AP National Business

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a new pandemic low 267,000 last week, another sign that the job market is recovering from last year’s sharp coronavirus downturn. Jobless claims fell by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The four-week average

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and THEODORA TONGAS Associated Press OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — Microsoft has launched a digital immersive tour at the ancient birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece. It provides visitors a virtual re-creation of temples and competition areas in ancient Olympia as they walk through one of the world’s major archaeological sites.

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — A top European Union court has rejected Google’s appeal of a 2.4 billion euro fine from regulators who found the tech giant gave its own shopping recommendations an illegal advantage in search results. The 27-nation bloc’s top competition watchdog had punished Google in 2017 for unfairly

By CHANELLE BESSETTE of NerdWallet Cryptocurrency banking allows consumers to hold and spend cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, litecoin and ether. Card issuers and fintech companies have begun to offer cryptocurrency debit cards as a way to help their customers spend blockchain-based money just like regular cash. There are still risks to using this new currency,

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Harry has sharply attacked the failure of social media companies to challenge hate online, revealing that he warned the chief executive of Twitter ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that the site was being used to stage political unrest. Harry made the comments Tuesday

By ALEX NISHIMOTO Edmunds Introduced for 2021, the Volkswagen ID.4 is the German automaker’s first all-electric SUV and part of a new wave of electric vehicles for American consumers. It boasts a spacious interior and styling that’s futuristic but not too futuristic. The ID.4 is the upstart against two established rivals: the Tesla Model 3

BERLIN (AP) — The German government’s panel of independent economic advisers has cut its 2021 growth prediction for Europe’s biggest economy to 2.7%. It’s the latest in a series of downgrades by forecasters. The panel’s new forecast on Wednesday was down from the 3.1% it predicted in March. It expected gross domestic product to expand

LONDON (AP) — A top European Union court has rejected Google’s appeal against a 2.4 billion euro antitrust penalty from the bloc’s competition watchdog. The EU’s executive Commission had punished Google in 2017 for unfairly favoring its own online shopping recommendations in its search results. The European Court of Justice’s General Court said that it

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator says it has started evaluating whether to authorize Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency already is evaluating the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for use in the 5-11 age group. In a statement on Wednesday, the EMA said it anticipates

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Harry says he warned the chief executive of Twitter ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that the social media site was being used to stage political unrest in the U.S. capital. Harry made the comments Tuesday during a panel on misinformation in California. He said he made his concerns

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Shares have opened higher in Europe after mostly falling in Asia as China reported that inflation surged in October. On Wall Street, stocks ended moderately lower on Tuesday, ending an eight-day winning streak for the market that had been fueled by strong company earnings and economic data. Tesla lost

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Young people living in Pacific Rim countries want to see more ambition from their leaders when it comes to tackling climate change and to see money devoted to a shared fund to prepare for future pandemics. Those were two of the messages delivered to New

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Shares in Rivian Automotive are set to trade publicly Wednesday, and the world should get a better idea of just how excited investors are about the electric vehicle market. Rivian, the EV startup backed by Amazon and Ford, hopes to raise about $12 billion.

By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China’s biggest online shopping day, known as “Singles’ Day” on Nov. 11, is taking on a muted tone this year as regulators crack down on the technology industry and President Xi Jinping pushes for “common prosperity.” The annual shopping festival is among the world’s largest,

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — When Donald Trump was in the White House, he referred to Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” But for President Joe Biden, the city is the first stop in what probably will be a national tour to showcase his agenda. A White House official

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Women — and some men — in Congress have been fighting for government child care assistance for almost 80 years. With President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social services package, they are as close as they have ever been to winning. And it’s not

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As vaccination rates rise in many parts of the world and even countries that previously had strict COVID-containment strategies gingerly ease restrictions, China is doubling down on its zero-tolerance policy. The approach includes strict lockdowns, multiple rounds of mass testing and centralized quarantine. China pioneered it

By JANIE HAR Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — U.S. food banks dealing with increased demand from families sidelined by the pandemic now face a new challenge – surging food prices and supply chain issues. The higher costs and limited availability mean some families may get smaller servings or substitutions for staples such as peanut

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press Writers BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Never in its 50-year history has Starbucks relied on union workers to serve up frothy lattes as its U.S. cafes. But some baristas aim to change that. Workers at three separate Starbucks stores in and around Buffalo, New York, are expected to