National Business - The Morning Sun

FILE - Designated UN conference president Sultan al-Jaber attends the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, Thursday, June 8, 2023. The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate conference offered a full-throated defense Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, of his nation hosting the talks, dismissing those "who just go on the attack without knowing who we are.” (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

UAE's president-designate for UN COP28 offers full-throated defense of nation hosting climate talks

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The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate conference has offered a full-throated defense of his nation hosting the talks. The comments Saturday by Sultan al-Jaber … more

By JON GAMBRELL | 9/30/23

FILE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 21, 2022. Ukraine hosted an international defense industry conference as part of a government effort to ramp up weapons production within the country to repel Russia's full-scale invasion and reduce foreign dependence on arms deliveries. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Ukraine hosts a defense industry forum seeking to ramp up weapons production for the war

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Ukraine has hosted an international defense industry conference as part of a government effort to ramp up weapons production within the country to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion. The event … more

By HANNA ARHIROVA | 9/30/23

FILE - Visitors look at the robotic arms assembly a vehicle frame during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in the outskirt of Beijing, on Aug. 17, 2023. China's factory activity in September recorded its first expansion in six month, an official survey said Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, providing another sign that the world's second-largest economy is gradually improving following its post-pandemic malaise. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

China's factory activity expands for first time in six months, in latest sign economy is recovering

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An official Chinese survey says the country's factory activity has recorded its first expansion in six months, providing another sign that the world’s second-largest economy is gradually improving … more

9/30/23

President Joe Biden pauses while speaking about democracy and the legacy of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain to look up at supporters in the balcony at the Tempe Center for the Arts, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Biden says shutdown isn't his fault. Will Americans agree?

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The White House has pinned the blame for a looming government shutdown on House Republicans, who have been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package. President Joe Biden needs the rest … more

By JOSH BOAK and CHRIS MEGERIAN | 9/30/23

Mississippi Department of Human Services Executive Director Bob Anderson addresses members of the Mississippi Joint Legislative Budget Committee during his agency's budget presentation, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi sees spike in child care enrollment after abortion ban and child support policy change

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Mississippi's human services director says the state has seen a consistent increase in the number of families accepting public assistance for child care since lawmakers banned abortion in almost all … more

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG | 9/29/23

FILE - A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen on May 4, 2021, in Washington. A former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service has been charged with leaking tax information to news outlets about a government official and thousands of the country’s wealthiest people. The Justice Department said in a statement Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, that 38-year-old Charles Edward Littlejohn of Washington, D.C. is accused of stealing tax return information and giving it to two different news outlets between 2018 and 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

IRS contractor charged with leaking tax return information of wealthy people

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A former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service has been charged with leaking tax information to news outlets about a government official and thousands of the country’s wealthiest people. The … more

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST | 9/29/23

Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman James Dolan looks at a Sphere robot, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

James Dolan's sketch of the Sphere becomes reality as the venue opens with a U2 show in Las Vegas

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It started as a crude sketch — a circle with a stick person inside. Seven years later, that drawing has been made real: A $2.3 billion massive spherical venue standing 366 feet high and lighting up … more

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. and KEN RITTER | 9/29/23

FILE - A sign for the Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 10, 2020. On Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, the FDA laid out a proposal to begin regulating laboratory medical tests, a multibillion-dollar industry that it says poses a growing risk to patients because of potentially inaccurate results. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FDA wants to regulate thousands of lab tests that have long skirted oversight

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The Food and Drug Administration says it plans to begin regulating laboratory-based medical tests. It's a multibillion-dollar industry that regulators say poses a growing risk to patients. The … more

By MATTHEW PERRONE | 9/29/23

FILE - House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., joined by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, right, and other GOP members, talks to reporters just after voting to advance appropriations bills on the House floor, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday night, Sept. 26, 2023. McCarthy is digging in on his refusal to take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running beyond midnight Saturday, Sept. 30. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

McCarthy launches last-ditch plan to keep government open but with steep 30% cuts to many agencies

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is rushing into a last-ditch plan to keep the government temporarily open but with steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies. McCarthy unveiled the proposal … more

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING | 9/29/23

This combination of images shows, from left, Jelly Roll, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA and Usher who will perform at iHeartRadio's 2023 Jingle Ball. (AP Photo)

Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Usher, Jelly Roll and more will hit the 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stage

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iHeartRadio has unveiled its star-studded 2023 Jingle Ball lineup, including performances by Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, and Jelly Roll. The 11-city tour will hit Tampa and … more

By MARIA SHERMAN | 9/29/23

Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Usher, Jelly Roll and more will hit the 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stage

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iHeartRadio has unveiled its star-studded 2023 Jingle Ball lineup, including performances by Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, and Jelly Roll. The 11-city tour will hit Tampa and … more

By MARIA SHERMAN | 9/29/23

Karin Engstrom, 82, poses for photos at home, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Seattle. Engstrom recently had student loans forgiven. She's one of 804,000 borrowers who will have a total of $39 billion forgiven under a one-time adjustment granted by the Biden administration. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

804,000 long-term borrowers are having their student loans forgiven before payments resume this fall

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Student loan payments start up again for most borrowers in October, but more than 800,000 people who have been paying for years are having their loans forgiven. A total of $39 billion is being … more

By CORA LEWIS | 9/29/23

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution

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The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices will review laws enacted by … more

By MARK SHERMAN | 9/29/23

FILE - This April 10, 2011, file photo, shows a rig and supply vessel in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. The Biden administration on Friday proposed up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico over the next five years — and none in Alaska — as it tries to navigate between energy companies that have pressed for greater oil and gas production and environmental activists who have urged President Joe Biden to shut down new offshore drilling in the fight against climate change. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

Biden calls for up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, disappointing all sides

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President Joe Biden's administration has proposed up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico over the next five years but none in Alaska. The Democratic administration is trying to … more

By MATTHEW DALY | 9/29/23

File - As shoppers wait in the background, a woman looks at Apple's new iPhone 15 at an Apple Store in Los Angeles, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. On Friday, the Commerce Department issues its August report on consumer spending. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Higher gas prices lift Fed's preferred inflation gauge but underlying price pressures remain mild

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An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve accelerated in August, boosted mainly by higher gas prices. But measures of underlying inflation slowed in the latest sign that overall price … more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER | 9/29/23

FILE - People walking the main shopping street in Dortmund, Germany, on Sept. 28, 2023. Inflation that has been plaguing Europeans made a marked decline in September, strengthening hopes that consumers will eventually get relief from costlier groceries, vacations and haircuts — and that the European Central Bank won’t have to further restrict the economy by raising interest rates from already-record highs. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

Inflation drops sharply in Europe. It offers a glimmer of hope, but higher oil prices loom

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Inflation has sharply dropped in Europe. The official figure released Friday by the European Union's statistics agency was 4.3% in September for the 20 countries that use the euro, down from 5.2% in … more

By DAVID McHUGH | 9/29/23

FILE - President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his economic agenda at a training center run by Laborers' International Union of North America, Feb. 8, 2023, in Deforest, Wis. The Biden administration on Friday, Sept. 29, is releasing a playbook on best practices for training workers — as the low 3.8% unemployment rate and years of underinvestment have left manufacturers, construction firms and other employers with unfilled jobs. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

As employers face labor shortages, Biden administration rolls out playbook for training workers

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The Biden administration is releasing a playbook on best practices for training workers as the low 3.8% unemployment rate and years of underinvestment have left manufacturers, construction firms and … more

By JOSH BOAK | 9/29/23

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed, with most regional markets closed after Wall St ticks higher

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Asian markets are mixed, with only a few open due to public holidays across the region. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was slightly lower. On Thursday, Wall Street's benchmarks ticked higher, trimming its sharp … more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH | 9/29/23

Visitors gather near a giant flower basket on display at the crowded Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Tens of millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel within their country, splurging on hotels, tours, attractions and meals in a boost to the economy during the 8-day autumn holiday period that began Friday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Millions take to China's railways, roads, air in 1st big autumn holiday since end of zero-COVID

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Many millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel within their country, splurging on hotels, tours, attractions and meals in a boost to the economy during the 8-day autumn holiday period that … more

By ZEN SOO | 9/29/23

People pass by an election billboard of far-right "Kotlebovci" party in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. The billboard reads: 'We will save Slovakia from migrants'. Slovakia holds early parliamentary elections on Saturday Oct. 30, 2023, with a populist former prime minister Robert Fico and his scandal-tainted party "SMER" (Direction) favored to win after campaigning on a clear pro-Russian and anti-American message. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Slovakia election pits a pro-Russia former prime minister against a liberal pro-West newcomer

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Slovakia holds an early parliamentary election on Saturday that pits populist former Prime Minister Robert Fico who campaigned on a clear pro-Russia and anti-American message against a liberal … more

9/29/23