U.S. job openings were unchanged at 6.9 million in March but hiring improved
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million in March, another sign the American labor remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy. The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook. On Tuesday, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs rose in March. But hiring improved and more people quit their jobs — a sign of confidence in the economy. Job openings have come down more or less steadily since peaking at a record 12.3 million in March 2022 as the U.S. economy bounded back from COVID-19 lockdowns.
US rights agency sues New York Times for discriminating against white man passed over for promotion
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal civil rights agency filed a discrimination lawsuit Tuesday against the New York Times, claiming that the new organization passed over a white male employee for a promotion in favor of a lesser qualified woman to meet its diversity goals. The New York Times called the lawsuit politically motivated and said it would defend itself “vigorously.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a New York Times editor who lodged a complaint after he didn’t get the role of deputy real estate editor in 2025, alleging gender and racial discrimination.
FDA announces its first OK of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults in major shift under Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators have announced their first authorization of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers. The Tuesday announcement from the Food and Drug Administration is a major shift that comes after months of appeals to the Trump White House from the vaping industry. As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump promised to save the vaping industry. But action on vaping and other tobacco policies has taken a backseat at the FDA. The White House has recently met with e-cigarette manufacturers who have called for the administration to loosen standards on their products. The new e-cigarettes authorized Tuesday come in mango, blueberry and two varieties of menthol.
Roomba pioneer aims to crack the household market again with an AI-powered pet robot
The robotics pioneer who helped unleash the Roomba vacuum is now betting that you might one day replace your beloved dog or cat with a plush robot that follows you around your home and adapts to your daily habits. Colin Angle unveiled a four-legged prototype of that artificial pet, called a Familiar, on Monday. Imagine a creature the size of a bulldog with doe-like eyes and bear cub ears and paws, extending itself into a greeting stretch that invites you to pat its touch-sensitive fake fur. The lifelike machine, powered by the latest artificial intelligence technology, would not have been possible when Angle co-founded iRobot in 1990.
OpenAI president discloses his stake in the company is worth $30B
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and CEO Sam Altman’s top lieutenant, disclosed in court Monday that his stake in the artificial intelligence company is worth nearly $30 billion. Brockman, who also said he did not invest in OpenAI, took the witness stand Monday in the landmark trial that centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.
AI boom drives a rally in buying of tech shares, pushing South Korea's Kospi to a record
TOKYO (AP) — South Korea’s Kospi has soared nearly 7%, topping 7,000 for the first time, as Samsung Electronics' stock jumped nearly 13% in a rally driven by expectations of strong growth in artificial intelligence. Shares in SK Hynix, another major Korean computer chipmaker, shot up 10% early Wednesday. Shares mostly rose in other Asian markets. On Wall Street, stock prices rose to records Tuesday after oil prices eased and companies kept reporting bigger profits than analysts expected. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to top its prior all-time high set at the end of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 356 points, or 0.7%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite set its own record after rallying 1%.
The rapid embrace of AI in China, its biggest testing ground, may shape how AI is used globally
HONG KONG (AP) — More than a year after the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek, a main rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, stunned the world with its own advanced AI model, China has become a testing ground for mass use of AI tools. In March, groups of Chinese lined up get help setting up the AI agent OpenClaw on their laptops, a reflection of China's edge as a massive testing ground. Its ability to foster mass adoption, rather than just AI model advancements, is helping to shape how AI is used around the world, potentially giving it an upper hand in its tech rivalry with the U.S.
AP, Washington Post, Reuters and Minnesota Star Tribune among Pulitzer winners for 2025 work
NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for scrutinizing the Trump administration’s sweeping, choppy cuts and changes to federal agencies. The Associated Press won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for an investigation into mass surveillance tools and their impact in China. Reuters won the award Monday for reporting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of executive power. Spanning three years, thousands of pages of documents and numerous interviews, the AP project found that American companies help lay the foundations of the Chinese government’s system for monitoring and policing its citizens. Reuters’ work looked at how Trump has used the federal government to expand presidential authority and to try to punish his foes.
Wall Street rallies to records after oil prices ease and corporate profits keep topping expectations
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rose to records after oil prices eased and companies kept reporting bigger profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% Tuesday and topped its prior all-time high set at the end of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1% to set its own record. Stocks got a boost after oil prices gave back much of their big jumps from Monday, and Brent crude fell 4%. DuPont rallied after the chemical giant led another cavalcade of companies reporting better profits than analysts expected.
Gasoline costs 50% more in the US than it did before the Iran war
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of a gallon of regular gasoline climbed 31 cents in the past week, spiking to an average of $4.48 per gallon Tuesday, according to AAA. That's up 50% since the war with Iran began. Many drivers were hopeful in mid-April, amid signs that the conflict could be winding down, and gasoline prices fell daily for almost two weeks. But as the war continued, gasoline prices reversed course and began increasing again. And energy experts say that even once the war ends, it will take months for gasoline prices to return to pre-war levels.
