Tag: Government business and finance
The Latest: US opens more distance in worldwide vaccine race
NEW YORK — In the coronavirus vaccine race, the U.S. is opening more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world....
Alaska denied benefits to gay couples despite court rulings
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska wrongly denied some same-sex spouses benefits for years by claiming their unions were not recognized even after courts struck...
Africa CDC urges India to lift COVID vaccine export limits
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa's top health official said Thursday he wants to believe that India will lift export restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines as...
Turkish central bank maintains key rate unchanged at 19%
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank on Thursday kept a key interest rate unchanged at 19%, in its first rate decision since the...
EXPLAINER: Charmed by Madoff, SEC later tightened its rules
WASHINGTON (AP) — Until Bernie Madoff’s scheme came crashing down and the biggest Ponzi scheme in Wall Street’s history came to light, he appeared...
Epic drought means water crisis on Oregon-California border
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get...
Immigrant health care is on California Senate’s wish list
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrats in the California Senate said Wednesday they want to spend the state's projected multibillion-dollar budget surplus on things such...
Big-business pushback against voting measures gains momentum
Big business has ratcheted up its objections to proposals that would make it harder to vote, with several hundred companies and executives signing a...
The Latest: California governor says all schools must reopen
SAN FRANCISCO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging all schools in the state to reopen, saying there are no health barriers to getting...
Nashville mayor: Oracle to bring 8500 jobs, $1.2B investment
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Oracle Corporation plans to bring 8,500 jobs and a $1.2 billion investment to fast-growing Nashville over the coming decade, a...
Fed survey: Economy rebounding, helped by stimulus, vaccines
A Federal Reserve survey has found that the economy was rebounding in late February through early April, helped by billions of dollars in a...
Powell defends Fed’s consideration of climate change risks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday defended the Fed's increasing scrutiny of the threat that climate change could pose to...
Biden begins to undo Trump-era ban on abortion referrals
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday began to undo a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions, a policy that drove...
Opposition accuses UK govt of sleaze amid lobbying scandal
LONDON (AP) — A lobbying scandal swirling around former British Prime Minister David Cameron has deepened, with claims that a senior civil servant held...
Senate OKs tough former regulator as market watchdog chief
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved President Joe Biden’s choice of Gary Gensler to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, signaling an emphasis...
Banks to see big profits as COVID ‘bad’ loans become ‘good’
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s largest banks are expected to report big profits for the first quarter amid renewed confidence that pandemic-battered consumers...
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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Asian stock markets advance after new Wall St high
BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Wednesday after Wall Street hit a high following an uptick in U.S. inflation and an order by...
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...
New Zealand bans live cow exports due to welfare concerns
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand announced Wednesday it is banning the export of live cows and other farm animals by sea due...
Fracking ban fails to advance in California Legislature
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers Tuesday rejected a bill that would have banned fracking in the state, succumbing to pressure from the powerful...
California targets urgent projects as wildfire season looms
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — California is in such an urgent race with another devastating wildfire season that officials began soliciting local project ideas even...
IRS chief expects new child payments to start this summer
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's a strain, but the head of the IRS said Tuesday he expects to meet the July 1 deadline in the...
US court lifts hold on Ohio’s Down syndrome abortion law
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A divided federal appeals court lifted the hold Tuesday on an Ohio law that prohibits doctors from performing abortions based...
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...
Biden aims for bipartisanship but applies stealthy pressure
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has begun publicly courting Republicans to back his sweeping infrastructure plan, but his reach across the aisle is...
Turkey imposes partial Ramadan lockdown amid record cases
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's president announced a partial lockdown Tuesday during the first two weeks of the Muslim month of Ramadan to curb...
Business leaders urge Biden to set ambitious climate goal
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 300 businesses and investors, including such giants as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Coca-Cola, are calling on the Biden administration...
Grab to list in US via $40 bln merger with Altimeter Growth
HONG KONG (AP) — Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing company, Grab Holdings, said Tuesday that it plans to merge with U.S.-based Altimeter Growth Capital in...
Japan to start releasing Fukushima water into sea in 2 years
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's government announced Tuesday it would start releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean...
Pentagon chief on inaugural tour of Europe to shore up ties
BERLIN (AP) — Nearly a year after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to leave Germany, capping a series of setbacks for U.S....
China’s March exports rise 30.6% as global demand revives
BEIJING (AP) — China’s exports rose 30.6% over a year ago in March as global consumer demand strengthened and traders watched for signs of...
Australia rules out adding J&J vaccine to inoculation plan
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government said Tuesday it had decided against buying the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and identified a...
Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wants Congress to know he's sincere about cutting a deal on infrastructure, but Republican lawmakers have deep-seated doubts...
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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Hawaii to allow some nurses to perform abortions
HONOLULU (AP) — Gov. David Ige on Monday signed legislation that would make Hawaii the latest state to allow some nurses to perform abortions.
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US nominates NY lawyer to monitor United Auto Workers union
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. attorney's office in Detroit is recommending that a federal judge name New York lawyer Neil Barofsky to monitor the...
Air Canada, Canadian government agree on pandemic bailout
TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada and the Canadian government agreed Monday on financing that will allow the airline to access as much as $5.9...
Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wants Congress to know he's sincere about cutting a deal on infrastructure, but Republican lawmakers have deep-seated doubts...
California re-opens enrollment for health insurance coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California on Monday re-opened enrollment for its state health insurance exchange, hoping more people will buy coverage now that the...
US budget deficit jumps to record $1.7 trillion this year
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government's budget deficit surged to an all-time high of $1.7 trillion for the first six months of this budget...
Pentagon chief on inaugural tour of Europe to shore up ties
BERLIN (AP) — Nearly a year after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to leave Germany, capping a series of setbacks for U.S....
Chinese regulator orders Ant Group to conduct major overhaul
HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese regulators have ordered Ant Group, a financial affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, to become a financial holding...
Fed’s Powell sees US boom ahead, with COVID still a risk
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is poised for an extended period of strong growth and hiring, the chair of the Federal Reserve said...
Some GOP-led states target abortions done through medication
About 40% of all abortions in the U.S. are now done through medication — rather than surgery — and that option has become all...
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...
CEOs gather to speak out against voting law changes
More than a hundred top executives and corporate leaders gathered online this weekend to discuss their response to restrictive voting laws under consideration in...
Business faces tricky path navigating post-Trump politics
WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a half-century, the voice emerging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s monolithic, Beaux Arts-styled building near the White...
IMF: Vaccine inequity threatens Mideast’s economic recovery
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Middle East economies are recovering from the coronavirus pandemic faster than anticipated, largely due to the acceleration of...
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...
After Amazon: Labor tries to regroup in wake of Alabama loss
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite the strongest public support and the most sympathetic president in years, the American labor movement just suffered a stinging defeat...
Reforms follow deadly year in New York nursing homes
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — After a deadly year in New York's nursing homes, state lawmakers have passed legislation intended to hold facility operators more...
Biden budget seeks more for schools, health care and housing
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden released a $1.5 trillion wish list for his first federal budget, asking for substantial gains for Democratic priorities...
Biden budget seeks more for schools, health care and housing
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden released a $1.5 trillion wish list for his first federal budget Friday, asking for substantial gains for Democratic...
Feds charge 3 more in massive California unemployment fraud
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Federal prosecutors said Friday that they have charged three Southern California women with using prison inmates' names to bilk a...
The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 personnel fully vaccinated
PHILIPPINE SEA — The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full...
West Virginia weighs income tax cut to stem population loss
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — With West Virginia about to lose another congressional seat because of steady population decline, some Republican lawmakers are convinced a...
Pinterest establishes legal entity in Turkey to avoid bans
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The image-sharing platform Pinterest became the latest social media company to agree to set up a legal entity in Turkey...
Asian shares mostly lower on strong China price data
BANGKOK (AP) — Shares fell Friday in most Asian markets after China reported a stronger than expected rise in prices that could prompt authorities...
Biden seeks a new view of infrastructure, far beyond asphalt
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is giving himself lots of latitude when he defines infrastructure for the purpose of spending money on it....
California plans $536M for forests before wildfire season
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will authorize $536 million toward forest management projects and efforts to reduce wildfires before the worst of the fire...
Gaetz associate working toward plea deal with prosecutors
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — An associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz's is working toward a plea deal with federal prosecutors investigating a sex trafficking operation,...
Biden seeks a new view of infrastructure, far beyond asphalt
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is giving himself lots of latitude when he defines infrastructure for the purpose of spending money on it....
New York to offer COVID aid to immigrants excluded earlier
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — In the largest program of its kind, New York lawmakers have created a $2.1 billion fund to aid workers who...
Northern Ireland leaders seek calm after violence escalates
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Authorities in Northern Ireland sought to restore calm Thursday after Protestant and Catholic youths in Belfast hurled bricks, fireworks...
AP Sources: El Salvador president snubs visiting Biden envoy
MIAMI (AP) — El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele refused to meet with a visiting senior U.S. diplomat this week over what he sees as...
California advances bill aimed at massive unemployment fraud
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Thursday advanced what they called commonsense legislation requiring two state agencies to share information aimed at helping...
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...
US jobless claims up to 744K as virus still forces layoffs
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to 744,000, signaling that many employers are still cutting jobs...
Biden open to compromise on infrastructure, but not inaction
President Joe Biden drew a red line on his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday, saying he is open to compromise on how to pay...
Major economies support $650 billion boost in IMF resources
WASHINGTON (AP) — Finance officials of the world’s major economies on Wednesday agreed on a proposal to boost the resources of the International Monetary...
Fed in March saw brighter outlook, yet underscored patience
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials were encouraged last month by evidence the U.S. economy was picking up, but they showed no sign of...
No timetable for withdrawal of troops after US, Iraq talks
BAGHDAD (AP) — The mission of U.S. forces in Iraq has shifted to training and advisory roles, allowing for redeployment of combat forces remaining...
More than a half million Americans gain coverage under Biden
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a half million Americans have taken advantage of the Biden administration's special health insurance sign-up window keyed to the...
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...
US trade deficit jumps 4.8% to $71.1 billion in February
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit grew to a record $71.1 billion in February as a decline in exports more than...
Senate gives Biden a big tool to work around GOP filibuster
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a powerful new tool, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has fresh options for potentially advancing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package...
EXPLAINER: Senate eyes budget rule to push past filibuster
WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Senate split 50-50, leaders of the Democratic majority are looking for ways to advance their priorities and President Joe...
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...
Tanzania’s new president changes policy on COVID-19, media
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania's new president appears to be taking a new, scientific approach to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a ‘wasteland of vapid’ content
A House subcommittee is investigating YouTube Kids, saying the Google-owned video service feeds children inappropriate material in “a wasteland of vapid, consumerist content" so...
Bezos endorses higher corporate taxes for infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos endorsed President Joe Biden’s focus on building up the country’s infrastructure Tuesday and said the...
Phil Mickelson: Masters champion, and Anna Pavlova expert
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Phil Mickelson has a confession to make: He’s often full of nonsense.
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Senate gives Biden a big tool to work around GOP filibuster
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a powerful new tool, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has fresh options for potentially advancing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package...
Refugee families urge Biden to keep promise to up admissions
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The families of refugees and their supporters, including 124 elected officials, sent President Joe Biden a letter Tuesday urging him...
US boosts aid to Palestinians as some in Congress cry foul
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is moving again to increase U.S. assistance to the Palestinians as it fires up a new Mideast policy...
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...
Cyprus kicks off new registry declaring true company owners
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A new digital registry obliging Cyprus-based companies to declare their true owners puts the east Mediterranean island nation in line...
Federal low-income housing grant doubles in size this year
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thanks to a coronavirus pandemic-fueled mortgage boom, states will get nearly $700 million in federal grants from a special program for...
Biden boosted by Senate rules as GOP bucks infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public...
LaHood resigns Lincoln Museum job after loan fine disclosure
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois congressman and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has resigned as chairman of the board of the Abraham Lincoln...
Arkansas governor vetoes transgender youth treatment ban
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday vetoed legislation that would have made his state the first to ban gender...
Biden boosted by Senate rules as GOP bucks infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public...
Yellen calls for minimum global corporate income tax
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to at...
After new law, McConnell warns CEOs: ‘Stay out of politics’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says it's a “big lie” to call the new voting law in Georgia racist and...
Stores in Greece open amid virus surge to help save economy
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Retail stores across most of Greece were allowed to reopen Monday despite an ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections, as the...
James Mills, who led California Senate in 1970s, dies at 93
SAN DIEGO (AP) — James R. Mills, a former Democratic legislator who led California's senate during most of the 1970s and was credited with...
UK: Benefits outweigh risks for AstraZeneca despite 7 deaths
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s medicines regulator is urging people to continue taking the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, despite revealing that seven people in the U.K....
From child care to COVID, rising job market faces obstacles
WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge in hiring in the United States last month — 916,000 added jobs, the most since August — coincides...
University of California victim of nationwide hack attack
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of California is warning its students and staff that a ransomware group might have stolen and published their...
