AP National Business

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Lowe’s, Alcon rise; Cree, La-Z-Boy fall.

TALI ARBEL and ZEN SOO Associated Press The Chinese government has made investments in two of the nation’s most significant technology firms — ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns global video app TikTok, and Weibo, China’s version of Twitter — in a move apparently intended to bolster its sway over the nation’s flourishing technology sector.

The Associated Press Stocks took a late turn lower on Wall Street, ending with their second straight loss. The S&P 500 fell again Wednesday, a day after breaking a five-day winning streak. Technology and health care companies had some of the biggest losses. Markets didn’t react much to minutes released in the afternoon from the

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A major Southern California water agency has declared a water supply alert for the first time in seven years and is asking residents to voluntarily conserve. The Los Angeles Times reports that the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California took the step Tuesday, hoping to lessen the need

The Associated Press Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials last month discussed the idea of beginning to dial back their extraordinary support for the U.S. economy later this year, though they stopped short of a firm decision on a timetable. The minutes of the Fed’s July 27-28 meeting, released Wednesday, indicated that

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press The former president and board chair of the company that makes OxyContin told a court Wednesday that he, his family and the company did not cause the opioid crisis in the United States. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, was asked under oath during a

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A Miami businessman accused of servicing Venezuela’s fleet of Russian fighter jets in violation of U.S. sanctions was denied bail as a federal judge determined he was a flight risk due to extensive ties with the South American country’s military. Jorge Nobrega admitted to having been

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Near the end of 2020, the pandemic had lasted long enough for author Jodi Picoult to try something that seemed unthinkable for novelists in its early stages — turn it into fiction. “At the beginning of the pandemic, I couldn’t even read, much less write.

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press U.S. Census Bureau computer servers were exploited last year during a cybersecurity attack, but it didn’t involve the 2020 census, and hackers’ attempts to keep access to the system were unsuccessful, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday. The attack took place in January 2020 on the bureau’s remote access

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Gap Inc.’s low-price division Old Navy is overhauling its approach to how it designs and markets to plus-size women, a demographic that many analysts say has been underserved. Starting Friday, Old Navy will be offering every one of its women’s styles in all sizes with

By BRIAN MELLEY and TERENCE CHEA Associated Press POLLOCK PINES, Calif. (AP) — Record-setting blazes raging across Northern California are wiping out forests central to plans to reduce carbon emissions and testing projects designed to protect communities, the state’s top fire official said Wednesday, hours before a fast-moving new blaze erupted. Fires that are “exceedingly

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy Two of the nation’s wealthiest foundations have created a new $7.5 million fund to help give tenants more say in housing matters, as millions of Americans struggle to make rent and face possible eviction as a result of the pandemic. The HouseUS Fund, supported

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer The names, Social Security numbers and information from driver’s licenses or other identification of just over 40 million people who applied for T-Mobile credit were exposed in a recent data breach, the company said Wednesday. The same data for about 7.8 million current T-Mobile customers who pay monthly for

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Home construction fell a sharp 7% in July as homebuilders struggled to cope with a variety of headwinds. The July decline put home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.53 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Applications for building permits, which can forecast

By JONATHAN ELFALAN Edmunds One of the challenges people have with electric vehicles is figuring out how much they cost to operate. The price of fully charging an electric vehicle’s battery can vary wildly depending on when and where you charge it. For the bigger picture, you should also include the amortized cost of buying

By SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet Preparing and packing for a trip is a different ballgame with all the changes in the travel world since the pre-pandemic days. For example, you’ll want to start thinking about masks like you do about packing clothes, so bring multiple ones with you. Plus, be prepared to prove your vaccination

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Target’s streak of strong results extended into its latest quarter but its skyrocketing online sales growth has come back to earth. The Minneapolis retailer reported Wednesday that sales at its stores that have been open for at least a year rose 8.7% in the three-month

By ANNABELLE LIANG Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Asian stock markets retreated Thursday after U.S. central bank policymakers made no firm decision on when to unwind their support measures for the economy. Regional indices tracked losses on Wall Street. The lack of a directive from the Federal Reserve fueled worries over surging coronavirus infections caused

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A prominent Cambodian labor union leader has been sentenced to two years in prison for inciting social unrest with sensitive comments about the country’s border. Rong Chhun was arrested last year after he spoke to U.S. government-supported Radio Free Asia about farmers in eastern Cambodia who complained their land was