AP National Business

By JOHN ANTCZAK Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Virgin Orbit rocket released from a jet flying off the California coast has carried seven small satellites into space. The launch Thursday kicks off a year in which the company plans a total of six missions, including two originating from Britain. Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Microsoft says it is opening an inquiry into how it responds to workplace sexual harassment and gender discrimination. That includes its handling of allegations about company co-founder Bill Gates. The review is a response to pressure from Microsoft investors. Nearly 78% of shareholders at Microsoft’s Nov. 30 annual meeting

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he hopes Mexican investors buy the local subsidiary of Citigroup. The president made his remarks about Citibanamex in a video posted to his social media accounts Thursday, saying that “we would like this bank to be Mexicanized.”  The president contends foreign bankers often take

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft says it will review its policies regarding sexual harassment and gender discrimination and publicly release the results of investigations into allegations involving members of the board of directors and senior leadership, including Bill Gates. The Seattle Times reports the board announced Thursday that Microsoft would hire a third-party law firm to

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A  man once dubbed “King Perry” will spend more than 17 years in prison for his role in masterminding a long-running Ponzi scheme that collected more than $115 million from 1,000 investors nationwide. Perry Santillo appeared Thursday in federal court in Rochester, New York. A judge ordered him to pay $103

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Paul Tash is retiring as CEO of the Tampa Bay Times, a media organization he joined 47 years ago as a summer intern. The Times announced the move Thursday. Tash, 67, became editor of what was then the St. Petersburg Times in 1992. During his tenure, the newspaper won nine

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio prison system says it will deploy more than 5,000 body cameras by May in all state prisons and adult parole authority offices. The director of the Ohio corrections department said Thursday that the state has signed a contract with Arizona-based Axon for the cameras.

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — The federal government is moving forward with a plan to let teenagers drive big rigs from state to state in a test program. Currently, truckers who cross state lines must be at least 21 years old. But an apprenticeship program required by Congress to help ease

By FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has issued subpoenas to Twitter, Meta, Reddit and YouTube, demanding documents after lawmakers said the companies’ initial responses were inadequate. The committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, demanded records from the companies related to their role in allegedly spreading misinformation about

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Authorities have arrested more than two dozen people for allegedly taking part in a multistate shoplifting ring involving more than $10 million in stolen merchandise. U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson in Tulsa and Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor announced state and federal charges Thursday against 29 defendants, including 25 who have been

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Angi, Elastic fall; KB Home, Delta Air Lines rise.

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Technology stocks led another decline on Wall Street Thursday, leaving the Nasdaq composite down 2.5%. Microsoft, Nvidia and other big tech companies had some of the biggest losses. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back 0.5% Industrial stocks did

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — Federal work-safety investigators say another federal agency violated safe handling policies at a helium plant in the Texas Panhandle. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a statement Thursday that it has issued 21 notices of unsafe working conditions to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The citations involved the

By SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s recently elected mayor has unveiled a new police precinct in the city’s large Buckhead district as he tries to head off an effort to make it a separate city. Mayor Andre Dickens said Thursday the precinct is expected to have at least 12 officers. It should

By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press People looking for health insurance in the grip of the omicron surge have through Saturday to sign up for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. President Joe Biden’s administration is on track is to deliver robust enrollment numbers, but those gains could turn into a mirage if

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two former top officials will repay thousands of dollars to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after audits found improper spending and questionable business practices cost the institution more than $630,000. The Columbus Dispatch reports the zoo’s board of directors approved a $132,000 settlement with former chief financial officer Greg Bell during

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks shed early gains and headed lower Thursday as investors gauged the latest data on inflation and company earnings. The S&P 500 fell 1.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.3% and the Nasdaq fell 2.1%. Technology companies were the biggest weight on the market.

By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Navient, a major student loan servicing company, has settled allegations of abusive lending practices for $1.85 billion. The settlement was announced Thursday and could cancel student loans for tens of thousands of borrowers. The deal includes $1.7 billion in debt cancellation and involves 39 state attorneys general.

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations is forecasting lower global economic growth for 2022 and 2023. It says this is because the world is facing new waves of coronavirus infections, persistent labor market challenges, lingering supply chain issues and rising inflationary pressures. The U.N.‘s global economic forecast released