Business News

This law is a lifeline for pregnant workers even as an abortion dispute complicates its enforcement

NEW YORK (AP) — A new law strengthening protections for pregnant workers has been a lifeline to many low-wage women seeking accommodations from employers who might otherwise have forced them into unpaid leave. But a year after the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act took effect, many women are still confronting employers who don’t know about the law, misunderstand its scope or simply refuse to comply, according to the legal organization A Better Balance, which spearheaded the campaign for the news law. A legal battle over whether the law covers abortion, meanwhile, is complicating its enforcement just as protections are starting to make a difference.

Majority of Americans favor forgiving medical debt, AP-NORC poll finds

NEW YORK (AP) — Majorities of Americans favor forgiving all or some of an individual’s medical debt if the person is facing hardships. That’s according to a new poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that about half of Americans say it’s extremely or very important for the U.S. government to provide debt relief for those who have yet to pay off medical treatments. Although reducing student loan debt has been a focus for President Joe Biden, the poll found that Americans are more likely to say medical debt relief should be a government priority.

Retail sales rise a meager 0.1% in May from April as still high inflation curbs spending

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers barely increased spending in May from April as still high inflation and high interest rates curbed spending. Retail sales rose 0.1% in May, below the pace that economists projected, according to the Commerce Department. And April sales were revised downward _ a 0.2% decline from unchanged. Sales rose 0.6% in March and 0.9% in February. That comes after sales fell 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather.

Boeing’s CEO is appearing before a Senate panel as a new whistleblower emerges

Boeing’s CEO is getting his day in front of Congress, and lawmakers are expected to have many questions about safety at the troubled aircraft company. CEO David Calhoun is scheduled to testify Tuesday in front of a Senate investigations subcommittee. It’ll be his first appearance on Capitol Hill since a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Hours before Calhoun was set to appear, the Senate panel released a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who fears that “nonconforming” parts — ones that could be defective or aren’t properly documented — are going into 737 Max jets.

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts around its records as bond yields ease

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their records following the latest signal that the economy’s growth may be slowing without cratering, as hoped. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% Tuesday, a day after setting a record for the 30th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 8 points, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower. Treasury yields fell in the bond market after a report showed sales at U.S. retailers returned to growth last month but remained below economists’ expectations. That raised hopes for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates later this year.

Fisker files for bankruptcy protection, the second electric vehicle maker to do so in the past year

Electric vehicle maker Fisker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the second electric startup to do so in the last year as even industry leaders struggle to lure more buyers beyond the early adapters of the technology. Its operating subsidiary, Fisker Group Inc., said in its filing that its estimated assets were between $500 million and $1 billion. It estimated liabilities are between $100 million and $500 million. Fisker said late Monday that it’s in advanced talks with financial stakeholders about debtor-in-possession financing and selling its assets.

Post Malone and Doja Cat to headline Global Citizen Festival to mobilize young people

NEW YORK (AP) — Post Malone and Doja Cat, two of pop music’s biggest stars, will headline this year’s Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park on Sept. 28, as organizers focus on mobilizing young people to help address the world’s pressing problems. Global Citizen has long partnered with major artists – from Beyonce to Queen, Stevie Wonder to Ed Sheeran – to generate attention through its events that it can turn into audience actions that lobby political, corporate and philanthropic leaders to support its initiatives. The nonprofit says its events in the past decade have generated more than $14 billion toward eliminating extreme poverty.

McDonald’s is ending its test run of AI-powered drive-thrus with IBM

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever get your McDonald’s order mixed up at an AI-powered drive-thru? The experiment behind the fast food giant’s current automated order taker will soon be coming to a close. McDonald’s confirmed that it’s decided to end a global partnership with IBM, which has been testing this artifical intelligence technology at select McDonald’s drive-thrus since 2021. While the IBM partnership for McDonald’s current automated order taker is winding down, the Chicago-based company seemed to suggest that it wasn’t ruling other any other AI-related drive-thru plans down the road. And scores of other fast food chains have also begun exploring the implementation of AI in their drive-thru lanes — including Wendy’s, White Castle, Panera and Popeyes.

China’s premier gets a red-carpet welcome as he begins visit in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang has received a red-carpet welcome in Malaysia on the last leg of a regional tour. Li will celebrate a half-century of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Malaysia since 2015. He flew in on Tuesday on an Air China jet from Australia and inspected a guard of honor. Li’s schedule during his three-day visit includes talks with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a China-backed rail link project. Li last week became the first Chinese premier to visit New Zealand then Australia in seven years. He ended his Australian tour earlier Tuesday in the west coast city of Perth.

Ralph Lauren goes with basic blue jeans for Team USA’s opening Olympic ceremony uniforms

NEW YORK (AP) — When Team USA walks with the world’s athletes during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony, they’ll be doing so in snappy blue blazers and blue jeans from Ralph Lauren. Just regular, everyday denim blue jeans. The brand called the pairing “unexpected” yet classic when it unveiled Team USA’s uniforms Tuesday. For the closing ceremony, the team will be wearing sharp white moto-style denim jeans with matching jackets designed in, yes, patriotic red, white and blue. At a media preview Monday, chief branding and innovation officer David Lauren told The Associated Press that nothing says American like blue jeans.