US job openings rise modestly to 8.8 million in February in strong labor market
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings barely changed in February, staying at historically high levels in a sign that the American job market remains strong.
Federal EV charging stations are key to Biden’s climate agenda, yet only 4 states have them
LONDON, Ohio — Within 24 hours of buying his red Ford Mustang Mach-E, Liam Sawyer set off on a camping trip.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo’s David raises questions about freedom of expression
FLORENCE, Italy — Michelangelo’s David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue’s religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia.
It’s a bittersweet Easter for chocolate lovers and African cocoa farmers but big brands see profits
ACCRA, Ghana — Shoppers may get a bitter surprise in their Easter baskets this year. Chocolate eggs and bunnies are more expensive than ever as changing climate patterns eat into global cocoa supplies and the earnings of farmers in West Africa.
TikTok is under investigation by the FTC over data practices and could face a lawsuit
NEW YORK — The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok over its data and security practices, a probe that could lead to a settlement or a lawsuit against the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Trump’s social media company gains in its first day of trading on Nasdaq
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Donald Trump’s social media company rose about 16% in the first day of trading on the Nasdaq, boosting the value of Trump’s large stake in the company as well as the smaller holdings of fans who purchased shares as a show of support for the former president.
Target’s employee count is down 25,000 from a year ago
Target has 25,000 fewer employees than a year ago.
Higher temperatures mean higher food and other prices. A new study links climate shocks to inflation
Food prices and overall inflation will rise as temperatures climb with climate change, a new study by an environmental scientist and the European Central Bank found.
AP finds grueling conditions in Indian shrimp industry that report calls ‘dangerous and abusive’
SAN FRANCISCO — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.
Federal Reserve still foresees 3 interest rate cuts this year despite bump in inflation
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials signaled Wednesday that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024, fueling a rally on Wall Street, despite signs that inflation remained elevated at the start of the year.
TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized
Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job.
Equal education, unequal pay: Why is there still a gender pay gap in 2024?
CHICAGO — Not even education can close the pay gap that persists between women and men, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.
Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit?
The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Now some members of Congress want to give hourly workers an extra day off.
Shifts in China-US trade is hurting California, helping Texas
As if it weren’t worrisome enough that more highly skilled, highly paid workers have been leaving California for Texas, evidence shows that the Lone Star State has begun to siphon trade dollars and uncounted jobs away from the Southland’s ports and the distribution hubs of the Inland Empire.
What to know about the SAVE plan, the income-driven plan to repay student loans
NEW YORK — More than 75 million student loan borrowers have enrolled in the U.S. government’s newest repayment plan since it launched in August.
Candy companies pitch gum as a stress reliever and concentration aid to revive stale US sales
Candy companies want to know: What will make Americans start chewing gum again?
OpenAI says Musk agreed the ChatGPT maker should become a for-profit company
Elon Musk supported making OpenAI a for-profit company, the ChatGPT maker said, attacking a lawsuit from the wealthy investor who has accused the artificial intelligence business of betraying its founding goal to benefit humanity as it pursued profits instead.
Biden administration would cap credit card late fees at $8, part of campaign against junk fees
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced a rule Tuesday to cap all credit card late fees, the latest effort in the White House push to end what it has called junk fees and a move that regulators say will save Americans up to $10 billion a year.
Bitcoin briefly hits an all-time high, less than two years after FTX scandal clobbered crypto
NEW YORK — Bitcoin has hit an all-time high less than two years after the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX severely damaged faith in digital currencies and sent prices plunging.
Apple gets fined nearly $2 billion by the EU for hindering music streaming competition
LONDON — The European Union leveled its first antitrust penalty against Apple on Monday, fining the U.S. tech giant nearly $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service by forbidding rivals like Spotify from telling users how they could pay for cheaper subscriptions outside of iPhone apps.