AP National Business

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — A classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office was launched into space from California. The NROL-85 satellite lifted off at 6:13 a.m. Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Vandenberg says it was the first mission by the NRO to reuse

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press An energy company already charged with violating Pennsylvania environmental laws during construction of the multibillion-dollar Mariner East pipeline system is facing more legal trouble. Prosecutors on Wednesday filed a new criminal case alleging the company’s negligence led to the 2018 explosion of a different pipeline near Pittsburgh. The state attorney

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister has ordered a halt to post-Brexit border checks at ports. It’s another complication in a saga that has soured relations between the U.K. and the European Union. Edwin Poots said he had received legal advice saying he could order a halt to inspections

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The number of Americans looking to start their own business is on the rise, as the coronavirus pandemic creates opportunities for some would-be entrepreneurs. People are starting businesses for a variety of reasons: some lost their job during the pandemic and decided to make their

By JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has upheld the Shin Bet security agency’s use of mobile-phone tracking technology to monitor and threaten Palestinian protesters at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site last year. The decision came on Tuesday and drew harsh criticism from a civil rights group that challenged the use

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CNN President Jeff Zucker has abruptly resigned after acknowledging a consensual relationship with another network executive. The entanglement came to light during an investigation of now-fired anchor Chris Cuomo. Zucker said Wednesday that he was required to disclose the relationship when it began but he

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks closed higher on Wall Street Wednesday, putting major indexes on track to extend their weekly gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.9% and the Nasdaq added 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6%. Big communications and technology companies helped lift the broader market. Google’s

By BRIAN WITTE and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Soaring tax revenue and billions in pandemic aid from the federal government have left many states with the unusual problem of having too much money. The result is one of the most broad-based movements in recent memory toward giving consumers and taxpayers a

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 may be available in the U.S. as early as March, but there are several hurdles still to clear. Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years. The

PARIS (AP) — France says it will start administering Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral drug this week, the first pill for treating COVID-19 approved in the 27-nation EU. France is still reporting among the world’s highest per-capita daily infections, but virus-related critical care hospitalizations are easing. The French government on Wednesday started lifting restrictions related to the

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CNN President Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned after acknowledging a consensual relationship with another network executive. The move on Wednesday ended a nine-year tenure at the helm of the one of the nation’s largest media companies. Zucker said he acknowledged the relationship when asked about it

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch prosecutors say they are launching a criminal investigation into Tata Steel Ijmuiden over alleged pollution from its huge steel works near the Dutch North Sea coast. Prosecutors said Wednesday that their investigation was into alleged “intentional and unlawful introduction of hazardous substances into the soil, air or surface water.”

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines is planning to order more Boeing Max jets while delaying delivery of larger Boeing Dreamliners. The airline said Wednesday that it plans to exercise previous options and buy 30 more Boeing 737 Max jets, which it uses for flights within the United States. At the same, American is

DAMIAN J. TROISE Stocks edged higher in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday, putting major indexes on track to extend their weekly gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq rose 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%. Big communications and technology companies helped lift the broader market. Shares in Google’s parent Alphabet

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A new report says that the legions of workers who built Dubai’s vast Expo 2020 site and keep it running face exploitation, grim conditions and a wide range of labor abuses. The report by London-based rights consultancy Equidem released on Wednesday also said that

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s government has agreed to end mandatory coronavirus testing at schools and companies this month. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Wednesday that the testing has “undoubtedly” helped slow down the spreading of the infection and prevented the health system from being overwhelmed. The mandatory testing will end on Feb. 18.

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Major oil-producing countries are adding just a bit more oil to the global economy. The decision Wednesday is likely to support prices that are near their highest level in seven years. The 23-member OPEC+ alliance is sticking with its road map and is adding 400,000

BERLIN (AP) — A German media regulator has ruled that Russian state broadcaster RT must cease broadcasting its German-language programs in the country, saying that it lacks the necessary permission. The ZAK regulator, which decides on applications from private organizations to broadcast nationwide in Germany, said Wednesday that no application has been made or granted

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — An Italian appeals court has definitively annulled the pre-trial arrest warrant for the prime suspect in the Vatican’s big fraud and embezzlement trial. That’s according to Gianluigi Torzi’s legal team. The decision by Rome’s Tribunal of Review ends extradition procedures against him in Britain and is a