Business

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

For millions of American workers, the government took two actions this week that could bestow potentially far-reaching benefits.

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

FILE - A worker walks past neon signs for Ford at the Auto Shanghai 2023 show in Shanghai, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Ford reports their earnings on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

Ford’s 1Q net income falls 24% as combustion engine unit sees sales and revenue decline

FILE - Wreckage lies at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight of a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. Boeing said Wednesday, April 24, 2024, that it lost $355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work. (AP Photo, File)

Boeing’s financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge US to prosecute the company

People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Asian benchmarks mostly slide as investors focus on earnings

Financial Markets

People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Asian benchmarks mostly slide as investors focus on earnings

Personal Finance

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

Economy

FILE - Articulated robots move inside the Hanwha Qcells Solar plant, Oct. 16, 2023, in Dalton, Ga. On Thursday, April 25, 2024, the U.S. government issues the first of three estimates of economic growth in the first quarter. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

US growth likely slowed last quarter but still pointed to a solid economy

Tech

TikTok has promised to sue over the potential US ban. What’s the legal outlook?

More news

This ‘supereasy ramen’ recipe shows how easy it is to make the Japanese noodle dish at home

Ramen noodles are so popular that they’ve become one reason to visit Japan. But ramen can easily be cooked up at home too, especially if you can get the ingredients at a neighborhood Asian grocery store.

More than just a bowl of noodles, ramen in Japan is an experience and a tourist attraction

Spicy, steaming, slurpy, ramen might be everyone’s favorite Japanese food. In Tokyo, there are lines around the block, and the ramen is often cooked right before your eyes behind dingy counters.

South Carolina Senate approves $15.4B budget after debate on bathrooms and conference switching

The South Carolina Senate has approved its budget. The final vote came Wednesday after approving items like requiring school children use the bathrooms of their sex assigned at birth and whether universities can spend state money to move to another athletic conference.

Instagram fraudster ‘Jay Mazini’ has been sentenced for his crypto scheme that preyed on Muslims

The former Instagram influencer known as “Jay Mazini” has been sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting he stole millions of dollars in various investment scams.

New California rule aims to limit health care cost increases to 3% annually

A new rule in California aims to limit health care price increases to just 3% each year. The Health Care Affordability Board approved the rule on Wednesday.

Connecticut House votes to expand state’s paid sick leave requirement for all employers by 2027

Connecticut’s first-in-the-nation paid sick leave law from 2011 is moving closer toward being updaeted.

More cows are being tested and tracked for bird flu. Here’s what that means

U.S. health and agriculture officials are ramping up testing and tracking of bird flu in dairy cows in an urgent effort to understand and stop the growing outbreak.

Missouri House backs legal shield for weedkiller maker facing thousands of cancer-related lawsuits

The Missouri House has passed legislation that could protect chemical manufacturer Bayer from some lawsuits alleging a popular weedkiller causes cancer.

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

Southwest Airlines flight attendants have ratified a new contract that will boost their pay by about one-third over four years.

Kansas’ governor vetoed tax cuts again over their costs. Some fellow Democrats backed it

The Democratic governor in Kansas has vetoed a broad package of tax cuts for the second time in three months. Gov.

How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 4/24/2024

U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish. The S&P 500 closed little changed Wednesday after a two-day winning streak erased nearly two-thirds of last week’s steep loss.

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

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 benefit of Kyiv.

Billionaire Texas oilman inks deal with Venezuela’s state-run oil giant as US sanctions loom

A company started by a Texas billionaire oilman has announced a deal with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company to rehabilitate five aging oil fields.

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for June delivery fell 55 cents to $82.81 per barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for June delivery fell 40 cents to $88.02 per barrel.

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

Oracle Corp. Chairman 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 care industry.

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

The North America’s Building Trades Unions has endorsed President Joe Biden. It adds to Biden’s roster of support from organized labor.

With lawsuits in rearview mirror, Disney World government gets back to being boring

For the first time in more than a year, the monthly board meeting of Walt Disney World’s governing district was back to being what many municipal government forums often are — boring.

Dairy cattle must be tested for bird flu before moving between states, agriculture officials say

U.S. agriculture officials say dairy cattle moving between states must be tested for the bird flu virus in an effort to track and control the growing outbreak.

Texas Instruments, Mattel rise; General Dynamics, Teledyne fall, Wednesday, 4/24/2024

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Wednesday: Texas Instruments, Mattel rise; General Dynamics, Teledyne fall.

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

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.