U.S.

GM CEO Meets with Senators on Self-Driving Cars

General Motors CEO Mary Barra met with two key senators on Thursday as the Detroit automaker pushes for legislation to speed deployment of self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads. Barra met with Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell and Senator Gary Peters, a fellow Democrat and a Commerce Committee member, the company confirmed. Congress has been […]

Grubhub, Uber Eats, Postmates Cannot Arbitrate Diners’ Claims Over High Prices

A federal judge in Manhattan on Thursday said Grubhub, Uber Eats and Postmates cannot force diners who have used their platforms into binding arbitration over claims they conspired to drive up prices for restaurant meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit accused the meal delivery companies of entering illegal agreements that prevented restaurants using their […]

U.S. Labor Market Remains Tight; Housing Market Stabilizing

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to continued labor market strength, though financial markets turmoil is casting a shadow over the economy. Other data on Thursday also struck a fairly upbeat note on the economy, with homebuilding surging in February, potentially setting the stage […]

Lenovo Must Pay $138.7 Million for InterDigital Patents - London Court

China’s Lenovo Group Ltd must pay U.S. technology firm InterDigital Inc $138.7 million for a licence for its portfolio of telecommunications patents, London’s High Court ruled on Thursday in the latest round of a long-running dispute. InterDigital brought the lawsuit against Lenovo in 2019 over the terms on which Lenovo should take a licence of […]

EU Announces Plans to Lead Green Industrial Revolution

The European Commission presented the centrepieces of a strategy on Thursday to ensure its industry can compete with the United States and China in making clean tech products and accessing raw materials required for the green transition. The EU executive’s Net-Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act, part of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, […]

Buoyant Zara Owner Inditex Invests in Tech and U.S. Expansion

Zara owner Inditex’s spring-summer 2023 collection has flown off the shelves over the past six weeks, the fast-fashion retailer said on Wednesday, in a sign that sales are keeping pace after a strong 2022. Inditex has extended its lead over Swedish rival H&M, in part thanks to a less price-sensitive customer base. As the cost […]

Putin Urges Business Leaders to Build New Russian Economy

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on Russia’s billionaires and business elite to invest in new technology, production facilities and enterprises to help Russia overcome what he said were Western attempts to destroy its economy. Putin said Russia had so far defied those Western attempts, and that Western firms that had decided to stay in […]

ABB Invests in US Robot Factory as Reshoring Trend Hots up

ABB is expanding its main US robot factory as its customers there in the automotive, packaging and machinery industries confront a tight labour market as they bring production back home. The Swiss engineering company, which competes with Japan’s FANUC and Germany’s Kuka, is spending $20 million boosting capacity at its Auburn Hills site in Michigan […]

U.S. Copyright Office Says Some AI-assisted Works May Be Copyrighted

The U.S. Copyright Office issued new guidance on Wednesday to clarify when artistic works created with the help of artificial intelligence are copyright eligible. Building on a decision it issued last month rejecting copyrights for images created by the generative AI system Midjourney, the office said copyright protection depends on whether AI’s contributions are “the […]

Analysis - For Goldman Sachs, SVB's Botched Stock Sale Had a Silver Lining

As SVB Financial Group wrestled with a capital shortfall and the prospect of a downgrade to its credit rating last week, it went to Goldman Sachs Group Inc and worked out an unusual two-part plan, according to people familiar with the discussions. The investment bank would buy a $21.5 billion bond portfolio from SVB to […]