Wire stories category, Page 102
Gun background checks are on pace to break record in 2019Video
Background checks on gun purchases in the United States are climbing toward a record high this year, reflecting what the industry says is a rush by people to buy weapons in reaction to the Democratic presidential candidates’ calls for tighter restrictions. By the end of November, more than 25.4 million...
U.S. proposes tariffs on up to $2.4 billion in French imports
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is proposing tariffs on up to $2.4 billion worth of French imports — including Roquefort cheese, handbags, lipstick and sparkling wine — in retaliation for France’s tax on American tech giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative charged Monday...
‘Cyber Monday’ sales on track to hit record
“Cyber Monday” is still holding up as the biggest online shopping day of the year, even though the same deals have been available online for weeks and the name harks back to the days of dial-up modems. Shoppers are expected to spend a record $9.4 billion on purchases made on...
Facebook tests tool to move photos to Google, other rivals
LONDON — Facebook started testing a tool on Monday that lets users move their images more easily to other online services, as it faces pressure from regulators to loosen its grip on data. The social network’s new tool will allow people to transfer their photos and videos directly to competing...
Trump to tariff steel and aluminum from Argentina and Brazil
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday accused Argentina and Brazil of hurting American farmers through currency manipulation and said he’ll slap tariffs on their steel and aluminum imports to retaliate. Trump also called on America’s central bank to take action to prevent other countries from devaluing their currencies. Both...
Merry Clickmas: Black Friday online sales hit record $7.4B
NEW YORK — This year’s Black Friday was the biggest ever for online sales, as fewer people hit the stores and shoppers rang up $7.4 billion in transactions from their phones, computers and tablets. That’s just behind the $7.9 billion haul of last year’s Cyber Monday, which holds the one-day...
Black Friday kicks off scramble in a shorter shopping season
NEW YORK — Black Friday shoppers fought for parking spots and traveled cross-state to their favorite malls, kicking off a shortened shopping season that intensified the mad scramble between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The shopping season is the shortest since 2013 because Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday in November —...
Papa John’s founder has 40 pizzas in 30 days, says pizzas are not good
Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, who was ousted as CEO in 2017, said the pizza and company are not the same. In an interview with WDRB-TV in Kentucky, Schnatter said the company he started in 1984 has declined since he was pushed out. “I’ve had over 40 pizzas in the...
Charles Schwab buys TD Ameritrade in brokerage blockbusterVideo
NEW YORK — Charles Schwab is buying rival TD Ameritrade in a $26 billion stock swap, a blockbuster agreement accelerated by massive disruption in the online brokerage industry. Competitive pressure has already forced brokerages to make it free for customers to trade U.S. stocks online, and Schwab’s buyout combines two...
WeWork cuts nearly 20% of workforce in restructuring effort
NEW YORK — WeWork is slashing nearly 20% of its workforce, embarking on a painful restructuring of its money-losing operation that doomed its stock market debut and left the office-sharing company on the brink of bankruptcy. WeWork said it has laid off 2,400 of its approximately 12,500 employees to “create...
U.S. home sales rose 1.9% in October, lifted by lower rates
WASHINGTON — Americans took advantage of lower mortgage rates and purchased more homes in October, though sales were held back by a shortage of available properties. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales of existing homes rose 1.9% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.46...
New Belgium Brewing sold to international beverage company
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Colorado brewery responsible for making Fat Tire beer, among many others, is being sold to an international beverage company after nearly 30 years in business, officials said. New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins is being sold to Lion Little World Beverages, The Coloradoan reports....
Nerf gun, Power Rangers claw among latest unsafe toys, watchdog says
BOSTON — A Nerf dart gun, ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime and a plastic Power Rangers claw are among the toys topping a consumer safety group’s list of worst toys for the holidays. World Against Toys Causing Harm unveiled its annual list Tuesday at a Boston children’s hospital. A realistic toy...
GateHouse, Gannett join, become largest U.S. newspaper chain
NEW YORK — GateHouse has closed its $1.1 billion takeover of Gannett, promising a $300 million cut in annual costs as it becomes the country’s largest newspaper company by far at a time when print publications are in precipitous decline. The new company keeps the Gannett name and brings about...
Chick-fil-A no longer funding Salvation Army, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Atlanta-based Chick-Fil-A has stopped donating to The Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, two organizations that have come under fire from LGBTQ activists. The company told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it has stopped donating to the organizations on Monday, according to CNBC. “We made multiyear commitments to both...
This is what the trade war looks like in bourbon country
ATLANTA — After Europe retaliated with tariffs on Kentucky bourbon in response to President Donald Trump’s trade war, the James E. Pepper distillery in Lexington so far this year has suffered a more than 20% sales decline internationally. “We’re collateral damage,” said Amir Peay, the 42-year-old owner. While tensions may...
HP rejects takeover offer from Xerox
HP Inc. says its board has rejected a roughly $33.5 billion takeover offer from Xerox. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said Sunday that the cash and stock deal undervalues its business and its board cited concerns about “outsized” debt levels should the companies combine. HP, which makes computers and printers,...
GE to close Georgia plant, move work to Charleroi, Pa.
An eastern Georgia industrial plant will close by the end of 2020, laying off up to 200 workers. General Electric Co. tells local media it will close its high-voltage electrical switchgear plant in Waynesboro, consolidating work to a similar plant in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. The company’s renewable energy unit blames the...
Amazon appeals $10B Pentagon contract won by Microsoft
SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon is protesting the Pentagon’s decision to award a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft, citing “unmistakable bias” in the process. Amazon’s competitive bid for the “war cloud” project drew criticism from President Donald Trump and its business rivals. The project, formally called the Joint Enterprise Defense...
Cold snap may be your signal to get new tires for winter
DETROIT — With the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. shivering through an early blast of arctic air, it’s time to start thinking about whether your car’s tires will get you safely through the winter. Italian tiremaker Pirelli recently started a campaign telling people that winter tires aren’t just for climates...
Disney Plus hits 10 million subscribers in 1 dayVideo
NEW YORK — Disney Plus says it hit more than 10 million sign-ups on its first day of launch, far exceeding expectations. Disney’s mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series appears to be a hit out of the gate after its launch...
Trade war puts cork in wine sales to China
LIVERMORE, Calif. — Caught in the crossfire of President Trump’s trade war with China, U.S. vineyards are struggling to sell Syrah in Shanghai and Chardonnay in Shenzhen. They risk losing their foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing wine markets. The 16-month dispute between the world’s two biggest economies has...
No. 1 milk company Dean Foods declares bankruptcy amid drop in demand
Got milk? Increasingly, Americans don’t, and that led the nation’s biggest milk producer to file for bankruptcy Tuesday. Dean Foods blamed a decadeslong drop in milk consumption that has seen people turn to alternatives such as soda, juice and almond milk. The Dallas company said it may sell itself to...
Group says misinformation on the rise on Facebook
SAN FRANCISCO — An advocacy group tracking misinformation says it has found an increase in fake political news shared on Facebook ahead of the 2020 presidential elections. The group, Avaaz, said Wednesday that misinformation is still being spread on Facebook despite measures the company has put in place since the...
Ford electric vehicle chief sees more products, sales growth
DEARBORN, Mich. — So far, electric vehicles haven’t been accepted in the United States, with fewer than 1.5% of new-vehicle buyers choosing them over internal combustion engines. That surely will change as more manufacturers offer vehicles with longer range and fast-charging networks keep growing. Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co.,...
