problem over transit payments was resolved. Russian state pipeline operator Transneft said Tuesday it halted shipments through the southern branch of a pipeline through Ukraine to the

By KRUTIKA PATHI, SHEIKH SAALIQ and FRANK BAJAK Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — A cybersecurity startup informed a major Indian online insurance brokerage last month that critical vulnerabilities in its network could expose sensitive personal and financial data from at least 11 million customers. CyberX9 followed the standard ethical-hacker playbook, giving the brokerage time

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s finance minister says the government plans to make tax cuts worth more than 10 billion euros ($10.2 billion) to benefit broad sections of the population squeezed by high energy costs and inflation. Finance Minister Christian Lindner said Wednesday that about 48 million people in Germany would profit from changes to the

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Annual inflation in Denmark came at 8.7% last month — rising at the fastest pace since 1983 — while the figure in neighboring Norway reached 6.8%. Statistics Denmark said Wednesday that the price of goods has increased by an average of 13.2% in the past year, the highest annual increase since

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — The semiconductor shortage is hitting another of the world’s automakers, despite demand for product. Honda’s fiscal first quarter profit has fallen 33% from last year. A global computer chip shortage, a pandemic-related lockdown in China and the rising costs of raw materials hurt the Japanese automaker.

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A Chinese envoy says Australia’s recent change of government is a chance to “reset” its troubled relationship with China, but the new administration must “handle the Taiwan question with caution.” Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said Wedesday he was “surprised” that Australia had signed a statement

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced Thursday in Asia after benchmarks closed at three-month highs on Wall Street as investors cheered a report showing inflation cooled more than expected in July. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul saw gains of more than 1%. Tokyo was closed for a holiday. U.S. futures

By MICHAEL BALSAMO, MICHAEL R. SISAK and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s long-running civil investigation into his business dealings. About an hour after arriving at Attorney General Letitia

By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams said it plainly: It isn’t really fair. A male athlete would never have to make the same choice. But after a trailblazing career that both transformed and transcended her sport, Williams, who turns 41 next month, has told the world she’ll soon step

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reshuffled his Cabinet in a bid to distance his administration from the conservative Unification Church over its ties to the assassinated leader Shinzo Abe and senior ruling party members. The reshuffle was the second in just 10 months since Kishida took

By SIBI ARASU Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — The Indian government took another step toward its climate goals by passing a conservation bill through parliament’s lower house, which makes it easier to put a price on carbon emissions and encourages the use of non-fossil fuel sources to generate power across the country. The bill

BEIJING (AP) — China’s 11 million university graduates are struggling in a bleak job market as repeated shutdowns under China’s “zero-COVID policy” force companies to retrench and drive many restaurants and other small employers out of business. When Liu Qian entered the job market, she said she felt as if her future had been smashed

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Reporters SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former Twitter employee has been convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen and former media partnership manager for Twitter’s Middle East region, was charged in 2019 with acting as

The Associated Press Stocks are closing lower on Wall Street as disappointing earnings reports weighed on technology and travel companies. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq fell. Chipmaker Micron Technology fell after warning investors that revenue could fall short of forecasts because of weakening demand. Norwegian Cruise Line plunged after

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Micron, Novavax fall; Qualys, Nielsen Holdings rise.

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 26 cents to $90.50 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for October delivery fell 34 cents to $96.31 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for September delivery rose 7 cents to $2.96 a gallon. September heating oil rose 15 cents to $3.33 a gallon. September natural gas

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Falling prices for gas, airline tickets and clothes gave Americans a little bit of relief last month, though overall inflation is still running at close to its highest level in four decades. Consumer prices jumped 8.5% in July compared with a year earlier, the government said

Several countries in Europe dependent on Russian energy are suffering another blow with confirmation that oil shipments have stopped through a critical pipeline. Russia’s state pipeline operator, Transneft, said it had stopped shipments through the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which flows through Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Transneft cited

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s company has now bought up more than $11 billion worth of Occidental Petroleum stock this year to give Berkshire Hathaway control of more than 20% of the oil producer. Occidental’s stock jumped nearly 5% Tuesday to trade for $62.89 after Buffett revealed his

BEIJING (AP) — The top South Korean and Chinese diplomats have pledged to develop closer relations and maintain stable industrial supply chains at a time of deepening rivalry between Beijing and Washington. South Korea is struggling to strike a balance between Washington and the increasingly assertive foreign policy of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government. Foreign

MARK GILLISPIE Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — In a world increasingly troubled by the persistent harm that plastic — manufactured in petrochemical plants — has had on the environment, companies are investing billions of dollars to ramp up production of plastics made from natural, renewable materials that can be safely composted or can biodegrade under

By LAUREN SCHWAHN of NerdWallet With inflation rising and interest rates creeping up, life is getting more expensive for most people. Now that your money isn’t stretching as far, you’re likely being more cautious about how you spend it. Is it OK to decline picking up the tab for a friend or to say no

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group has issued warning to archenemy Israel over the two countries’ maritime border dispute. Hassan Nasrallah says that “any arm” that reaches to steal Lebanon’s wealth “will be cut off.” The remark on Tuesday comes amid intensified U.S. efforts to resolve

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Issey Miyake, who built one of Japan’s biggest fashion brands and was known for his boldly sculpted pleated pieces as well as former Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ black turtlenecks, has died. He was 84. Miyake died last Friday of liver cancer, Miyake Design Office said Tuesday. Miyake

By SEUNG MIN KIM, JOSH BOAK and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s legislative victories have aimed to position the U.S. to “win the economic competition of the 21st century,” but his investments to boost the nation’s technology, infrastructure and climate resilience over the next decade are set against a 90-odd-day

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower Wednesday ahead of U.S. inflation data that traders worry will show upward pressure on prices still is too strong for the Federal Reserve to ease off interest rate hikes. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul declined. Oil prices edged lower.

By YURAS KARMANAU and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — In a growing challenge to Russia’s grip on occupied areas of southeastern Ukraine, guerrilla forces loyal to Kyiv are killing pro-Moscow officials, blowing up bridges and trains, and helping the Ukrainian military by identifying key targets. The spreading resistance has eroded Kremlin control