AP National Business

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet Video games are made for entertainment, of course, but they give parents opportunities to talk about saving and spending. Some financial literacy experts actually use video games to teach kids about money. Video game currency costs real money, and you can give your kids real chores to earn it. And

BEIJING (AP) — Universal Studios announced Monday that its first theme park in China will open in the country’s capital in September. The company set the opening date for Sept. 20, according to a statement and video posted on the Chinese social media site WeChat. Under construction since 2016, the theme park has received strong

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there, but member countries will keep the option of allowing fully vaccinated U.S. travelers in. The decision by the European Council to remove the U.S. from

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower in muted trading Tuesday on continuing concerns about surging COVID-19 infections in key regional markets like Japan. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged down nearly 0.1% in morning trading to 27,762.52. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2% to 3,136.62. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained

The Associated Press The Conference Board issues its latest U.S. consumer confidence index Tuesday. The Commerce Department delivers its monthly U.S. construction spending snapshot Wednesday. The Labor Department reports its August tally of hiring by nonfarm U.S. employers Friday.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Monday, as investors interpreted comments from the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve as signaling low interest rates were here to stay for some time. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.2% in morning trading to 27,686.18. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose

By PAUL WISEMAN and DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — With more than 1 million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi having lost power, Hurricane Ida is sure to take a toll on the energy, chemical and shipping industries that have major hubs along the Gulf Coast. But the impact on the overall U.S.

PLANO, Texas (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine if there is a connection between a confrontation at a Dallas suburb in which police officers wounded a man after he had opened fire inside a police station and the death of a Lyft driver at another Dallas suburb. Plano Police say the man was shot

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Candyman” hooked the top spot at the North American box office. The Universal Pictures film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressively pulled in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend despite concerns over the delta variant. The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline dropped 2 cents over the past two weeks, to $3.23 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey says Sunday that it’s the first decline in gas prices in nine months. Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the

By MICHAEL CASEY and MICHELLE LIU Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Six months after Congress approved spending tens of billions of dollars to bail out renters facing eviction, South Carolina was just reaching its first tenants. All nine of them. Like most states, it had plenty of money to distribute — $272 million. But

MADRID (AP) — A passenger ferry ran aground on an islet near the Spanish island of Ibiza, leaving a child and a man requiring hospitalization, authorities said Sunday. Nearly 40 people were evacuated from the ferry, and Spain’s maritime rescue service said a helicopter airlifted six people, including one child, all in need of immediate

By DARKO BANDIC Associated Press DUBROVNIK, Croatia (AP) — Beaches along Croatia’s Adriatic Sea coastline are swarming with people. Guided tours are fully booked, restaurants are packed and sailboats were chartered well in advance. Summer tourism has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations in Croatia this year. Once fearful that the coronavirus pandemic would discourage

By HALELUYA HADERO and GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writers Dozens of desperate Afghans who had been trying to flee the Taliban before Tuesday’s deadline for the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul made it to safety with help from an unexpected place: Instagram influencer Quentin Quarantino. Quarantino is the alter ego of 25-year-old Tommy Marcus of New

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — A Tesla using its partially automated driving system slammed into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser Saturday on an interstate near downtown Orlando and narrowly missed its driver, who had pulled over to assist a disabled vehicle. Earlier this month, the U.S. government opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot driving system

By FRANK BAJAK Associated Press A strengthening Hurricane Ida, bearing high winds and the likelihood of flooding rain as it heads for the Louisiana coast, could damage the energy-heavy Gulf Coast economy and potentially have economic consequences well beyond the region. The Gulf is not only a major base for oil and natural gas companies

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Republican efforts questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential race have led to voting system breaches that election security experts say pose a heightened risk to future elections. Copies of the Dominion Voting Systems software used to manage elections — from designing ballots to configuring voting

By The Associated Press From the Great Wall to the picturesque Kashmir valley, Asia’s tourist destinations are looking to domestic visitors to get them through the COVID-19 pandemic’s second year. With international travel heavily restricted, foreign tourists can’t enter many countries and locals can’t get out. In the metropolis of Hong Kong, glamping and staycations

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amazon is teaming with payments company Affirm to offer online shoppers a buy-now-pay-later option that does not involve credit cards. San Francisco-based Affirm Holdings Inc. announced Friday that its flexible payment service will soon be available on Amazon.com. The news sent Affirm’s stock up more than 35% in after-hours trading. With

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft says it has fixed a flaw in its cloud computing platform that cybersecurity researchers warned could have enabled hackers to take over a cloud-based database product used by many big companies. The company said Friday there’s no evidence the potential opening was exploited by malicious actors or that any customer