Business category, Page 273
U.S. added 27,000 private-sector jobs in May, lowest number since 2010
Private employers added fewer workers in May than any month in the past nine years, falling far short of analyst estimates and sending a troubling signal about the state of the U.S. labor market. Stock markets gave up some gains in premarket trading Wednesday in response to the report from...
Amazon says it will be delivering by drones ‘in months’
LAS VEGAS — Amazon says it expects to be delivering orders to shoppers’ homes by drones in the coming months. The online shopping giant did not give exact timing or say which locations the self-driving drones will be making deliveries. Amazon has been working on drone delivery for years. Back...
YouTube gets more aggressive in banning supremacist, hoax videos
YouTube said Wednesday it will remove false videos alleging that major events like the Holocaust didn’t happen, as well as a broad array of content by white supremacists and others in a move to more aggressively crack down on hate speech. The Google-owned video site, along with its Silicon Valley...
Sephora closes U.S. stores for diversity training
NEW YORK — Sephora is closing its U.S. stores for an hour Wednesday morning to host “inclusion workshops” for its 16,000 employees, just over a month after R&B star SZA said she had security called on her while shopping at a store in California. The beauty retailer said the training...
Ikea’s newest dressers are designed to prevent ‘tip-over’ deaths
Scandinavian retailer Ikea has introduced a line of tip-resistant dressers in response to an industry problem that it says has killed eight children and injured dozens of others over the past two decades. The Glesvär collection unveiled Tuesday in Sweden comes with a range of “stability features” aimed at getting...
It seems implausible, but American Eagle is thriving at the mall
On a recent afternoon, college student Michele Jacobs walked into an American Eagle Outfitters store in Manhattan to buy some pieces from its Aerie lingerie line. And while she left with two bralettes, she also bought a jean skirt and a couple pair of shorts. “I feel like it’s really...
Uber under tax investigation by IRS, foreign authorities
Uber Technologies Inc. is under investigation from U.S. tax authorities and said that its potential tax charges in a number of key markets could change. The recently-listed ride-hailing company said in a filing Tuesday that the IRS is examining the tax years for 2013 and 2014. Uber also added that...
Family Dollar adding alcohol to 1,000 stores
In the first quarter, budget store Family Dollar quietly added adult beverages to the shelves at 45 of its stores. Now, it’s planning on expanding that to 1,000 select stores nationwide, the company reports. In a news release, Dollar Tree — the parent company — announced it was executing a...
John Dorfman: Harold Hamm buys yet more Continental Resources stock
Harold Hamm, 73, is a multibillionaire, a major Republican donor and a pioneer in shale drilling in the Bakken formation (located in North Dakota, Montana and adjacent parts of Canada). Hamm has a big appetite for the stock of Continental Resources Inc. (CLR), the oil-and-gas company he runs. He snapped...
Report: FTC to lead possible Facebook antitrust probe
SAN FRANCISCO — The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Federal Trade Commission will lead any antitrust investigation into Facebook as part of an arrangement that would give the Justice Department oversight of Google. The FTC and the Justice Department both oversee antitrust issues in the U.S. and must...
Carnival in U.S. court over pollution from its cruise ships
MIAMI — Carnival Corp. is in Miami federal court for a hearing on what to do about allegations that it has continued polluting the oceans from some of its cruise ships despite agreeing years ago to stop. The world’s largest cruise line is accused by federal prosecutors of violating terms...
Apple previews new software as it diversifies beyond iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple will preview upcoming changes to its phone and computer software Monday as it diversifies to offset eroding sales of its bedrock product, the iPhone. Many of the software updates are expected to be tailored for digital services such as video streaming that Apple is rolling out...
Trump’s tariffs: What are they? How do they work?Video
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has once again turned to tariffs to try to get his way with a U.S. trading partner. This time, the target is Mexico: Trump plans to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 and to ratchet them up to 25% by Oct. 1...
IRS proposes update to Form W-4 to increase accuracy
The IRS has proposed an update to the Form W-4 that it says will increase its accuracy and reduce its complexity. But experts caution that it will feel different to employees and may prove a bit more difficult for some. Employees currently fill out a one-page form that asks a...
Tariffs aimed at Mexico, but U.S. companies in line of fire
The surprise imposition by President Donald Trump of an escalating tariff regime against Mexico sent ripples through almost every economic sector in the U.S. Friday, hammering American companies that sell automobiles or run railroads, grow vegetables or create medical devices. Trump vowed to slap a 5% tariff on all Mexican...
U.S. consumer spending slows to 0.3% gain in April
WASHINGTON — Consumer spending slowed in April with inflation up, but still far below the target set by the Federal Reserve. There was a burst of spending in the prior month as well. The Commerce Department said Friday that spending increased 0.3% in April following a 1.1% surge in March...
Trump prompts protests with promise of new Mexican tariffs
WASHINGTON — In a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal, President Donald Trump has announced that he is placing a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying...
Critics say FCC report overstates broadband availability
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Federal Communications Commission’s broadband report is being hammered by critics who say it paints too rosy a picture of high-speed internet availability in the U.S. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia joined two dissenting FCC commissioners in criticizing the report released Wednesday. The FCC’s annual...
Is it ‘molecules of freedom’ or just natural gas?
It’s hard to generate interest in a news release about liquefied natural gas exports, but a high-ranking Trump administration official succeeded by calling the stuff “molecules of U.S. freedom.” Words matter after all. Earlier this week, the Energy Department announced it was approving more exports of liquefied natural gas from...
Lego, NASA partner on Lunar Lander set for 50th anniversary of moon landing
Space enthusiasts will have a chance to build a Lego replica of the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander to celebrate the anniversary of the first moon landing. Lego has partnered with NASA to release Saturday the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander building set. The cost for the set is $100. July...
USW leader Leo Gerard to retire
The president of the 850,000-member United Steelworkers is retiring by mid-July, signaling a change in leadership of the the Pittsburgh-based union. Leo Gerard, who has been the USW president since 2001, will be replaced by Tom Conway, the USW International vice president, the USW announced on Wednesday. The USW is...
China dangles a potentially harmful new threat in trade warVideo
WASHINGTON — Facing new trade sanctions and a U.S. clampdown on its top telecommunications company, China issued a pointed reminder Wednesday that it has yet to unleash all its weapons in its trade war with the Trump administration. Chinese state media warned that Beijing could cut America off from exotic...
Women want the office to be warmer. Science now backs them up
What’s the perfect office temperature? Everyone you ask will have a different answer. For some people, an office climate bordering on frosty is ideal; for others, anything below subtropical necessitates a blanket, fingerless gloves and an illicit space heater. There’s no one thermostat setting that will make everyone happy. But...
Boeing 737 Max likely to be grounded for months
Boeing Co. has begun carefully mapping out the steps to ease its 737 Max back into commercial service once regulators lift a global grounding for its best-selling jetliner. The Chicago-based planemaker is planning the Max’s comeback with airlines in a series of meetings it’s been holding from Miami to Moscow,...
Uber to boot riders from app if they repeatedly misbehave
If you misbehave repeatedly while getting a ride from Uber, you could get booted off the app. The company said that starting Wednesday, riders with a rating from drivers that’s significantly below average could lose their ability to ride. But before that happens they’ll get tips on how to improve...
