Tag: Consumer products and services
Equal pay bill nears approval in House, long odds in Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats were poised to pass legislation Thursday that they say would help close the gap between what men and women...
With layoffs down and spending up, US rebound gains momentum
WASHINGTON (AP) — A much-awaited economic boom coming off the pandemic recession appeared to edge closer to reality Thursday with fresh data showing the...
Safety groups, unions urge US to fix recalled gov’t vehicles
DETROIT (AP) — More than a dozen consumer groups and three federal employee unions are asking the U.S. government to stop using vehicles in...
Mercedes rolls out luxury electric car in duel with Tesla
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Daimler AG on Thursday unveiled a battery-powered counterpart to its top Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan as German carmakers ramp up their...
$1,400 stimulus checks helped March retail sales soar 9.8%
NEW YORK (AP) — Newly vaccinated and armed with $1,400 stimulus checks, Americans went on a spending spree last month, buying new clothes and...
Sydney man finds snake in lettuce bought at supermarket
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Alex White thought he was watching a huge worm writhing in plastic-wrapped lettuce he’d just brought home from a Sydney...
AP sources: Tool behind crackdown on opioids could expire
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has been slow-walking its work on the extension of a legislative order that would keep in place a...
After months on lam, slaughterhouse escapee beefalo caught
PLYMOUTH, Conn. (AP) — After more than 250 days on the run, an 800- to 900-pound (360- to 410-kilogram) beefalo that has been roaming...
To retain workers, Walmart moves more of them full time
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is moving more of its workers full time as the nation's largest private employer looks for more ways to...
Swap the crop? New York hemp farmers eager to grow marijuana
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Legal marijuana is coming to New York and hemp farmer Samir Mahadin sees it as a potential lifeline.
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Mobile sports betting money tempts cash-strapped states
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — States around the country are realizing what gamblers figured out long ago: The future of sports betting — and...
“Sour Grapes” wine fraud con man deported to Indonesia
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A one-time California man who bilked wine collectors out of millions by selling cheaper booze he rebottled in his kitchen...
Bally’s to pay $308M for Tropicana hotel on Las Vegas Strip
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, a Sin City namesake, is being sold to a new entrant among Las...
The Latest: Governor bans vaccine passports for Montana
HELENA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has issued an executive order banning the development or use of vaccine passports in Montana.
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Czechs reject mandatory quotas on local food in stores
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech lawmakers have rejected a proposed bill to reduce dependency on food imports by imposing a quota of locally-produced food to...
The Latest: Australia has 2nd likely Astra-Zeneca clot case
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian authorities have identified a second case of a rare blot clot likely linked to the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
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Biden tells execs US needs to invest, lead in computer chips
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used a virtual meeting with corporate leaders about a global shortage of semiconductors to push Monday for his...
Drivers wanted: Record demand at Uber as vaccinations rise
Uber is offering sign-up bonuses and other incentives for drivers as it faces record demand for rides and meal delivery.
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Biden sees `win’ for US in electric vehicle battery deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two big South Korean electric vehicle battery makers said Sunday they have settled a long-running trade dispute that will allow one...
Average US price of gas holds steady at $2.94 per gallon
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline held steady over the past two weeks at $2.94 per gallon.
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Brazil’s virus outlook darkens amid vaccine supply snags
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — April is shaping up to be Brazil’s darkest month yet in the pandemic, with hospitals struggling with a crush...
Pubs, hairdressers set to reopen as UK eases virus lockdown
LONDON (AP) — Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday,...
AP source: Electric vehicle battery firms settle trade spat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two big South Korean electric vehicle battery makers have settled a long-running trade dispute that will allow one of them to...
US to keep migrant families in hotels as amid rush for space
Migrant families will be held at hotels in the Phoenix area in response to a growing number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities...
Alibaba fined $2.8 billion on competition charge in China
BEIJING (AP) — Alibaba Group, the world’s biggest e-commerce company, was fined 18.3 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) by Chinese regulators on Saturday for anti-competitive...
Thailand faces growing outbreak ahead of New Year travel
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities struggled to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country's traditional Songkran New Year’s holiday, when millions...
Amazon warehouse workers reject union bid in Alabama
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama handed the online retail giant a decisive victory when they voted against forming a union and...
Virus knocks 80% off Atlantic City casino profits in 2020
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak sent profits plunging at Atlantic City's casinos by more than 80% last year, according to figures...
EXPLAINER: Starving for more chips in a tech-hungry world
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — As the U.S. economy rebounds from its pandemic slump, a vital cog is in short supply: the computer chips...
Chip shortage forces more production cuts by GM, Ford
DETROIT (AP) — The global shortage of semiconductors has forced General Motors and Ford to further cut production at their North American factories as...
Florida sues federal government to allow cruises to sail
MIAMI (AP) — The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to demand cruise ships be allowed to start sailing...
Industry foe charged under Iowa’s new food trespassing law
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An animal rights activist whose investigations and pranks have made him a leading foe of the livestock industry has...
2 new airlines await Americans looking to fly somewhere
Americans are traveling in the greatest numbers in more than a year, and soon they will have two new leisure-oriented airlines to consider for...
Pandemic impact may weigh on commercial real estate recovery
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is fueling optimism that Americans will increasingly return to the ways they used to shop,...
Pandemic-weary chefs, cooks enjoy serving from home
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — When COVID-19 shutdowns hit in March 2020, Mike Winneker, a hotel executive sous chef, found himself without work for the...
Virginia becomes first Southern state to legalize marijuana
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes...
Biofuels producers, farmers not sold on switch to electric
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The president and auto industry maintain the nation is on the cusp of a gigantic shift to electric vehicles...
The Latest: N Korea says it still has no coronavirus cases
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea continues to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus in its latest report to the World...
Restaurant owners clash with police in Rome lockdown protest
ROME (AP) — Italian restaurant owners and others angry at having their businesses shut for weeks due to a virus lockdown clashed with police...
Detroit’s Ilitch family buying half of Atlantic City casino
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A New York hedge fund said Tuesday it is selling as much as half its ownership of Atlantic City's...
Norwegian Cruises asks CDC to allow trips from US in July
The Norwegian Cruise Line is seeking permission to resume trips from U.S. ports on July 4, requiring passengers and crew members to be vaccinated...
GameStop to sell 3.5M shares after stock frenzy boosts price
Two months after a market phenomenon took shares of GameStop to the moon, the video game retailer said Monday that it will sell up...
SKorea’s LG to exit loss-making mobile phone business
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean electronics maker LG said Monday it is getting out of its loss-making mobile phone business to focus...
The Latest: Lockdown extended for metro Manila, surroundings
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government extended a lockdown by another week Monday after an alarming spike in coronavirus infections continued to surge and...
The Latest: Navajo Nation reports 4 new virus deaths
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation on Saturday reported 18 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and four more deaths.
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California tribe’s brewery serves beer with side of culture
Rincon Reservation Road Brewery sits tucked next to Harrah’s Resort just north of San Diego, ready to serve up craft beer with a side...
Biden aims to juice EV sales, but would his plan work?
DETROIT (AP) — Dangling tax credits and rebates in his drive to fight climate change, President Joe Biden wants you to trade your gas-burning...
CEO of Google’s self-driving car spinoff steps down from job
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — The executive who steered the transformation of Google's self-driving car project into a separate company worth billions of dollars...
March hiring accelerated to 916K, yet many jobs remain lost
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers unleashed a burst of hiring in March, adding 916,000 jobs in a sign that a sustained recovery from the...
Biden’s ‘jobs Cabinet’ to sell infrastructure as GOP resists
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is setting about convincing America it needs his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, deputizing a five-member “jobs Cabinet” to...
Italy may be in Easter lockdown, but the party’s on at sea
ABOARD THE MSC GRANDIOSA (AP) — Italy may be in a strict coronavirus lockdown this Easter with travel restricted between regions and new quarantines...
Tesla 1Q sales of 185K more than double last year’s numbers
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla says it delivered nearly 185,000 electric vehicles in the first quarter despite a shortage of computer chips that has hit...
China says H&M changed online map after criticism
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese regulators on Friday said H&M has agreed to change a “problematic map” online following government criticism, adding to pressure on...
Russian entrepreneurs adapt to virus lockdown challenges
MOSCOW (AP) — Valentina Konstantinova remembers well when Russia locked down for the coronavirus a year ago. Her 18-room boutique hotel, called Skazka, or...
The Latest: FDA authorizes 2 changes to Moderna’s vaccine
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized two changes to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that can provide extra doses from each vial.
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Auto sales rise 11% in 1Q on strong showing in March
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto sales rose more than 11% in the first quarter, as strong March sales far outpaced last year when coronavirus...
Biden aims to juice EV sales, but would his plan work?
DETROIT (AP) — Dangling tax credits and rebates in his drive to fight climate change, President Joe Biden wants you to trade your gas-burning...
Biden’s ‘Jobs Cabinet’ to sell infrastructure as GOP resists
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden set about convincing America it needs his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan on Thursday, deputizing a five-member “jobs Cabinet”...
EXPLAINER: Starving for more chips in a tech-hungry world
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — As the U.S. economy rebounds from its pandemic slump, a vital cog is in short supply: the computer chips...
Judge rejects rule that let pork plants speed up production
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has thrown out a rule allowing pork plants to speed up production lines because the U.S. Department...
Taiwan chip maker TSMC to invest $100B to grow capacity
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Major Taiwan computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the next three years in...
San Francisco police arrest man who threatened Asian woman
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police said Wednesday that they arrested a man who repeatedly threatened an Asian American woman inside a San Francisco bakery...
Automakers BMW, Volvo back moratorium on deep seabed mining
BERLIN (AP) — Automakers BMW and Volvo announced Wednesday that they support a moratorium on deep seabed mining for minerals used in electric vehicle...
Virginia governor seeks to accelerate marijuana legalization
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Adults in Virginia could legally possess and grow small amounts of marijuana beginning in July, about three years sooner than...
Volkswagen hoaxes media with fake statement on name change
DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen of America issued false statements this week saying it would change its brand name to “Voltswagen,” to stress its commitment...
Edmunds puts Tesla’s range to the test
Edmunds’ test team recently published the results of its real-world range testing for electric vehicles. Notably, every Tesla the team tested in 2020 came...
China’s Huawei says 2020 sales rose despite US sanctions
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei said Wednesday it eked out higher sales and profit last year but growth plunged after its smartphone...
Correction: ‘Voltswagen’ of America story
DETROIT (AP) — In a story March 29, 2021, about Volkswagen of America, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the company would change its...
‘Concrete Cowboy’ shows Philadelphia’s Black cowboy culture
NEW YORK (AP) — Historians estimate that 1 in 4 American cowboys were Black but you would be hard pressed to find a movie...
Volkswagen hoaxes media with fake statement on name change
DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen of America issued false statements this week saying it would change its brand name to “Voltswagen,” to stress its commitment...
The Latest: Wyoming governor sticks with ending mask mandate
CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming’s governor is rejecting a call by President Joe Biden for states to reimpose mask orders in response to the coronavirus...
South Africa bans liquor sales over Easter to prevent surge
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa will restrict the sale of alcohol and limit the size of religious and social gatherings over Easter to prevent...
DraftKings buys VSiN sports betting video broadcast company
DraftKings has bought Vegas Sports Information Network, a multiplatform broadcast and content company delivering sports betting news, analysis and data to U.S. customers, DraftKings...
Epic Games complains about Apple to UK competition watchdog
LONDON (AP) — Epic Games submitted a complaint Tuesday about Apple's alleged “monopolistic practices" to the U.K. competition watchdog, which is investigating the iPhone...
Biden, CDC director warn of virus rebound if nation lets up
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and a top health official warned that too many Americans are declaring virus victory too quickly, appealing for...
The Latest: Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as ‘self-promoters’
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump is slamming two of his most prominent coronavirus advisers. He says Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx...
Amazon faces biggest union push in its history
NEW YORK (AP) — The second Jennifer Bates walks away from her post at the Amazon warehouse where she works, the clock starts ticking.
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Alternative bidders emerge for newspaper chain Tribune
A group of alternative bidders is emerging for newspaper chain Tribune Publishing, which had agreed to a $630 million acquisition by hedge fund Alden...
Biden, CDC director warn of virus rebound if nation lets up
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and a top health official warned Monday that too many Americans are declaring virus victory too quickly, appealing...
Suez Canal reopens after stuck cargo ship is freed
SUEZ, Egypt (AP) — Salvage teams on Monday finally freed the colossal container ship stuck for nearly a week in the Suez Canal, ending...
‘Captain Underpants’ spin-off pulled for ‘passive racism’
NEW YORK (AP) — A graphic novel for children that was a spin-off of the wildly popular “Captain Underpants” series is being pulled from...
EXPLAINER: What to know about the Amazon union vote
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are deciding whether they want to form a union, the biggest labor...
China pressures brands to reject reports of Xinjiang abuses
BEIJING (AP) — China stepped up pressure Monday on foreign shoe and clothing brands to reject reports of abuses in Xinjiang, telling companies that...
Average US price of gas jumps a nickel per gallon to $2.94
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline jumped a nickel per gallon over the past two weeks to $2.94.
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Longest-serving bookseller among 25,000 Czech virus victims
PELHRIMOV, Czech Republic (AP) — A year after the Czech Republic recorded its first death from the coronavirus, the central European nation paused to...
China erasing H&M from internet amid Xinjiang backlash
HONG KONG (AP) — H&M disappeared from the internet in China as the government raised pressure on shoe and clothing brands and announced sanctions...
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry dies at 84
DALLAS (AP) — Larry McMurtry, the prolific and popular author who took readers back to the old American West in his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lonesome...
New problems arise for crop storage as planet gets warmer
MECOSTA, Mich. (AP) — For generations, Brian Sackett's family has farmed potatoes that are made into chips found on grocery shelves in much of...
Colorado shooting suspect passed check in legal gun purchase
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shootings bought a firearm at a local gun store after passing a background check,...
Steak-out: Rhode Island’s runaway steer has been recaptured
JOHNSTON, R.I. (AP) — A steer that has been on the lam for nearly two months after escaping while on the way to a...
VW to seek damages from former executives for diesel scandal
BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen is seeking damages from two former top executives for their role in the diesel emissions scandal that cost the German...
UK supermarket chain Asda loses ruling over equal pay claim
LONDON (AP) — More than 40,000 store workers at Asda, Britain's third-largest supermarket chain, can proceed with their yearslong claim for equal pay following...
California card room agrees to record $5.3 million penalty
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — One of California's more profitable card rooms agreed Thursday to a record $5.3 million penalty for misleading gambling regulators and...
Caesars puts pandemic losses at $2B, wants insurers to pay
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Casino giant Caesars Entertainment Inc. is putting its losses because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at more than $2...
In shift, oil industry group backs federal price on carbon
WASHINGTON (AP) — The oil and gas industry's top lobbying group on Thursday endorsed a federal price on carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to...
EXPLAINER: Suez Canal block could hit product supply chains
The cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal is holding up traffic that carries nearly $10 billion worth of goods every day, so a quick...
China attacks foreign clothing, shoe brands over Xinjiang
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state TV called Thursday for a boycott of H&M as Beijing lashed out at foreign clothing and footwear brands following...
GM expands board to 13 with Meg Whitman and NBA’s Mark Tatum
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors said Thursday that it has expanded its board to 13 members and appointed former Hewlett-Packard chief Meg Whitman and...
UK extends emergency coronavirus powers by 6 months
LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers agreed Thursday to prolong coronavirus emergency measures for six months, allowing the Conservative government to keep its unprecedented powers...
Free breadsticks and reasons for hope at Olive Garden
The company that runs the Olive Garden chain is raising pay for its workers and handing out one-time bonuses, a sign of optimism from...
