AP National Business

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of fraudulently collecting more than $1.3 million in COVID-19 relief funds has been sentenced to five years in prison. Court records show Johnson Eustache was sentenced Tuesday in Orlando federal court. He pleaded guilty in August to wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the preparation of

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks were mixed in afternoon trading on Wall Street as investors review the latest corporate earnings and prepare for higher interest rates. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, the Nasdaq rose 0.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%. The major indexes bounced between gains and losses throughout

By MATTHEW PERRONE and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, people across the U.S. can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF railroad wants a federal judge to prevent two of its unions from going on strike next month over a new attendance policy that would penalize employees for missing work. The Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad went to court after the unions that represent nearly half

ELMORE, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont community is asking the U.S. Postal Service to renew a contract with a local store to retain an outpost where people can collect their packages and mail. New England Cable News reported Wednesday that the post office at the back of The Elmore Store serves fewer than 1,000 people

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States and Russia are digging in their heels over Ukraine with no sign either will relent from entrenched positions that have raised fears of a new war in Europe. On a visit to Kyiv, Seceretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of planning

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press Developers say construction will soon begin on the second commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project to gain approval in the United States. The Interior Department approved it in November. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued its approval letter for the constructions and operations plan Tuesday. That’s a major step in

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s doctors and medical workers fear the country’s health care system may not be able to cope with the latest surge of COVID-19 infections. More than 30,000 new cases in 24 hours were reported Wednesday and health authorities are expecting the figure to almost double in

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks turned mixed in late morning trading on Wall Street as investors review the latest corporate earnings and prepare for higher interest rates. The S&P 500 fell 0.1%, the Nasdaq fell 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell slightly. Investors are busy reviewing the latest round of

By MATTHEW PERRONE and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, all Americans can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot more to

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a plan it announced earlier this month. The Seattle coffee giant says it’s responding to last week’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 vote, the court rejected the Biden administration’s plan to

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has raised 3 billion euros in a 10-year bond auction that helps boost its budget following its yearslong economic bailout program. The finance minister said the cost of Wednesday’s bone issue was “satisfactory,” given global trends like the coronavirus pandemic. Greece is planning to raise more than 10 billion euros

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida is on pace to produce the smallest crop of oranges in more than 75 years. A forecast released last week says the Sunshine State is on pace to produce 44.5 million 90-pound boxes of oranges during the current season. That’s a 1.5 million box reduction from the previous forecast in

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A court in Ukraine has rejected a motion by the prosecutors to remand former President Petro Poroshenko in custody pending investigation and trial on the charges of treason, allowing the politician to walk out with a few restrictions. The ruling barred Poroshenko from leaving the capital,

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer Five philanthropies have announced plans to spend more than $20 million to bolster news coverage in Houston, Texas, and create what they say will be one of the largest local nonprofit news organizations in the country. The donors said Wednesday in a news release that the newsroom is anticipated

By MATT O’BRIEN and TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writers Microsoft stunned the gaming industry when it announced this week it would buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a deal that would immediately make it a larger video-game company than Nintendo. Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming system, said the deal would be good

By DAMIAN J. TROISE Stocks rose in afternoon trading on Wall Street Thursday, trimming some of the week’s steep losses as investors gauge the latest corporate earnings and monitor rising inflation’s impact on the economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, with nearly 80% of stocks within the benchmark index making gains. The Dow Jones Industrial

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told a gathering of America’s mayors the Biden administration’s coronavirus relief bill is “like a vaccine” preventing catastrophic economic damage. Yellen said Wednesday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 90th winter meeting in Washington that President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer The cost of attending the World Cup final is up to 46% higher in Qatar than the previous tournament in Russia, fans discovered as tickets went on sale. The steep rise in the prices for the FIFA showpiece match contrasts with the group stage seeing a reduction in

By PATTY NIEBERG Associated Press/Report for America CRAIG, Colorado (AP) — Craig, a small town in northwest Colorado is losing its coal plant, and residents fear it is the beginning of the end for their community. The same scenario is playing out in other small towns across the U.S. After decades of relying on coal