Business News

Automakers make minivans 'cool' again

Hostess assaulted after asking for vaccine status

Illegal marijuana farms take West's scarce water

Democrats tackling flash points of taxes, health

AP FACT CHECK: Biden's shaky claims on jobs, gasoline

'The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial'

US databases potential tool of Taliban repression

Statue erected of mysterious Bitcoin founder

Man sentenced to 12 years in $200 million phone-fraud scheme

Advocates fear US weighing climate vs. human rights on China
U.S. envoy John Kerry is on a diplomatic quest to stave off the worst scenarios of global warming, but he's running into resistance from China, the world’s biggest climate polluter
September 18, 2021

September 18

Democrats tackling flash points of taxes, health, climate

Congressional Democrats face a daunting assignment.

September 18

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2021, file photo speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters to discuss President Joe Biden's domestic agenda including passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill and pushing through a Democrats-only expansion of the social safety net, the at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

September 18

'Unexpectedly beautiful': Automakers revamp minivans to compete with SUVs

"A minivan isn't more uncool than your average crossover."

September 18

Toyota relaunched the Sienna minivan, now in its fourth generation, last year with a hybrid powertrain.

September 18

Advocates fear US weighing climate vs. human rights on China

U.S. envoy John Kerry is on a diplomatic quest to stave off the worst scenarios of global warming, but he's running into resistance from China, the world’s biggest climate polluter

September 18

In this Sept. 13, 2021 photo, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry listens to a speech at the launch of Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) under India-US Agenda 2030 Partnership in New Delhi, India. Kerry’s quest to stave off the worst scenarios of global warming is meeting resistance from China, the world's biggest climate polluter, which is adamant that the United States ease confrontation over other matters if it wants Beijing to speed up its climate efforts. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

1 hour ago

Aluminum wrap used to protect homes in California wildfires

Aluminum wraps designed to protect homes from flames are getting attention as wildfires burn in California

1 hour ago

Dan Hirning, founding president of Firezat Inc., reaches for some of the material that protects homes, his company uses as a gust of wind passes, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Del Mar, Calif. Aluminum wraps designed to protect homes from flames are getting attention as wildfires burn in California. During a fire near Lake Tahoe, some wrapped houses survived while nearby homes were destroyed. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

September 17

Use of OxyContin profits to fight opioids formally approved

A judge formally approved a plan Friday to turn OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma into a new company no longer owned by members of the Sackler family and with its profits going to fight the opioid epidemic

September 17

FILE - This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. A judge formally approved a plan Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 to turn OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma into a new company no longer owned by members of the Sackler family and with its profits going to fight the opioid epidemic. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge signed the plan Friday, more than two weeks after giving it preliminary approval. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

September 17

NTSB to investigate Tesla crash in Florida that left 2 dead

Federal officials say they will investigate a fiery Tesla crash that left two people dead in South Florida

September 17

EXPLAINER: Why World Bank is under fire over set of rankings

The World Bank has dropped a popular report that ranked countries by how welcoming they are to businesses after allegations that it bowed to pressure from China and other governments

September 17

FIEL - In this Sept. 6, 2021, file photo, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony for the Floating Office where a high-level dialogue on climate adaptation takes place in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The World Bank is canceling a prominent report on business conditions around the world after investigators found staff members were pressured by the bank’s leaders to alter data about China and some other governments. Georgieva said she disagreed with the findings. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

September 17

US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk

An influential federal advisory panel has overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give Pfizer booster shots against COVID-19 to most Americans, but it endorsed the extra doses for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease

September 17

FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, Hollie Maloney, a pharmacy technician, loads a syringe with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. The Biden administration’s embattled plan to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans faced its first key hurdle Friday, Sept. 17, as a government advisory panel met to decide whether to recommend extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

September 17

Biden, world leaders push climate action, vow methane cuts

President Joe Biden is trying to hammer out the world’s next steps against rapidly worsening climate change in a private, virtual session with a small group of other global leaders

September 17

Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as President Joe Biden delivers remarks to the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

September 17

SEC charges Florida man for insider trading of Mylan stock

A former executive at pharmaceutical company Mylan has pleaded guilty to insider trading in the company’s securities

September 17

Stocks fall on Wall Street, giving up the week's gains

Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Friday, marking a feeble ending to an up-and-down week of trading

September 17

A man walks near an advertisement showing bank's interest rates in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. Asian shares were mixed on Friday after a hodge-podge of economic data led Wall Street to close mostly lower. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

September 17

How major US stock indexes fared Friday

Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Friday, marking a feeble ending to an up-and-down week of trading

September 17

Protagonist, Schlumberger fall; Invesco, Thermo Fisher rise

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: Protagonist, Schlumberger fall; Invesco, Thermo Fisher rise

September 17

Man sentenced to 12 years in $200 million phone-fraud scheme

A Pakistan resident has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a conspiracy to “unlock” phones from AT&T's network, a scheme that the company says cost it more than $200 million

September 17

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels

September 17

Start of school year fuels California job growth in August

California's unemployment rate declined slightly in August as the state added 104,300 new jobs for the month

September 17

FILE — In this Aug. 11, 2021, file photo Joy Harrison instructs her second graders at Carl B. Munck Elementary School, in Oakland, Calif. Public school teachers and staff returning to the classroom in August fueled another impressive month of job gains in California according to data from the California Employment Development Department, released Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, Pool, File)

September 17

MacKenzie Scott dominates donations to racial equity

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has funded organizations that received the most money for racial equity in 27 different states following the police killing of George Floyd

September 17

FILE - In this March 4, 2018, file photo, MacKenzie Bezos arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has funded organizations that received the most money for racial equity in 27 different states following the police killing of George Floyd. According to an AP analysis of new preliminary data from the philanthropy research organization Candid, Scott was responsible for approximately $567 million given to these organizations. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

September 17

Illegal marijuana farms take West's water in 'blatant theft'

The number of illegal grows appears to have increased recently.

September 17

Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel stands amid the debris of plastic hoop houses destroyed by law enforcement, used to grow cannabis illegally, near Selma, Ore., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. From dusty towns to forests in the West, illegal marijuana growers are taking water in uncontrolled amounts when often there isn't enough to go around for even licensed users. . (Shaun Hall/Grants Pass Daily Courier via AP)

September 17

White House warns that debt limit showdown could hurt states

House Democrats said Friday they planned to take action next week to suspend the cap on the government’s borrowing authority

September 17

A worker works on the light fixture over the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

September 17

Statue honoring Bitcoin founder unveiled in Hungary

The artists say the bronze piece is the first to pay homage to Bitcoin’s anonymous creator.

September 17

NYC hostess assaulted after asking Texas patrons for proof of COVID-19 vaccination

New York City requires at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to dine indoors.

September 17

A person walks outside Carmine's Italian Restaurant in Times Square on Oct. 13, 2020 in New York City.

September 17

Statue of Bitcoin founder honors mysterious 'god' of cryptocurrency

The reflective art piece allows viewers to see themselves in Satoshi Nakamoto.

September 17

A person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask poses in front of the statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious inventor of the virtual currency bitcoin, after its unveiling at the Graphisoft Park in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 16, 2021.

September 17

AP FACT CHECK: Biden's shaky claims on jobs, gasoline

President Joe Biden is going too far in taking credit for job growth since taking office

September 17

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

September 17

Union Pacific CEO sees strong economy coming out of pandemic

During his time as Union Pacific’s CEO, Lance Fritz has had to find ways to keep the freight moving during the coronavirus pandemic as the economy nearly ground to a halt and then roared back to life

September 17

FILE- In this Feb. 17, 2017, file photo, Union Pacific Chairman, President and CEO Lance Fritz, smiles after a news conference at the Durham Museum in Omaha, Neb. During his time as Union Pacific’s CEO, Fritz has had to find ways to keep the freight moving during the coronavirus pandemic as the economy nearly ground to a halt and then roared back to life. Now he is working to help clear up a major backlog in imported shipments. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

September 17

World Bank cancels business report after investigation

The World Bank is canceling a prominent report on business conditions around the world after investigators found staff members were pressured by the bank’s leaders to alter data about China and some other governments

September 17

September 16

Asian shares mostly higher after Wall Street retreat

Asian shares are mixed after a hodge-podge of economic data led Wall Street to close mostly lower

September 16

A currency trader walks by screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a freign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Stocks were mostly lower in Asia on Thursday after Japan and China released data that were weaker than expected. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

September 16

Piers Morgan to launch new TV show in deal with News Corp

British presenter Piers Morgan will join News Corp and Fox News Media and host a TV show that will air in the U.S., Britain and Australia

September 16

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 file photo, Piers Morgan arrives at the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on in Beverly Hills, Calif. British presenter Piers Morgan will join News Corp and Fox News Media and host a TV show that will air in the U.S., Britain and Australia, the company said Thursday Sept. 16, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

September 16

AP FACT CHECK: Biden's shaky claims on jobs, gasoline

Boasting that government policies can make a difference in improving the economy, President Joe Biden is going too far in taking credit for job growth since taking office

September 16

Muslim groups call for Hilton boycott over project in China

A Muslim civil rights group is calling for a boycott of Hilton hotels over what it says are plans to build a hotel on the site of a bulldozed Uyghur mosque in China

September 16

US will give runway rights at NJ airport to a budget airline

A budget airline will get a chance to add flights at the busy airport in Newark, New Jersey, just outside New York City

September 16

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2021 file photo, a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 takes off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The budget airline will get a chance to add flights at the busy airport in Newark, New Jersey, just outside New York City. The Transportation Department said Thursday that it will give coveted afternoon and evening runway rights to a low-cost airline. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

September 16

How major US stock indexes fared Thursday

Stocks couldn’t hold on to a brief afternoon gain and wound up ending mostly lower Thursday

September 16

Timken, Newmont fall, Gap, Lennar rise

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Timken, Newmont fall, Gap, Lennar rise

September 16

MassMutual fined for failing to monitor GameStop saga star

Massachusetts is fining MassMutual $4 million after accusing the company of failing to supervise an employee whose online cheerleading of GameStop’s stock helped launch the frenzy that shook Wall Street earlier this year

September 16

In this image from video provided by the House Financial Services Committee, Keith Gill, also known in social media forums as Roaring Kitty, testifies during a virtual hearing on GameStop in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Massachusetts is fining MassMutual $4 million and ordering it to overhaul its social-media policies after accusing the company of failing to supervise the employee whose online cheerleading of GameStop’s stock helped launch the frenzy that shook Wall Street earlier this year. The settlement announced Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021 centers on the actions of Gill, an employee at a MassMutual subsidiary from April 2019 until January 2021. (House Financial Services Committee via AP)

September 16

Fed reviews ethics policies after prolific trading uncovered

The Federal Reserve is reviewing the ethics policies that cover the financial holdings of its senior officials in the wake of disclosures that two regional Fed presidents engaged in extensive trading last year

September 16

FILE - This May 4, 2021 file photo shows the Federal Reserve building in Washington. The Federal Reserve said Thursday, Sept. 16, that it is reviewing its ethics policies governing senior officials' financial holdings, in the wake of disclosures that two regional Fed presidents engaged in extensive trading last year. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

September 16

Covered California director to step down in February

The director of Covered California says he will step down early next year

September 16

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels

September 16

Drought haves, have-nots test how to share water in the West

Oregon farmers who grow 60% of the world’s carrot seed have been without irrigation water for weeks as drought ravages the American West

September 16

McConnell warns Yellen that GOP won't help raise debt limit

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is not budging on his demand that Democrats go it alone on the federal debt limit

September 16

FILE - In this July 11, 2021 file photo, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at a G20 Economy, Finance ministers and Central bank governors' meeting in Venice, Italy. The date that the government could face an unprecedented default on its obligations will most likely occur between mid-October and mid-November, a Washington think tank said Friday, Sept. 10. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

September 16

Polis, 1st openly gay governor elected, marries in Colorado

Colorado's Jared Polis, who became the first openly gay man to be elected governor in the United States in 2018, has married his longtime partner and first gentleman Marlon Reis, a writer and animal welfare advocate

September 16

In this photo provided by Jocelyn Augustino, Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, center, officiates a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony attended by family and friends for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, left, and his partner, Marlon Reis, in Boulder, Colo. on Wednesday Sept. 15, 2021. Polis, who became the first openly gay man in the United States to be elected governor in 2018, married his longtime partner and first gentleman Reis, a writer and animal welfare advocate. (Jocelyn Augustino via AP)

September 16

Surprise uptick in spending by Americans as delta spread

Americans kept shopping last month, despite a rise in COVID-19 cases

September 16

A consumer shops as she wears a mask at a retail store in Morton Grove, Ill., Wednesday, July 21, 2021. With fewer pandemic-related restrictions this year, the option to do more can result in the urge to spend. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

September 16

Author Colleen Hoover's word-of-mouth success

Colleen Hoover’s years as a published — and self-published — fiction writer have been one long, pleasant surprise

September 16

This combination of photos shows author Colleen Hoover, left, and a cover image for her book "It Ends With Us." (Chad Griffith/Atria via AP, left, and Atria via AP)

September 16

Job market disconnect raises concerns over economic recovery

The gulf between record job openings and a lack of people taking those jobs is forcing Wall Street to reassess the pace of the economic recovery

September 16

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 27, 2021, file photo, a help-wanted sign is displayed at a gas station in Mount Prospect, Ill. The gulf between record job openings and a lack of people taking those jobs is forcing Wall Street to reassess the pace of the economic recovery. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

September 16

Blowers, mowers and more: American yards quietly go electric

Gas-powered home lawn-care machines for mowing, trimming and blowing have generally been accompanied by deafening roars and fumes

September 16

This undated image released by the New York Botanical Garden shows Tyler Campbell using an electric hedgetrimmer to trim hedges at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx borough of New York. (Marlon Co/New York Botanical Garden via AP)

September 16

US unemployment claims rise after hitting pandemic low

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits moved up last week to 332,000 from a pandemic low, a sign that worsening COVID-19 infections may have slightly increased layoffs

September 16

Cuba opens door to more private business, but red tape looms

Opening a small business is a bureaucratic headache in many parts of the world.

September 16

Carlos Gomez, 35, owner of the audiovisual production company Wajiros Films, poses for a photo at his company's editing room in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Most sorts of private businesses have been banned for more than 50 years, but now a new legal system takes effect on Sept. 20 that could greatly expand the scope of private businesses like Gomez´s, and crucially give them greater legal certainty in efforts to help an economy in crisis. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

September 16

Americans have little trust in online security: AP-NORC poll

A poll shows that most Americans don’t believe their personal information is secure online and they aren't satisfied with the federal government's efforts to protect their digital privacy

September 16