Sen. Warren calls for greater transparency into Federal Reserve nominee's financial holdings
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, is likely to face tough questions about his vast financial holdings at a hearing next week by the Senate Banking Committee. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the panel, said she had met with Warsh Thursday and urged him to disclose more information about his assets than was included in financial disclosure forms released earlier this week. Warsh, a former top official at the Fed and a wealthy investor, listed financial assets worth well more than $100 million. It’s the latest hurdle for Warsh, who is already facing an unusually turbulent path toward the Fed chair position.
Could more cattle cause record beef prices to drop? Ranchers say it's not that simple
MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger, but cutting those costs requires ranchers to raise more cattle, and that’s not an easy ask. For a host of reasons, ranchers are reluctant to grow the national herd, which is now its smallest in more than 75 years. Until they do so, demand will outweigh supply and prices for beef likely will remain high. Adding cattle makes sense for some people, but North Dakota rancher Stephanie Hatzenbuhler says others are struggling to stay afloat with the cattle they have. The average price of all U.S. uncooked ground beef is up 48% from March 2021.
Senate Republicans send Trump resolution to lift mining ban near Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Congressional Republicans are sending President Donald Trump a resolution for his signature that would lift a federal ban on mining near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Senate passed the resolution Thursday. The House approved it on Jan. 21. The push to end the ban comes as a Chilean mining company is looking to open a copper mine in the Superior National Forest on the edge of the wilderness area. Conservationists insist mining would contaminate the pristine watershed. President Joe Biden's administration blocked the project in 2023 by imposing a 20-year moratorium on mining across 400 square miles (103,600 hectares) in the forest.
Canada Post taking steps to stop home mail delivery
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The government-owned corporation that delivers mail in Canada is taking steps to stop home delivery. Canada Post is initiating talks with 13 communities to begin converting about 136,000 addresses from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes. It is the first step in a move that will end home delivery for about 4 million addresses over the next five years. A Canada Post spokesman said eliminating home delivery would save Canada Post about $290 million a year and that it would not require layoffs. Unionized postal workers will begin voting Monday on whether to ratify new contract agreements with the national mail carrier. They have been without a new contract since 2023.
ChatGPT maker OpenAI shifts its focus to business users amid Anthropic pressure
OpenAI executives say they will introduce a new artificial intelligence model for “high-value professional work” as the company faces heightened competition with rival Anthropic in attracting corporate customers to adopt AI assistants in their workplaces. OpenAI boasts of more than 900 million weekly users of its core ChatGPT product, but Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar said about 95% of them “don’t pay anything” for the popular chatbot. While all those interactions build habits and reliance, they also strain the costly computing resources needed to power the company’s AI systems and highlight the need for big business customers to help pay the bills.
Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Air New Zealand will soon add triple-tier bunk beds for economy travelers to have a chance to sleep on long-haul flights. The airline plans to open bookings for the four-hour, lie-flat beds on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners starting in November. The pods will be on the Auckland to New York route, one of the world's longest commercial flights. Travelers can book a curtained pod for an additional fee, but must follow etiquette rules. The airline assures cleanliness and provides earplugs for potential snoring. Passengers are forbidden from eating snacks or smuggling other passengers into the pods.
AP Exclusive: Europe has 'maybe 6 weeks of jet fuel left,' energy agency head warns
PARIS (AP) — The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that Europe has about six weeks of jet fuel left. In an interview Thursday, Fatih Birol told The Associated Press of his concerns about possible flight cancellations if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. He described the situation as the largest energy crisis ever, with potential significant global repercussions. The Strait of Hormuz closure affects oil, gas and other vital supplies. Birol predicts higher gasoline, natural gas and electricity prices worldwide. Japan, Korea and India are among Asia countries on the front line, with Europe and the Americas affected next.
US jobless claims fall last week as layoffs remain low despite global economic uncertainty
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining in the range of the past few years even as the war in Iran continues to threaten the global economy. The number of Americans applying for jobless aid for the week ending April 11 fell by 11,000 to 207,000 from the previous week’s 218,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s less than the 217,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting but within the range of the past several years. Filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
Jet fuel supplies are lagging. What does that mean for airlines and travelers?
NEW YORK (AP) — A looming jet fuel shortage in Europe and Asia sparked by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further upend world travel within weeks if oil doesn’t start flowing soon. That means higher airfares and flight cancellations. International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol says Europe has maybe six weeks of remaining jet fuel supplies. In general, some European countries hold several months’ worth of jet fuel inventory at a time. That's according to a report this week from the IEA. Airlines have reacted with caution, acknowledging fuel issues but working to reassure customers. Still, some carriers have already passed costs on to consumers by increasing fees for baggage and add-ons, embedding costs into ticket prices, or raising fuel surcharges.
In address on media ethics, former Washington Post editor worries about fading moral compass
NEW YORK (AP) — During a contentious era, one of journalism's leading figures says he's concerned about news outlets that may be losing their moral compass. Former Washington Post editor Marty Baron, during a speech about media ethics this week, singled out breaches by leaders of CBS News, advocacy journalists and also mainstream reporters who failed to aggressively cover former President Joe Biden's fitness for office in the early part of this decade. It's a pressure-filled environment: less than 24 hours after Baron talked at a New York University event, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was criticizing reporters for allegedly rooting against the United States with its questioning of the Iran war.
