AP National Business

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, responding to the recent sharp decline in cryptocurrencies, says additional federal regulation is needed to respond to the wave of speculative investment in the currency whose secrecy is an essential part of its appeal. Yellen told a House committee hearing on Thursday that

By ALI ZERDIN Associated Press LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Officials say an explosion and fire at a chemical plant in southeast Slovenia has left five people missing and feared dead. Emergency officials said another two people were hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns after the blast, which was reported around 8.30 a.m. (0630GMT) Thursday

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Jerome Powell for a second four-year term as Federal Reserve chair, giving bipartisan backing to Powell’s high-stakes efforts to curb the highest inflation in four decades. The 80-19 vote reflected broad support in Congress for the Fed’s drive to combat surging

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Legislature has voted to increase how much money people can win in medical malpractice lawsuits. Since 1975, the that Californians could win for pain and suffering in a medical malpractice lawsuit was $250,000. Starting Jan. 1, that limit will increase to $350,000 for people

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press WEISSENHAUS, Germany (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy nations have gathered in northern Germany for a three-day meeting centered on Russia’s war against Ukraine and the wider impact it is having around the world. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the conflict already had become a

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s controversial central bank chief has narrowly won a second term in office after the country’s governing coalition mustered enough votes in parliament for his re-election. Lawmakers voted 234-223 Thursday to give Adam Glapinski a second six-year term. Nominated by President Andrzej Duda, Glapinski, 72, was the only candidate for the

By JOSH BOAK and PAT EATON-ROBB ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — A baby formula shortage in the United States is driving parents to swap, sell and offer leftover supplies to each other, while President Joe Biden plans to speak with manufacturers and retailers Thursday about the plight facing families. The problem is the result of

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Twitter fired two of its top managers Thursday, the latest sign of internal turmoil amid Tesla billionaire Elon Musk’s planned buyout of the company. One Twitter general manager, Kayvon Beykpour, is leaving after 7 years; in a series of tweets Thursday, Beykpour said CEO Parag Agrawal “asked me to

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran abruptly raised prices as much as 300% for a variety of staples such as cooking oil, chicken, eggs and milk on Thursday. Scores of alarmed Iranians waited in long lines to snatch up bundles of food and emptied supermarket shelves across the country

By ASHIFA KASSAM and JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press MADRID (AP) — A government proposal that could make Spain the first country in Europe to allow workers to take menstrual leave has sparked debate over whether the policy would help or hinder women in the workplace. A leaked draft of new legislation that the Spanish Cabinet

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Many parents are hunting for infant formula because of a combination of short- and long-term problems that has hit most of the biggest U.S. brands. Millions of babies in the U.S. rely on formula, which is the only source of nutrition recommended for infants who aren’t

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer The federal government said Thursday that artificial intelligence technology to screen new job candidates or monitor worker productivity can unfairly discriminate against people with disabilities, sending a warning to employers that the commonly used hiring tools could violate civil rights laws. The U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — America’s commercial fishing industry fell 10% in catch volume and 15% in value during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the 2020 haul of fish was 8.4 billion pounds, while the value of that catch was

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Technology companies are leading stocks broadly lower on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday after investors received another dire readout on inflation. The S&P 500 was down 1.1% as of 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 417 points,

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The British government is refusing to reveal whether intelligence agencies expressed concerns about the decision to award a noble title and a seat in Parliament to a businessman whose father was a KGB agent. Lawmakers ordered the government to release documents related to the appointment of Russia-born

By JOSH FUNK Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as the virus spread rapidly among workers, according to a congressional report released Thursday. The

By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to speak with baby formula manufacturers and retailers Thursday about the plight of families struggling to find formula due to supply chain disruptions and a safety recall. White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the administration will also announce

By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Finland’s leaders Thursday came out in favor of applying to join NATO, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment on the continent 2 1/2 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors.

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is canceling three oil and gas lease sales scheduled in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska, removing millions of acres from possible drilling as U.S. gas prices reach record highs. The Interior Department announced the decision Wednesday night, citing a

DETROIT (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is telling the owners of more than 292,000 vehicles in the U.S. to stop driving them due to a problem that could cause the brakes to fail. The German automaker is recalling the vehicles and says it will offer free towing so the owners can get them to a dealership for