Damaging earthquakes that rocked West Texas in recent days were likely caused by oil and gas activity in an area that has weathered tremors for decades, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A sequence that began in 2021 erupted with its largest quake on Friday, a magnitude 5.1 in the most active area in the country for quakes induced by oil and gas activities, experts…

RALEIGH, N.C. — A state review’s findings of operating and administrative issues by a nonprofit owned by North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s wife while implementing a child care food program “are politically motivated at the core,” Robinson’s campaign said Monday. A compliance review of Balanced Nutrition Inc. by the state’s federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program released last week found numerous problems…

BOSTON — Massachusetts has agreed to provide about $30 million to help support the operations of six hospitals that Steward Health Care is trying to turn over to new owners after declaring bankruptcy earlier this year, according to court filings. The latest update comes as Steward announced Friday that it was closing two hospitals — Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center — because it…

PHOENIX — The Navajo Nation planned Tuesday to test a tribal law that bans uranium from being transported on its land by ordering tribal police to stop trucks carrying the mineral and return to the mine where it was extracted in northern Arizona. But before tribal police could catch up with two semi-trucks on federal highways, they learned the vehicles under contract with Energy Fuels…

Most Comcast subscribers will be able to watch their favorite sports teams again after it reached an agreement with their distributor SOUTHPORT, Conn. — Most Comcast subscribers will be able to watch their favorite sports teams again after it reached an agreement with their distributor. Comcast and Diamond Sports announced Monday that 15 regional sports networks will be available on Thursday after being blacked out…

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday set the stage for the central bank’s first rate cut in four years, citing greater progress toward lower inflation as well as a cooler job market that no longer threatens to overheat the economy. Still, the Fed kept its key interest rate unchanged at a 23-year high of 5.3%, despite calls from some economists and Democratic…

BEIJING — A closely watched measure of Chinese manufacturing activity remained negative in July as concern persists about the state of the world’s second largest economy. The Purchasing Managers’ Index, based on a survey of factory managers, slipped 0.1 points to 49.4, the National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. It was the third straight monthly reading below 50, a level that indicates a contraction of…

TOKYO — The Bank of Japan raised its key interest rate Wednesday to about 0.25% from a range of zero to about 0.1%, acting to curb the yen’s slide against the U.S. dollar. The move was widely expected, and the yen gained sharply against the dollar ahead of and after Wednesday’s decision, trading below 152 yen. Concerns have been deepening about the yen’s recent drop…

Japan’s central bank raises its benchmark rate to 0.25%, aiming to halt the yen’s slide against the U.S. dollar ByThe Associated Press July 31, 2024, 12:02 AM TOKYO — Japan’s central bank raises its benchmark rate to 0.25%, aiming to halt the yen’s slide against the U.S. dollar. Read More

TOKYO — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda say they plan to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving. A third Japanese manufacturer, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., has joined the Nissan-Honda partnership, sharing the view that speed and size are crucial in responding to dramatic changes in the auto industry centered around electrification. A preliminary agreement between Nissan Motor Co….