AP National Business

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street as protests spread in China calling for President Xi Jinping to step down amid growing anger over severe restrictions imposed as part of his “zero COVID” strategy in the world’s second-largest economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — When many corners of the conservative media ecosystem turned on Donald Trump following his announcement of a 2024 presidential candidacy, Howard Polskin was one of the first to notice — and be surprised. A longtime New York media figure, Polskin has developed The Righting, a

By LEANNE ITALIE AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Don’t look for plastic partitions or faraway benches when visiting Santa Claus this year. The jolly old elf is back, pre-pandemic style, and he’s got some pressing issues on his mind. Santa booker HireSanta.com has logged a 30% increase in demand this Christmas season over

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

By ELAINE KURTENBACH and MATT OTT AP Business Writers Wall Street is heading lower ahead of Monday’s opening bell amid widespread protests in China calling for Xi Jinping to step down and an end to one-party rule. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials fell 0.5% and the S&P slipped 0.7%. Crude prices neared a low

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shutterfly CEO Hilary Schneider expects her digital photo and printing company to enjoy a busy holiday season. Orders are pouring in for books compiling snapshots of all this year’s vacations, weddings and other joyous gatherings that were postponed during the pandemic. But Schneider sympathizes with

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities eased some anti-virus rules but affirmed their severe “zero COVID” strategy Monday after protesters demanded President Xi Jinping resign in the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades. The government made no comment on the protests or the criticism of Xi,

By STEPHEN McGRATH Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Russian energy giant Gazprom announced Monday that it will not further reduce natural gas to Moldova as it had threatened to do after claiming that bills went unpaid and that flows crossing through Ukraine were not making it to Moldova. Gazprom tweeted Monday that Moldovagaz has

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet Financial educators are often working on overdrive during the holiday shopping season, dispensing advice to consumers about budgeting and staying out of debt. We asked five financial educators how they personally survive the holiday season with their finances intact. They shared some novel strategies, such as saving for the season

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top government spokesperson said Monday that the number of babies born this year is below last year’s record low. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the low birthrate is a “critical situation.” He pledged comprehensive measures to encourage more marriages and births. The total of 599,636

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slumped in Europe and Asia on Monday, with Hong Kong briefly dipping more than 4% following weekend protests in various cities over China’s strict zero-COVID lockdowns. U.S. futures were lower and oil prices fell more than $2 a barrel. The unrest in China is the

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Authorities eased anti-virus rules in scattered areas but affirmed China’s severe “zero- COVID” strategy Monday after crowds demanded President Xi Jinping resign during protests against controls that confine millions of people to their homes. The government made no comment on the protests or criticism of Xi, the

By LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — “Gaslighting” — mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasn’t a single event that drove significant spikes in the curiosity, as

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares skidded in Asia on Monday, with Hong Kong briefly dipping more than 4% following weekend protests in various cities over China’s strict zero-COVID lockdowns. U.S. futures were lower after a mixed, shortened session Friday on Wall Street. Oil prices fell more than $2 a barrel.

By BEN FINLEY, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A 16-year-old helping his family. A custodian and father of two. A mother with wedding plans. A happy-go-lucky guy. A longtime employee. That’s how friends and family described some of the six people killed at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia,