Business News

Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap company’s diversity programs

Apple shareholders rebuffed an attempt to pressure the technology trendsetter into joining President Donald Trump’s push to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce. The proposal drafted by the National Center for Public Policy Research — a self-described conservative think tank — urged Apple to follow a litany of high-profile companies that have retreated from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives currently in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. After a brief presentation about the anti-DEI proposal, Apple announced shareholders had rejected it without disclosing the vote tally. The preliminary results will be outlined in a regulatory later Tuesday.

Bitcoin slides under $90,000

The price of bitcoin fell below $90,000 and other cryptocurrencies saw large drops Tuesday morning. Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, was trading at about $89,000 as the U.S. stock market opened. That’s down from about $106,000. The decline in bitcoin and other crypto assets accelerated after a report showed a bigger-than-expected drop in consumer confidence for this month. Cryptocurrency is highly volatile, and prices can change rapidly.

Stock market today: Wall Street falls as US consumers get more pessimistic about inflation, tariffs

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is falling as U.S. households get more pessimistic about the economy because of inflation, tariffs and other policies coming from Washington. The S&P 500 sank 0.4% Tuesday and is on track for a four-day losing streak after setting an all-time high. The Nasdaq composite dropped 1% as Nvidia, Tesla and other high-growth stocks that had been among the market’s biggest stars fell. A slight majority of U.S. stocks nevertheless rose, including Home Depot after its latest profit report. That helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average hold up better, and it added 157 points. Treasury yields and bitcoin’s price both fell sharply.

These little-known bank accounts allow Americans with disabilities to save and invest

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re an American with a disability who receives government assistance, you likely qualify for an ABLE account, or you may starting next year. These little-known accounts allow Americans with disabilities to save and invest money without the risk of losing benefits like Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. Beginning in 2026, they’ll become available to people diagnosed with a disability before the age of 46, up from the current threshold of 26, increasing access to the accounts by 6 million people. But state treasurers and experts say raising awareness of the accounts is a challenge.

Carlyle Group co-founder Bill Conway’s $1 billion plan to end the nursing shortage

No other wealthy donor has dedicated as much money to such a wide range of nursing programs as Bill Conway, the 75-year-old co-founder of the private equity giant the Carlyle Group, and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, who died in January, 2024. Those efforts are destined to grow, with Conway only about a third of the way toward his target of giving $1 billion to nursing. Over the past decade, that money has helped produce more than 7,000 nurses. Now, he says, he wants to take his support of nursing programs nationwide.