Oil dragged into U.S.-China trade war, prices slump

NEW YORK (Reuters) – China on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on U.S. crude oil imports for the first time, sending prices down nearly 4% to two-week lows as the escalating bilateral trade war fed worries over a slowdown in global oil demand. Pumpjacks are seen during sunset at the Daqing oil field in Heilongjiang […]

Trump orders U.S. firms out of China after Beijing sets new tariffs

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he has ordered American companies to exit China after Beijing unveiled retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion in U.S. goods, throwing a new twist into the bitter trade war between the world’s two largest economies. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the AMVETS (American […]

For some, currency wars may not be fun or easy to win

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – It’s a maxim for private investors: Don’t fight the Fed. FILE PHOTO: A woman walks near a board showing the Brazilian Real-U.S. dollar and several other foreign currencies exchange rates in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 4, 2019. Picture taken April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares The lesson may apply to […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce rejects Trump call on business with China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce rebuffed President Donald Trump’s call Friday that U.S. businesses begin immediately looking for alternatives for operations in China after China said it was imposing new retaliatory tariffs. “While we share the president’s frustration, we believe that continued, constructive engagement is the right way forward,” said Myron Brilliant, […]

Powell stops short of committing to rate cuts, and Trump fumes

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve will “act as appropriate” to keep the U.S. economy healthy, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Friday, remarks that did not say how fast it might cut interest rates, drawing fire from President Donald Trump. U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and Governor of the Bank of England […]

For world's central banks, a call to hang together

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – Over the decades since World War Two the growth rates, inflation rates, interest rates and business cycles of the world’s major economies grew closer together. FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis In hindsight and in that context, […]

Policy rule could help shield Fed from Trump pressure: economist

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve ought to adopt a monetary policy rule to guide its interest-rate-setting decisions in part as a bulwark against a near daily barrage of presidential criticism, a widely respected economist told Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other central bankers on Friday. FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Board building on […]

Trump presses U.S. companies to close China operations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Friday he was ordering U.S. companies to look at ways to close their operations in China and make more of their products in the United States instead, a rhetorical strike at Beijing as trade tensions mounted. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in front of a […]

China strikes back at U.S. with new tariffs on $75 billion in goods

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Friday it will impose retaliatory tariffs against about $75 billion worth of U.S. goods, putting as much as an extra 10% on top of existing rates in the dispute between the world’s top two economies. The latest salvo from China comes after the United States unveiled tariffs on an […]

Life-Changing Drugs Almost Nobody Can Afford

Episode 11: ‘The Six Million Dollar Claim’ Producer/Director Suzanne Hillinger Patients suffering from rare diseases who had little hope for a treatment now have access to life-changing medicines, thanks to pharmaceutical companies’ investment in so-called orphan drugs, which treat diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people. But the increasing number of people who would benefit […]

Business Proposal Tips for Winning New Clients

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash Chances are, you spent a great deal of time preparing your business proposal. However, the thought of presenting it makes you feel desperate, because you know you really need to win this client over. But prospective clients can easily sense desperation, and that is the quickest way to lose them. This article […]

Powell Highlights Fed’s Limits. Trump Labels Him an ‘Enemy’

Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, kept future interest rate cuts squarely on the table on Friday but suggested that the central bank was limited in its ability to counteract President Trump’s trade policies, which are stoking uncertainty and posing risks to the economic outlook. Mr. Powell’s remarks drew a swift and angry reaction […]

Top U.S. publishers sue Amazon's Audible for copyright infringement

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves, France, January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) Audible was sued by some of the top U.S. publishers for copyright infringement on Friday, aiming to block a planned rollout of a feature called ‘Audible Captions’ that shows […]

Can Roger Federer Break a Sweat?

ImageRoger Federer at the Uniqlo flagship in New York City. Derek Blasberg, right, was on hand to moderate an audience Q. and A. CreditCraig Barritt/Getty Images for Uniqlo Can being relatable be considered a superpower? It was steamy dog day afternoon at the Uniqlo flagship on Fifth Avenue. At the center of the mezzanine sales floor […]

Powell's speech support U.S. rate-cut bets

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. interest rates futures rose on Friday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank will do what it can to preserve the longest U.S. economic expansion on record, supporting bets on a further decline in key borrowing costs. FILE PHOTO: A screen shows the numbers after the closing […]

Rising trade tensions revive bets on deep U.S. rate cut

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. interest rates futures rallied on Friday as rising trade tensions between China and the United States revived bets the Federal Reserve may lower key borrowing costs by a bold half-point next month. Earlier Friday, Beijing said it will impose a retaliatory tariffs on about $75 billion worth of U.S. goods […]

China Vows Tariff Retaliation. Trump Fires Back. Stocks Tumble.

Stocks fell on Friday, after a new round of tariff threats between Beijing and President Trump pushed the market toward another weekly loss. Before the start of trading on Wall Street, China said it would answer the next round of American tariffs on Chinese goods by increasing tariffs on American imports. Around 11 a.m., Mr. […]

Snapchat’s Disappearing Act Leaves Venice Beach Searching for Its Future

LOS ANGELES — For a lot of Venice die-hards, the thing that irked them most about Snapchat was the security guards. When the company behind the disappearing-messages app took over multiple properties on the beach as it expanded, starting in 2012, it also posted guards who would shoo away anyone who wasn’t an employee and […]

Russ Conway, 70, Dies; His Reporting Led to a Hockey Boss’s Downfall

Russ Conway, whose exposés in a Massachusetts newspaper uncovered corruption by the leader of the National Hockey League’s players’ union, and led to his convictions for fraud, died on Tuesday at his home in Haverhill, Mass. He was 70. His lawyer, Peter Caruso, confirmed the death. He said Mr. Conway had received a diagnosis of […]

As Hong Kong Firms Fall in Line Over Protests, Some Workers Push Back

HONG KONG — As big companies in Hong Kong squirm under pressure to denounce the continuing antigovernment protests in the territory or risk angering China, some of their employees are speaking out, raising the prospect of escalating labor tensions in the Asian financial capital. On Friday, more than 1,000 people joined a march for accountants […]

How Uber Got Lost

This article is adapted from the book “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” by Mike Isaac, a reporter for The New York Times. The book will be published by W.W. Norton & Co. on Sept. 3. “From the beginning,” the blog post began, “we’ve always been committed to connecting you with the safest rides on […]

12 Instagram Accounts That Reveal Life as a Times Journalist

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. To get into the minds and notebooks of Times journalists, look no further than Instagram. The app allows many reporters, editors and photographers based in New York and around the world to show how their […]

Billionaire industrialist David Koch dies aged 79

Prominent funder of climate sceptic and anti-regulation lobby groups died from advanced prostate cancer David Koch, the billionaire industrialist who alongside brother Charles waged a sustained war on government regulation and climate action, has died aged 79. The American’s death was confirmed today in a statement from Charles, the CEO and chairman of Koch Industries, […]

Shell closes in on takeover deal for Australian energy supplier ERM Power

Oil giant makes first foray into Australia’s competitive power market as it continues drive into consumer energy supply, renewables, and clean technologies Shell is closing in on its first foray into Australia’s competitive electricity sector with a (AUS) $617m takeover bid for ERM Power Ltd, as the oil and gas giant continues its drive into […]

U.S. rates futures gain on China's tariff, Fed's Bullard

FILE PHOTO: Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. interest rates futures rose on Friday, erasing their earlier losses after China announced retaliatory tariffs on about $75 billion of U.S. imports, rekindling bets the trade war between the world’s biggest […]

As bond e-trading takes off, debt sales business may be ripe for automation

LONDON (Reuters) – With banks’ bond trading desks increasingly going electronic, another of the last bastions of old-school banking – the business of helping companies and countries raise capital – may be about to succumb to the tide of technology. FILE PHOTO: People walk through the Canary Wharf financial district of London, Britain, December 7, […]

IKEA, Unilever, and BNP Paribas join business drive against inequality

Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) coalition will launch at the G7 summit this weekend, warning inequalities around the world are economically-damaging More than 30 global companies boasting combined revenues in excess of $1tr have thrown their weight behind a drive to tackle inequality, support inclusive economic growth, and promote workplace diversity as part of a […]

Global briefing: Museum of fossil fuels opens in Sweden

BusinessGreen Leaders Summit 2019 The BusinessGreen Leaders’ Summit will bring together some of the UK’s top green executives, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, campaigners, and politicians to explore how the pace, reach, and adoption of green business innovation can be accelerated, and the barriers to adoption overcome. Date: 23 Oct 2019 The Crystal One Siemens Brothers Way […]

Hiring Is Very Hard for Restaurants These Days. Now They May Have to Fire.

Facing one of the most severe labor shortages in decades, restaurants across the country are trying virtually everything to recruit cooks and dishwashers, from offering quarterly bonuses to providing training programs for ex-convicts. Now, the specter of increased immigration enforcement is putting many of those restaurants in a more fraught situation: let go of trusted […]

Macron tells G7: Amazon rainforest fires are an 'international crisis'

Macron said the Amazon rainforest fires were an ’emergency’ | Credit: Pablo Tupin-Noriega/Wikimedia France Fires currently ravaging the Brazilian rainforest should be top of the agenda at this weekend’s G7 Summit, says French President, as debate over future trade deals intensifies Devastating fires currently ravaging parts of the Amazon rainforest are an “international crisis” that […]

Why IKEA and others are going 'climate positive'

A growing number of companies are claiming that their products lead to negative greenhouse gas emissions Let’s test your sustainability knowledge. What do the following businesses have in common: Max Burger, a major Swedish fast-food outlet; Mevo, a New Zealand car-share company; Briggs Automotive Company,…

Coca-Cola experiments with BYOB (aka bring your own bottle)

After a successful pilot on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in 2017, DASANI PureFill stations can be found at Ohio State University and the University of Central Florida / Credit: Coca-Cola Alongside innovations in recycled content and renewable plastic, the company’s Dasani brand is expanding pilots of its water dispenser line, PureFill One of […]

Levi's eyes cost savings from global factory water reduction targets

Designer jeans brand unveils new strategy to combat water scarcity across its global supply chain Levi Strauss & Co. has unveiled a new plan to cut water use across its business and supply chain, promising to set more stringent targets for its factories and suppliers operating in water-stressed regions of the world, while exploring less […]

How to win big, when the economic forecast looks bleak

When people are afraid, it’s often said that they’re scared stiff. That’s because fear has the power to stop us in our tracks. And with good reason. When people lived in caves and the roar of a huge predator scared them into hunkering down, until the threat had passed, it was a life saving strategy […]

Will a ‘Fashion Pact’ Make Fashion Greener?

PARIS — On Friday, François-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of Kering, plans to unveil details of a Fashion Pact that he is to present to world leaders at the Group of 7 summit this weekend. The agreement outlines group commitments focused on climate, biodiversity and oceans. It defines itself as “a set of guidelines” and […]

Seeking clarity from Fed's Powell? Good luck with that

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – When Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday, traders will comb through his remarks for clues on whether the U.S. central bank will deliver more rate cuts this year. FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holds a news conference following the Federal Reserve’s two-day […]

Workers at Big Government Lab Sue Over Exposure to a Toxic Chemical

UPTON, N.Y. — As a technician at Brookhaven National Laboratory, one of the nation’s most prestigious science labs, Joseph Marino’s job in the late 1990s and early 2000s was to clean and maintain the supercomputers that have helped researchers unlock some of the world’s biggest scientific and medical mysteries. He polished copper connectors, he said, […]

Walmart, Tesla look to address issues surrounding solar systems

FILE PHOTO: Walmart signs are displayed inside a Walmart store in Mexico City, Mexico, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo (Reuters) – Walmart Inc (WMT.N) and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) are looking to address all issues surrounding the solar installations at Walmart stores, the companies said late on Thursday, two days after the retailer sued the […]

Asian stocks struggle ahead of Powell's speech; yuan at fresh 11-1/2 year low

TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares struggled to make headway on Friday as uncertainty over how much further the U.S. Federal Reserve would cut interest rates added to investors’ worries over slowing global growth. A passerby walks past in front of a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, May 10, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato […]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Join Fox News as a Contributor

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary, will join Fox News as a contributor next month, reinforcing the strong ties between the conservative cable network and the Trump administration. Ms. Sanders, who left the administration less than two months ago, will make her debut on Sept. 6 on “Fox & Friends,” the network […]

Christopher Kimball and America’s Test Kitchen Settle Lawsuit

The long legal battle between America’s Test Kitchen and Christopher Kimball, the company’s founder who left and started a similar cooking and media enterprise called Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, is over. Both sides have resolved their differences, which came to a head in October 2016 when America’s Test Kitchen sued Mr. Kimball and three of […]

Relocating Your Business? Things to Consider

There can be multiple reasons for relocating your business. For instance, you could be expanding your business. Or you might be facing a hike in rent or increased labor costs. Perhaps you need greater availability of raw materials to keep your business going. You might even have personal reasons for relocating your business. All the […]

To Promote Inclusivity, Stay Away from Personality Assessments

My first experience taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (M.B.T.I.) was at a job where it was mandatory. The company’s chief executive announced that all employees would take the test as part of a quarterly staff retreat. The assessment concluded that I was an I.N.T.J. (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judgment.) At the retreat, we were all encouraged […]

VMware Announces 2 Deals to Bulk Up Its Cloud Offerings

VMware said on Thursday that it had bought two companies offering cloud security and cloud developer services in separate deals valued together at about $5 billion, as it looks to expand the range of products and services it offers to its corporate clients. VMware bought Pivotal Software in a $2.7 billion deal. Dell Technologies is […]

Jeffrey Epstein Donations to M.I.T. Will Be Focus of University Inquiry

A week after Joichi Ito, the director of the M.I.T. Media Lab, apologized for his ties to the disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein, the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced that the university would investigate its dealings with Mr. Epstein. In an email sent Thursday evening to the M.I.T. community that was […]