Business News

Most voters think the economy is poor, but split on whether Trump or Harris can fix it: AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters remain largely divided over whether they prefer Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris to handle key economic issues, although Harris earns slightly better marks on elements such as taxes for the middle class. A majority of registered voters in the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research describe the economy as poor and about 7 in 10 say the nation is going in the wrong direction. But the findings reaffirm that Trump has lost what had been an advantage on the economy, which many voters say is the most important issue this election season above abortion, immigration, crime and foreign affairs.

Immigrants help power America’s economy. Will the election value or imperil them?

BAKER, Nev. (AP) — Immigrants, as well as those who work closely with them, say both sides’ efforts to crack down on the border have clouded the larger immigration issue in ways often too nuanced to break down cleanly along ideological lines. They say that both parties’ attempts to gain the upper hand on the issue have often overshadowed immigrants’ contributions to the nation’s economy and menaced the social fabric of communities they have built — with little regard for the people involved who are being subsumed by the politics. Nowhere is that clearer than in Nevada, where roughly 1 in 5 workers is foreign-born, the largest percentage of any swing state.

Brazil environmental disaster victims take case against mining giant BHP to UK court

LONDON (AP) — Victims of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster are taking their case for compensation to a UK court on Monday. It’s almost nine years after tons of toxic mining waste poured into a major waterway, killing 19 people and devastating local communities. The law firm representing the plaintiffs says the class action lawsuit at the High Court in London seeks an estimated 36 billion pounds ($47 billion) in damages from the global mining giant BHP. That would make it the largest environmental payout ever. The rupture released enough mine waste to fill 13,000 Olympic-size swimming pools into a river that has yet to recover.

Musk offers voters $1 million a day to sign PAC petition backing the Constitution. Is that legal?

Elon Musk is pledging to give away $1 million a day to voters for signing his political action committee’s petition backing the Constitution. The giveaway by the Donald Trump supporter is raising questions and alarms among some election experts who say it’s a violation of the law to link a cash handout to signing a petition that also requires a person to be registered to vote. Musk promised on Saturday that he’d give away that daily amount until the Nov. 5 election for people signing his PAC’s petition supporting the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, and the Second Amendment, with its right “to keep and bear arms.”

GoFundMe bets social media can unlock Gen Z giving. A Meta partnership and new tools will test that

NEW YORK (AP) — New GoFundMe tools will make it easier to circulate causes across online platforms in a push to cater toward younger generations. The crowdfunding site hopes to meet digital natives in the online spaces where they frequently advocate, streamlining the donation experience to encourage more charity and connecting traditional nonprofits with a demographic that prefers direct contributions over institutional giving. Other features rolling out this fall include fundraising widgets for video game streamers, personalized profiles to highlight users’ philanthropic interests and an integrated button on Instagram to donate.

Disney names Gorman to serve as next chairman; anticipates naming new CEO in early 2026

The Walt Disney Co. is tapping Morgan Stanley executive James Gorman to serve as its next chairman, beginning early next year. The entertainment giant also announced that it anticipates naming its new CEO in early 2026. Gorman will become chairman on Jan. 2, 2025. He will succeed Mark Parker, who is leaving after serving on Disney’s board for nine years. Gorman is currently chair of Disney’s succession planning committee. He serves as executive chairman at Morgan Stanley, but will be stepping down from that post at the end of the year.

Will US convenience stores find the secret to selling better food?

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans who think of petrified hot dogs, frozen burritos and salty snacks when they imagine getting food at a gas station or truck stop may be pleasantly surprised during their next road trip: U.S. convenience stores are offering them more and better — though not necessarily healthier — choices. From 7-Eleven to regional players like QuikTrip, store chains are looking overseas for grab-and-go inspiration, adding sit-down seating, expanding their coffee menus to rival Starbucks and experimenting with made-to-order meals for busy families. The moves are happening as convenience store operators seek ways to offset slowing sales of cigarettes, maps and soft drinks. Experts say the improved offerings pose an increasing threat to fast-food restaurants.

Cubans struggle as power not fully restored days after blackout and hurricane hits island

HAVANA (AP) — Many Cubans are waiting in anguish as electricity on much of the island has yet to be restored days after an island-wide blackout. Their concerns are also raised as Hurricane Oscar first made landfall in the southeastern Bahamas and then slammed into Cuba’s coast. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said in a press conference he hopes the country’s electricity grid will be restored on Monday or Tuesday morning. He also recognized that Oscar, which hit the island Sunday evening, will bring “an additional inconvenience” to Cuba’s recovery since it will touch a “strong region of (electricity) generation.” Key Cuban power plants are located in the area.

Stock market today: Wall Street pulls back from its records ahead of a big week for profit reports

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are pulling back from their all-time highs as some of the steam comes out of Wall Street’s long, record-breaking rally. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% in afternoon trading Monday, coming off its sixth straight winning week, its longest such streak of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 329 points, or 0.8%, from its own record that was likewise set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. Crude oil prices rose to regain some of last week’s sharp losses, while U.S. Treasury yields climbed and stock indexes mostly fell in Europe after finishing mixed in Asia.

Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide

Voters in Arizona and Massachusetts are set to decide whether employers should be able to continue to pay tipped workers such as servers and bartenders a lower minimum wage than non-tipped workers. Arizona voters will decide whether to widen the hourly pay gap between the two sets of workers. Massachusetts voters will decide whether to eliminate the gap. The ballot measures reflect an accelerating debate over the so-called subminimum wage, which advocates say is essential to the sustainability of the service industry and detractors say leads to the exploitation of workers. Currently, seven states require employers to pay all workers at least the minimum wage, regardless of tips.