AP Business Digest
Here are the AP's top business stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom's Coverage Plan.
--------------------
UPCOMING
--------------------
US--PHILANTHROPY-RESILIENCE-HUBS
DESCRIPTION: Houston has been plagued by deadly power outages in recent years, but residents and nonprofits developed a successful experiment with solar/battery-powered "hub homes" where neighbors can gather during power outages, heat waves and other emergencies. Now, federal Solar for All funding has been canceled, halting all work.
UPCOMING: By 09/16/2025 8:00 p.m. EDT, Video, Photo, DigitalPlans, Alternate Headlines, Text
___
--------------------
NEW AND DEVELOPING
--------------------
US--UNITEDHEALTHCARE-CEO KILLED
New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, lets murder count stand
SUMMARY: A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state's case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state's second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn't consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The brief hearing was Mangione's first court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry.
WORDS: 736 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 10:27 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8989b2a82558643f1099523e21611afc&mediaType=text
___
FINANCIAL MARKETS
Wall Street drifts around its record heights
SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are drifting around their record heights. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Tuesday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite was virtually unchanged. Stocks have run to records on expectations that the Federal Reserve on Wednesday will announce its first cut to interest rates of the year. The job market could use such a boost after slowing sharply. Treasury yields eased a bit after a report showing stronger sales at U.S. retailers did little to change expectations for the Fed to cut interest rates several times through this year and into 2026.
WORDS: 724 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 10:27 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6c8830859fe755902a37e3257a55e7be&mediaType=text
___
US--TESLA-INVESTIGATION
US auto safety regulators investigating Tesla due to door handle issue
WORDS: 387 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 9:50 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:053af5d5619f06eabac7e7009c17cc29&mediaType=text
___
EU--SPAIN-CLIMATE
Spain sweltered under hottest summer on record
SUMMARY: Spain says that this summer was the hottest on record for the country. Spain's national weather service said Tuesday that the country had an average temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius or 75.5 degrees Fahrenheit between June 1 and Aug. 31. That is the highest temperature since the service started keeping records in 1961. The Mediterranean region is heating up 20% faster than the global average, according to the United Nations.
WORDS: 227 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 9:50 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:526388beb823d62093961492eeb36cee&mediaType=text
___
EU--RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR
Zelenskyy calls for a European air defense system as Russian strike wounds 20 in Ukrainian city
SUMMARY: Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have bombarded the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine with rockets. The attack wounded 20 people including four children. Officials said Tuesday that the attack happened during the night and struck apartment buildings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging European leaders to create a comprehensive air defense system to protect the continent. The war shows no signs of ending despite U.S.-led efforts to achieve peace. Zelenskyy reported that Russia has launched thousands of drones, bombs and missiles at Ukraine in recent weeks. Russian glide bombs and drone swarms pose significant challenges for Ukrainian defenses.
WORDS: 561 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 9:48 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3147203ffd293b9518655f910711d801&mediaType=text
___
US--ELECTRIC VEHICLES-RIVIAN
It's 'do or die' for electric vehicle maker Rivian as it breaks ground on a $5 billion plant
SUMMARY: Rivian Automotive is starting to build a long-delayed electric vehicle plant in Georgia, despite tough challenges in the U.S. market. The company is investing $5 billion as it aims to persuade Americans to buy electric trucks. But Tuesday's groundbreaking comes just weeks before the federal government kills a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit that President Donald Trump wanted to get rid of. Rivian officials say they're banking on making vehicles that buyers will find superior to traditional gas-fueled cars. A new Rivian SUV will start selling next year for $45,000. The Georgia plant is crucial to the company reaching a mass market and achieving profitability after years of losses.
WORDS: 1081 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 9:30 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a4678f82d9ed276af0a4b0c1050de573&mediaType=text
___
US--RETAIL SALES
Retail sales up 0.6% in August from July even as tariffs hurt jobs and lead to price hikes
SUMMARY: Shoppers increased their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school purchases, even as President Donald Trump's tariffs are starting to hurt the job market and lead to price hikes. The performance was also helped by the continued efforts by Americans to keep pushing up purchases ahead of expected price increases. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department's report released Tuesday.
WORDS: 688 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 9:22 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:11e40d9b98461fee52f5db2455f0e7e1&mediaType=text
___
US--AP POLL-SPORTS-STREAMING
Many sports fans are unhappy with how much it costs to watch their games, an AP-NORC poll finds
SUMMARY: A new poll finds sports fans are likelier to use a combination of streaming services and traditional TV options to access their favorite teams. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows this complicated and often expensive patchwork is common for many sports fans and leaves them beholden to multiple platforms and subscriptions if they want to keep up with their teams. About 4 in 10 people who follow sports "extremely" or "very" closely use both cable and satellite TV and a sports streaming platform. That's compared with about 2 in 10 people who follow sports "somewhat" closely.
WORDS: 1154 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 8:55 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:52a4d826a8baf05d46e71b1aa6a6fc80&mediaType=text
___
EU--GREENLAND-MILITARY EXERCISE
Denmark leads an exercise in Greenland, with Russia in mind at a time of tensions with the US
SUMMARY: Denmark is leading a military exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Greenland. It's a maneuver that coincides with months of tensions over the Trump administration's desire for U.S. jurisdiction over the vast Arctic territory. The Arctic Light 2025 exercise involves more than 550 service members from Denmark and NATO allies France, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Its stated aim is to strengthen the operational readiness of the Danish armed forces and Greenland. The strategically located island is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
WORDS: 674 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 8:46 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0381ce273ab52224c0ccf660bcb16082&mediaType=text
___
EU--FORD-EUROPE
Ford to drop up to 1,000 jobs at German plant as demand for electric cars in Europe lags forecasts
SUMMARY: Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it would cut up to 1,000 jobs at its electric auto plant in Cologne, Germany due to lower than expected demand for battery-powered cars. The job reduction would be carried out so far as possible with voluntary departures and buyouts, the company said. It follows a restructuring announced in November 2024 that would reduce Ford's workforce by 4,000 positions in Europe and the UK, with 2,900 of those jobs lost in Germany.
WORDS: 215 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 8:08 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f5bbc7e08174c7e6bebd7272fcc96446&mediaType=text
___
TARGET-NEXT DAY-DELIVERY
Target steps up next-day parcel delivery as discounter tries to narrow gap with rivals
SUMMARY: Target is expanding its next-day delivery of parcel shipments to 35 of the nation's top 60 metropolitan markets by the end of next month, marking 22 new cities this year, as the discount retailer aims to narrow the gap with the likes of Amazon. That means that its next-day delivery expansion will go to 54% of the U.S. population, up from 20%, according to Gretchen McCarthy, Target's chief supply chain and logistics officer. San Diego and Orlando and Tampa, Florida are on the list. Target plans to add 20 more cities for next-day delivery by next year. In comparison, online behemoth Amazon expanded the number of same-day delivery sites by more than 60% in 2024 for its Amazon Prime members, and serves more than 140 metro areas.
WORDS: 596 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 7:50 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a74689266667b48fc4130848e94b7081&mediaType=text
___
US--TRUMP LAWSUIT-NEW YORK TIMES
Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists. Court documents show the lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Florida. It names several articles and one book written by two of the publication's journalists and published in the lead up to the 2024 election, saying they are "part of a decades-long pattern by the New York Times of intentional and malicious defamation against President Trump." The New York Times did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment early Tuesday. In a Truth Social post announcing the lawsuit, Trump accused The New York Times of lying about him and defaming him.
WORDS: 201 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 6:47 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb&mediaType=text
___
US--MATCHA-CHALLENGES
How much for matcha? Prices for the popular powdered tea soar due to global demand
SUMMARY: The world's fondness for matcha is about to be tested by steep price increases. Global demand for the powdered tea has skyrocketed around the world, fueled by consumer interest in its health benefits and by the bright green matcha lattes bubbling up on social media. But the matcha market is troubled. In Japan, one of the biggest matcha producers, poor weather reduced this year's harvest. Matcha is still plentiful in China, another major producer, but labor shortages and high demand have also raised prices there. U.S. tariffs are also making matcha more expensive for Americans.
WORDS: 1023 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 6:30 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ca3b9ab64eb6f03b44b2d62ca33a6516&mediaType=text
___
AF--SOUTH SUDAN-CORRUPTION
UN report cites huge government corruption in South Sudan as its food crisis worsens
SUMMARY: A U.N. commission reports that billions in public funds have been stolen in South Sudan over the past decade. The report, released Tuesday, accuses political officials of diverting public revenues since the country gained independence in 2011. Meanwhile, South Sudan faces a deepening food crisis with most of the population lacking basic necessities. The government has denied the allegations, calling them "absurd." The report highlights the oil-for-roads program, claiming $1.7 billion is unaccounted for. The report also raises concerns about the country's potential slide back into full-scale war.
WORDS: 689 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 6:26 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:22a118d109ea1947cf3e40fc517e1489&mediaType=text
___
US-MONEY MATTERS-DIVIDEND GROWTH STOCKS
The surprising truth about dividend growth stocks
SUMMARY: The dividend growth universe is changing. Here's what that means for investors.
WORDS: 734 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3177f32c66e9b7056701371ebed52e2a&mediaType=text
___
US--TRUMP-CHINA
US and China reach a framework deal for the ownership of TikTok
SUMMARY: A framework deal has been reached between China and the U.S. for the ownership of TikTok. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday after trade talks in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal. Bessent says the objective was to switch to U.S. ownership from China's ByteDance. China's international trade representative told reporters that the sides have reached "basic framework consensus." During Joe Biden's presidency, Congress and the White House used national security grounds to approve a U.S. ban on TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sold its controlling stake.
WORDS: 940 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 5:10 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b2621f7554d4a45eef83d05b4b958034&mediaType=text
___
US--SENATE-TARIFFS
Democrats plan to force Senate vote on Trump's tariffs on Canada and Brazil
SUMMARY: Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is planning to force two Senate votes on President Donald Trump's tariffs in the coming weeks, keeping the pressure on his Republican colleagues as many of them have voiced frustration with the policies. The Virginia senator says he will introduce two separate resolutions this week that would terminate the national emergencies that Trump declared to justify the tariffs he has imposed on Canada and Brazil. In April, four Republicans voted with Democrats to block Trump's tariffs on Canada, but the House never took it up.
WORDS: 621 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 5:01 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:64a2750e39b45a32f38a37b37ddfaf20&mediaType=text
___
US--WHITMER-ECONOMY
Gov. Whitmer to address Michigan's economy as possible state and federal shutdowns loom
SUMMARY: As Congress nears sending the U.S. into a government shutdown, Michigan faces its own. Partisan politics in Michigan's split Legislature has resulted in a monthslong legislative stalemate. The state's Oct. 1 fiscal year deadline is approaching. Whitmer is expected to call on state lawmakers to break the deadlock in a speech Tuesday focused on Michigan's economy. The standoff has high stakes for Whitmer herself and for the state. Michigan is particularly influenced by broader economic trends in the U.S. The standoff is also a glimpse at partisan politics reaching far beyond Washington that are grinding a battleground state's Capitol to a halt.
WORDS: 952 - MOVED: 09/16/2025 12:10 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:83b4b8b7141fbd598d3cf099ea908f6e&mediaType=text
___
