National Business - The Morning Sun

FILE - Southwest Airlines plane prepares to land at Midway International Airport, Feb. 12, 2023, in Chicago. Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, ratified a contract that includes pay raises totaling more than 33% over four years, as airline workers continue to benefit from the industry's recovery since the pandemic. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Southwest Airlines flight attendants ratify a contract that will raise pay about 33% over 4 years

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Southwest Airlines flight attendants have ratified a new contract that will boost their pay by about one-third over four years. The Transport Workers Union said Wednesday that Southwest cabin crews … more

4/24/24

FILE - A Meta Portal Go is displayed during a preview of the Meta Store in Burlingame, Calif., on May 4, 2022. Meta reports earnings on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Meta more than doubles Q1 profit but revenue guidance pulls shares down after-hours

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Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta says its first-quarter profit more than doubled, boosted by higher advertising revenue and a 6% increase on the average price of ads on its platforms. But … more

By BARBARA ORTUTAY | 4/24/24

FILE - A Tesla sign is seen at a dealership, Dec. 3, 2023, in Buena Park, Calif. A Tesla that may have been operating on the company's Autopilot driving system hit and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle on Friday, April 19, 2024, raising questions about whether a recent recall went far enough to ensure that Tesla drivers using Autopilot pay attention to the road. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Tesla driver in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist told police he was using Autopilot

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A Tesla that may have been operating on the company’s Autopilot driving system has hit and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle. The incident raises questions about whether a recent recall went far … more

By TOM KRISHER and GENE JOHNSON | 4/24/24

Calling it "a good day for world peace," President Joe Biden signed into law the $95 billion war aid measure that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other allies, marking an end to the long, painful battle with Republicans in Congress.

The US is now allowed to seize Russian state assets. How would that work?

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The big U.S. aid package for Ukraine and other allies that President Joe Biden signed Wednesday also allows the administration to seize Russian state assets located in the U.S. and use them for the … more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN | 4/24/24

First lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden greet riders at the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway

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President Joe Biden’s signing of legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. runs counter to his campaign’s embrace of the platform and outreach to influencers. The president is also facing … more

By WILL WEISSERT | 4/24/24

FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by the FTC on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, though the rule seems sure to be challenged in court. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

How US changes to 'noncompete' agreements and overtime pay could affect workers

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For millions of American workers, the federal government took two actions this week that could bestow potentially far-reaching benefits. In one move, the Federal Trade Commission voted to ban … more

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ and MAE ANDERSON | 4/24/24

FILE - This June 26, 2007 file photo shows the exterior of Oracle Corp. headquarters in Redwood City, Calif. Oracle Corp.'s planned campus in Nashville, Tenn. will serve as the computer technology giant's world headquarters, placing it in a city that's a center of the health care industry, CEO Larry Ellison said. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Oracle's Larry Ellison says planned Nashville campus will be company's 'world headquarters'

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Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison says the business software giant’s planned campus in Nashville, Tennessee, will serve as its world headquarters and place it in a city that's a center of the health … more

4/24/24

President Joe Biden talks with NABTU President Sean McGarvey after speaking to the North America's Building Trade Union National Legislative Conference, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden picks up another big union endorsement, this one from building trades workers

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The North America’s Building Trades Unions has endorsed President Joe Biden. It adds to Biden's roster of support from organized labor. The Democratic president and union leaders used the … more

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and CHRIS MEGERIAN | 4/24/24

TikTok bows to European pressure and halts reward feature on new app in France and Spain

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TikTok is halting a feature on its new app rewarding users in Europe for watching videos, after facing pressure from regulators worried about its addictive features. The company backed down days … more

By KELVIN CHAN | 4/24/24

FILE A couple watches the sun set from a park, July 10, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. A quarter of U.S. adults over the age of 50 have no retirement savings, according to a new AARP survey — and 70% of people surveyed are worried about prices rising faster than their income. New research from the AARP released Wednesday reveals how a graying America is worrying more and more about how to make ends meet, even as economists and policymakers say the U.S. economy has all but achieved a soft landing after a period of record high inflation. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

More than 1 in 4 US adults over age 50 say they expect to never retire, an AARP study finds

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More than one-quarter of U.S. adults over age 50 say they expect to never retire and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income. That according to findings in an AARP survey that … more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN | 4/24/24

This image provided by Mud Australia shows dining plates. Mud Australia has matte-finish ceramic pieces in soft hues like pistachio, duck egg, mist, and blossom, that would make a dreamy set to dine on. Many chefs are using creative dishware designed with irregular shapes and unusual colors to help create a mood. (Becca Crawford/Mud Australia via AP).

The plate as palette: Set the table and the mood with the latest in creative dishware

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The way a meal looks has been important to the dining experience since forever. But perhaps never more than now, when chefs know that images of dishes can be shared online as well. And there's a … more

By KIM COOK | 4/24/24

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

The summer after Barbenheimer and the strikes, Hollywood charts a new course

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Expectations are tempered for the financial prospects of summer of 2024 at the movies. There are fewer superheroes than normal in a landscape that was vastly altered by the production shutdowns … more

By LINDSEY BAHR | 4/24/24

File - Arthur Mensch, cofounder and CEO of Mistral AI, attends the UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit in Bletchley, England on Nov. 2, 2023. The Competition and Markets Authority said it's looking into Microsoft's partnership with France's Mistral AI and the company's hiring of key staff from another startup, Inflection AI. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Microsoft and Amazon face scrutiny from UK competition watchdog over recent AI deals

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British competition regulators say they’ll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry. The … more

By KELVIN CHAN | 4/24/24

FILE - A Norfolk Southern freight train runs through a crossing on Sept. 14, 2022, in Homestead, Pa. Norfolk Southern reports earnings on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Norfolk Southern's earnings offer railroad chance to defend its strategy ahead of board vote

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Norfolk Southern's first-quarter earnings report Wednesday gave the railroad the opportunity to publicly defend CEO Alan Shaw's strategy again before investors decide on May 9 whether to back him. … more

By JOSH FUNK | 4/24/24

FILE - Boeing 737 Max airplanes, including one belonging to TUI Group, left, sit parked at a storage lot, Monday, April 26, 2021, near Boeing Field in Seattle. Boeing reports earnings on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Boeing posts a $355 million loss as the plane maker tries to dig out from under its latest crisis

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Boeing is reporting a $355 million loss for the first quarter. But the CEO said the results announced Wednesday aren't the most important thing right now for Boeing. That's fixing its manufacturing … more

By DAVID KOENIG | 4/24/24

Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cisco Systems joins Microsoft, IBM in Vatican pledge to ensure ethical use and development of AI

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Tech giant Cisco Systems has joined Microsoft and IBM in signing onto a Vatican-sponsored pledge to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used ethically. The Cisco Systems chief executive … more

4/24/24

This photo provided by Edmunds shows a 2017 Tesla Model 3 fitted with an aftermarket vinyl wrap. Wrapping your vehicle gives it a fresh and distinctive look. (Courtesy of Edmunds via AP)

Edmunds: What you need to know about wrapping your car

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If you’ve ever spotted cars with chameleon, chrome-like finishes, patterns such as stripes and camouflage, or just an off-beat pink or lime green, you’ve likely seen a vinyl wrap. Wraps are a … more

By DAN FRIO | 4/24/24

FILE- Activists of Jammu and Kashmir Dogra Front shout slogans against Chinese President Xi Jinping next to a banner showing the logos of TikTok and other Chinese apps banned in India during a protest in Jammu, India, July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here's what happened when India did it

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The hugely popular Chinese app TikTok may be forced out of the U.S., where a measure to outlaw the video-sharing app has won congressional approval and is on its way to President Biden for his … more

By KRUTIKA PATHI | 4/24/24

Workers stand near a sign marking Volkswagen's 40 years (in China) in Beijing, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Foreign automakers have been caught flat-footed in China by an electric vehicle boom that has shaken up the market over the last three years. That has left manufacturers like Volkswagen scrambling to develop new models for a very different market than at home. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Volkswagen revamps its approach in China in bid to overtake upstart EV makers

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Foreign automakers have been caught flat-footed in China by an electric vehicle boom that has shaken up the market over the last three years. That has left manufacturers like Volkswagen scrambling to … more

By KEN MORITSUGU | 4/24/24

This image provided by Mattel in April 2024 shows the company's Kristi Yamaguchi Barbie doll. Yamaguchi became the first Asian American to win an individual gold medal for figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics. (Mattel via AP)

Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is 'tickled pink' to inspire a Barbie doll

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Like many little girls, a young Kristi Yamaguchi loved playing with Barbie. So, it’s surreal for the decorated Olympian figure skater to now be a Barbie girl herself. Mattel announced Wednesday … more

By TERRY TANG | 4/24/24