AP National Business

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s conglomerate has completed its largest acquisition in years with its $11.6 billion purchase of the Alleghany insurance conglomerate. The purchase will further expand Berkshire’s sizeable insurance operations and add a few more companies to its stable, including a steel fabricator and toy company

By DAVID KOENIG and CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP Business Writers DALLAS (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to release 15 million barrels of oil or more from the U.S. strategic reserves in an effort to stop gasoline prices from rising now that OPEC and its allies plan to cut production. The administration hopes that tapping the

BERLIN (AP) — Senior French and German officials have warned that new measures by the Biden administration to address climate change and boost the American economy could upend the “level playing field” on trade between the European Union and the United States. The EU has criticized legislation approved by Congress in August that includes clauses

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Newsroom workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have gone on strike demanding that the company reinstate the terms of its previous contract and return to the bargaining table. The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh said its members began picketing Tuesday. Guild members have been working without a contract since 2017 and Monday voted to

By TOM KRISHER and JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press GREER, S.C. (AP) — BMW will invest $1 billion in its sprawling factory near Spartanburg, South Carolina, to start producing electric vehicles and an additional $700 million to build a electric-battery plant nearby. The German automaker’s announcement reflects its commitment to transitioning to electric-vehicle production in North

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The International Energy Agency said Wednesday that it expects carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels to rise again this year, but by much less than in 2021 due to the growth in renewable power and electric cars. Last year saw a strong rebound in carbon

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — A panel of federal advisers says a pregnancy drug intended to prevent premature births should be withdrawn because it doesn’t work. Wednesday’s recommendation is non-binding, but it clears the way for the Food and Drug Administration to remove the drug from the market. The FDA deemed

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Taxpayers will get fatter standard deductions for 2023 and all seven federal income tax bracket levels will be revised upward as the government allows people to shield more of their money from taxation because of persistently high inflation. For couples who file jointly for tax year 2023,

ATLANTA (AP) — A union says aircraft maintenance workers at Georgia-based UPS have approved a three-year contract that provides raises and pension improvements for more than 1,600 union members nationwide. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters says wage hikes of 3.3% and increases in pension benefits will begin in November 2023. The union says more than

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say they have shut down at least 214 illegal Chinese offshore gambling operations and deported the first six of nearly 400 Chinese workers who have been detained under a renewed crackdown. A spate of crimes victimizing Chinese workers at illegal online gambling businesses, including kidnappings and sexual abuses, sparked

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday that it is making grants of more than a $1 billion as part of a sweeping national plan to improve math education over the next four years. Its goal: to help students succeed in school and

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Procter & Gamble exceeded $20 billion in sales during the fiscal first quarter but citing the strong dollar, it expects to post its first annual sales decline since 2017. U.S companies that do a lot of business overseas are getting hammered by a surge in the value of the

The Associated Press Growing Medicaid enrollment pushed one of the biggest U.S. health insurers, Elevance Health, to a better-than-expected third quarter and a higher forecast for the year. The Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer said Wednesday that enrollment in Medicaid, a state and federally funded program for people with low incomes, climbed nearly 9% in the

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer Spirit Airlines shareholders are approving a $3.8 billion sale of the company to JetBlue Airways. Spirit announced the results on Wednesday. JetBlue was able to drive out rival bidder Frontier Airlines after a bidding war this year. Even with Spirit shareholders accepting the buyout, the deal could face a

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — The unusual circumstances that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on the Endangered Species Act in 1978 have not surfaced much since then. But the stage is being set in Nevada for another potentially significant test of the nation’s premier wildlife protection law in

By LEON YIN and AARON SANKIN/The Markup The Markup Having a fast internet connection at home has become a near-requirement for many Americans, especially with the rise of remote education and working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But an investigation by The Markup has found that internet service providers often offer drastically different

By LEON YIN and AARON SANKIN/The Markup The Markup A couple of years into the pandemic, Shirley Neville had finally had enough of her shoddy internet service. “It was just a headache,” said Neville, who lives in a middle-class neighborhood in New Orleans whose residents are almost all Black or Latino. “When I was getting

By KRISTIN SHAW Edmunds Acura brought the Integra back to the market after a two-decade hiatus, with fanfare fitting this enthusiast favorite. The hatchback body style offers clear visibility all around for all five passengers and is sleeker than its previous generation. Similarly, the hot hatch Mazda 3 displays an expressive style that makes it

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Liz Truss described herself as “a fighter and not a quitter” Wednesday as she faced a hostile opposition and fury from her own Conservative Party over her botched economic plan. Within hours of the defiant statement, her government was teetering on the verge of

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s government says the World Bank estimates that this summer’s record-breaking floods have caused $40 billion in damages in this impoverished country. The figure is $10 billion more than the government’s earlier estimate. Pakistan was already facing a serious financial crisis before the heavy monsoon rains hit

By HANNA ARHIROVA, YURAS KARMANAU and SABRA AYRES Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down Wednesday on his faltering invasion of Ukraine with a declaration of martial law in four illegally annexed regions and preparations within Russia for draconian new restrictions and crackdowns. Putin’s drastic efforts to tighten his grip

By DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British food prices rose at the fastest pace since 1980 last month, driving inflation back to a 40-year high and heaping pressure on the embattled government to balance the books without gutting help for the nation’s poorest residents. The Office for National Statistics said

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower on Thursday after Wall Street benchmarks fell, reversing course after two days of gains. Wall Street futures were lower while oil prices were mixed. The pullback Wednesday came as investors reviewed quarterly earnings reports and Treasury yields climbed to multiyear highs,