National Business - The Morning Sun

Anna Branch poses for a portrait Friday, March 29, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Branch has been paying to access her wages before payday, using apps like EarnIn, Empower, and Dave. Consumer advocates and lawmakers say the cash advances, which call themselves "Earned Wage Access," have costs comparable to payday loans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

These apps allow workers to get paid between paychecks. Experts say there are steep costs

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More people are using so-called Earned Wage Access apps to get money to pay bills and buy groceries in between paydays. The typical user earns less than $50,000 a year, according to the Government … more

By CORA LEWIS | 4/23/24

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers debris removal vessel The Reynolds works near the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Baltimore. The FBI confirmed that agents were aboard the Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Baltimore port to open deeper channel, enabling some ships to pass after bridge collapse

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Officials in Baltimore plan to open a deeper channel for commercial ships to access the city’s port starting on Thursday. It marks a significant step toward reopening the major maritime shipping … more

By LEA SKENE | 4/23/24

Engineers and workers stand inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

As airplane makers struggle to meet demand, Morocco wants to become a manufacturing hub

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Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aviation hub, luring investors aiming to spread out their supply chains to more nations with available and affordable workers. The North … more

By SAM METZ | 4/23/24

A person rides past the Google sign outside the Google offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Google has fired 28 employees who were involved in protests over the tech company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers held sit-ins at the company’s offices in California and New York over Google’s $1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israeli’s military. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Google fires more workers who protested its deal with Israel

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An activist group says Google fired at least 20 more workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war. It said that brings the … more

By KELVIN CHAN and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS | 4/23/24

General Motors reports strong first-quarter profits as prices help offset small US sales dip

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Despite a small dip in U.S. vehicle sales, General Motors’ first-quarter net income rose more than 25% on strong deliveries of pickup trucks and other higher-profit vehicles. The Detroit automaker … more

By TOM KRISHER | 4/23/24

FILE - Boxes of Pepsi are displayed in a grocery store, Ill., Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. PepsiCo reports earnings on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pepsi beats Q1 revenue forecasts as price increases moderate

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PepsiCo reported better-than-expected revenue in the first quarter on strong international demand for its snacks and beverages. The Purchase, New York-based company said revenue rose 2% to $18.3 … more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN | 4/23/24

FILE - Starbucks employees and supporters link arms during a union election watch party Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case filed by Starbucks against the National Labor Relations Board. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex, File)

Starbucks takes on the federal labor agency before the US Supreme Court

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The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case filed by Starbucks against the National Labor Relations Board. The case stems from Starbucks' firing of seven workers who were trying to … more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN | 4/23/24

Nicole Slemp, a new mother of seven-month-old William, lifts up her son in their home, Thursday, March 14, 2024 in Auburn, Wash.. Slemp recently quit her job because she and her husband couldn't find child care they could afford. Expensive, scarce child care is putting Puget Sound parents out of work. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times via AP)

America’s child care crisis is holding back moms without college degrees

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The high costs and limited availability of quality child care are holding back American moms without college degrees. Women’s participation in the workforce has recovered from the pandemic, … more

By MORIAH BALINGIT and SHARON LURYE of The Associated Press and DANIEL BEEKMAN of The Seattle Times | 4/23/24

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition, March 9, 2020, in Washington. Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Elon Musk accuses Australia of censorship after court bans violent video

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Tech billionaire Elon Musk has accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being … more

By ROD McGUIRK | 4/23/24

FILE - This photo provided by the Center for Biological Diversity shows a Tiehm's buckwheat plant near the site of a proposed lithium mine in Nevada, May 22, 2020. The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what's next in line to become only the third U.S. lithium mine, as conservationists fear it will lead to the extinction of the endangered Nevada wildflower near the California line. (Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity via AP, File)

US advances review of Nevada lithium mine amid concerns over endangered wildflower

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The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what could become the third lithium mine in the U.S. That's assuming it can withstand anticipated legal … more

By SCOTT SONNER | 4/23/24

Former president Donald Trump speaks to the media after the first day of opening arguments in his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court for falsifying documents related to hush money payments, in New York, NY, on Monday, April 22, 2024. The former President is expected to spend the next 6 or so weeks in attendance at his trial for falsification of business records, to cover up payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who allegedly had an encounter with the President before he was in office. Photographer: Victor J. Blue for The Washington Post/ Pool

Trump called this visa 'very bad' for Americans. Truth Social applied for one

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The social media company founded by former President Donald Trump applied for a business visa program that he sought to restrict. Many of his allies want him to curtail the H1-B program in a … more

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON | 4/23/24

FILE - A hostess walks by the national flags of the United States and China ahead of the bilateral meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, at the Guangdong Zhudao Guest House in southern China's Guangdong province, April 6, 2024. Simmering tensions between Beijing and Washington remain the top worry for U.S. companies operating in China, according to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in China released Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool, File)

Tensions between Beijing and Washington are the biggest worry for US companies in China, report says

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A report by the American Chamber of Commerce in China says that simmering tensions between Beijing and Washington remain the top worry for U.S. companies operating in China. The survey of American … more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH | 4/22/24

FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. The Federal Trade Commission sued to block Tapestry, Inc.’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings Ltd., saying that the deal would eliminate direct head-to-head competition between the fashion companies' brands like Coach and Michael Kors in the so-called affordable luxury handbag arena. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Federal Trade Commission sues to block Tapestry's $8.5B acquisition of Capri

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The Federal Trade Commission sued to block Tapestry, Inc.’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings Ltd., saying that the deal would eliminate direct head-to-head competition between the fashion … more

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO | 4/22/24

Donald Trump stands as the jury files into the courtroom at the start of the trial in Manhattan criminal court Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Without cameras to go live, the Trump trial is proving the potency of live blogs as news tools

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With cameras not allowed at former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York, live news blogs are coming into their own as an important news tool. During opening statements on Monday, CNN … more

By DAVID BAUDER | 4/22/24

Employees of the company tasked with rapidly personalizing jerseys for each first-round pick as they are announced don’t need to travel very far for this year’s NFL Draft in Detroit (AP video: Mike Householder)

For years, a Michigan company has been the top pick to quickly personalize draftees' new NFL jerseys

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Employees of the company tasked with rapidly personalizing jerseys for each first-round NFL draft pick as they are announced don’t need to travel very far for this year’s player selections in … more

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER | 4/22/24

Volkswagen automobile plant employee Stephanie Romack celebrates after employees voted to join the UAW union Friday, April 19, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee's GOP governor says Volkswagen plant workers made a mistake in union vote

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Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee says he thinks workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga made a mistake by voting to unionize under the United Auto Workers in a landslide election. Before the … more

By JONATHAN MATTISE | 4/22/24

Celebrity handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez hides under an umbrella as she walks with her lawyer Andrea Lopez outside the federal courthouse Monday, April 22, 2024, in Miami. The Colombian designer, whose bags were purchased by celebrities like Britney Spears and the cast of the "Sex and the City" TV series, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Monday for leading a smuggling ring that illegally imported into the U.S. crocodile handbags for sale at high end showrooms using couriers on commercial flights. (AP Photo/Josh Goodman)

Celebrity handbag designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags

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A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the “Sex and the City” TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after … more

By JOSHUA GOODMAN | 4/22/24

FILE - A storefront of Express, Inc. a fashion apparel retailer, shown Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Paradise Valley, Ariz. Express Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as the fashion retailer looks to sell the majority of its stores. Columbus, Ohio-based Express, which is also the parent of Bonbons and Upwest brands, is shuttering a handful of its operations in the process. In an announcement Monday, April 22, 2024, the company said it planned to close 95 of its Express stores and all UpWest stores. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Express files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, announces store closures, possible sale

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Express Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the fashion retailer is seeking to sell the majority of its stores. Columbus, Ohio-based Express is also the parent of Bonbons and … more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and ANNE D'INNOCENZIO | 4/22/24

FILE - A Delta Air Lines plane leaves the gate on July 12, 2021, at Logan International Airport in Boston. Delta is raising pay for flight attendants and other nonunion workers by 5%. And the airline is boosting starting pay for all its U.S. jobs to at least $19 an hour. Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced the pay raises in a memo Monday, April 22, 2024 to employees. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Delta Air Lines, facing another union attempt to organize flight attendants, is raising their pay

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Delta Air Lines is raising pay for flight attendants and other nonunion workers by 5%. And the airline is boosting starting pay for all its U.S. jobs to at least $19 an hour. Delta CEO Ed Bastian … more

By DAVID KOENIG | 4/22/24

The EU ratchets up pressure on TikTok's new rewards app over risks to kids, warns of suspension

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The European Union is demanding TikTok provide more information about a new app that pays users to watch videos and warned that it could order the video sharing platform to suspend addictive features … more

By KELVIN CHAN | 4/22/24