AP National Business

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Kroger, Okta rise; Dollar General, Apple fall.

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — If you’ve turned on a television in the last three years, chances are you’ve been inundated with advertisements for sports betting, and not only during game broadcasts. Gambling industry executives, and their pro sports and tech partners, are starting to ask themselves: How much is too

By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press Tens of millions of workers across the U.S. are in limbo as federal courts have issued different rulings related to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for larger private companies, certain health care workers and federal government contractors. A federal appeals court panel has allowed a

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — A 29-year-old man has been arrested in the death of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, who was fatally shot this week at the Beverly Hills, California, home she shared with her husband, legendary music executive Clarence Avant. The Beverly Hills Police Department announced the arrest of Aariel Maynor on Thursday. Police were

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer President Joe Biden’s latest measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 will increase the hassle factor of entering the United States, even for American citizens returning from overseas. Beginning next week, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative test for the virus

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government has threatened legal action over provisions of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better framework that would give subsidies of up to $12,500 for purchases of union-made, American-made electric vehicles. Mexico’s secretary of the economy said Thursday the bill, currently before the U.S. Senate, would violate non-discrimination clauses

By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached agreement on a spending bill that would keep the government running through mid-February. But a temporary federal shutdown is still possible this weekend because some Republican senators are objecting to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The House is expected to

BOSTON (AP) — A former college track and field coach accused of setting up sham social media and email accounts in an attempt to trick female athletes into sending him nude or semi-nude photos of themselves has been indicted on 15 counts. Federal prosecutors said Thursday that 28-year-old Steve Waithe, 28, of Chicago, was indicted

By ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration is issuing new directives and recommendations aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity defenses of U.S. rail and airport operators. The Biden administration said Thursday the new requirements are part of a broader effort at protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from ongoing cyberespionage and

By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer Oil giant BP has agreed to pay a $512,450 penalty and reduce soot emissions from its Whiting refinery in Indiana. The company reached a consent agreement Thursday with regulators and activists who accused the company of violating an earlier deal. The sprawling facility is on the southwestern shore of

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy Grantmakers are increasing spending on education, hoping to turn the pandemic into an opportunity to fine tune the use of educational technology, develop better lesson plans, and build connections with families and after-school programs that could help reduce students’ mental-health challenges due to COVID.

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned officials to strictly observe industrial safety in the wake of last week’s coal mine explosion that killed 51. A methane explosion rocked the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo region of southwestern Siberia last week, killing 46 miners and five rescuers in

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is worried about the Federal Reserve pulling back its massive support for financial markets. The head of the central bank said this week that it may halt the bond-buying program meant to lower long-term interest rates sooner than expected. That would open the

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has announced he is stepping down just two months after taking over from predecessor Sebastian Kurz. In a written statement Schallenberg, a former foreign minister, said he would leave as soon as the conservative Austrian People’s Party names a new leader. Kurz was

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Starbucks is fighting an expanded effort to unionize its stores. The effort comes even as a union vote proceeds at three of the coffee chain’s locations in Buffalo, New York. Union organizers from three additional Buffalo-area stores appeared before the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday, asking to hold

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing company Grab tumbled in its market debut Thursday, following a $40 billion merger in a special purpose acquisition company deal. The Singapore-based company Nasdaq debut came more than seven months after it announced plans to merge with U.S.-based Altimeter Growth Corp in

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says people who aren’t vaccinated will soon be excluded from nonessential stores, restaurants and sports and cultural venues. The restrictions announced Thursday are part of an effort to curb coronavirus infections. New cases in Germany again topped 70,000 in a 24-hour period. Merkel

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer Norfolk Southern Corp. said its CEO will retire next spring, and it will promote one of its executives to replace him. The railroad said Thursday that Jim Squires will step down as chairman and CEO on May 1 after seven years. Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw has been promoted

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks rose broadly on Wall Street Thursday as investors continue to monitor the spread of the new coronavirus variant as well as measures that the U.S. and other governments are taking to restrain it. The S&P 500 rose 1.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average