Money-losing companies with colorful histories have pivoted to crypto

So far this year, billions of dollars have flowed into companies that have reinvented themselves by making the buying and holding of cryptocurrency their main focus. More than 200 public companies have announced plans to hold crypto on their balance sheets as so-called digital asset treasury companies, or DATs, including one with ties to the Trump family. The rebranding as crypto companies came after years of losses in a variety of niche enterprises that include making lavender-flavored vodka, manufacturing materials for indoor marijuana growers, and selling ozone-infused water as part of a “nanobubble” cleaning technology.

Ex-Amazon driver sues civil rights agency for dropping her case following Trump's executive order

NEW YORK (AP) — An executive order from President Donald Trump led a federal agency to drop an investigation into Amazon for allegedly discriminating against female drivers by failing to provide adequate bathroom breaks, according to a new lawsuit. The former Amazon delivery driver filed a lawsuit arguing that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is unlawfully abandoning her case and others like it following Trump’s order directing federal agencies to deprioritize the use of a key tool for enforcing U.S. civil rights law.

UK inflation unexpectedly holds steady and bolsters hopes of November rate cut

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. has unexpectedly held steady in the year to September, according to official figures released Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics reports consumer prices rose by 3.8% annually, unchanged from the previous two months. Most economists had expected a rise to 4%, double the Bank of England's target. This flat reading bolsters hopes that inflation has peaked and may lead to another interest rate cut next month. The inflation figure is also significant for Treasury chief Rachel Reeves as she prepares a crucial budget statement on November 26, potentially impacting welfare benefits.

Massive Amazon cloud outage has been resolved after disrupting internet use worldwide

LONDON (AP) — A problem at Amazon’s cloud computing service disrupted internet use around the world. The outage on Monday took down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms. Amazon said the outage was resolved as of Monday evening. The all-day disruption and the ensuing exasperation it caused served as the latest reminder that 21st century society is increasingly dependent on just a handful of companies for much of its internet technology, which seems to work reliably until it suddenly breaks down.

What to know about the Amazon Web Services outage

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon Web Services has faced a major outage, affecting users worldwide trying to connect to various online services. On Monday, AWS began recovering from the disruption but continued to address significant errors and connectivity issues. The problem was traced to the DynamoDB endpoint in the US-East-1 region, a critical cloud hub. This outage impacted major services like Snapchat, Roblox, and Fortnite. Experts have long warned about the risks of relying on a few big tech companies for key internet operations. Although such issues are usually resolved quickly, they highlight vulnerabilities in centralized cloud services.

Global shares slip on selling of tech stocks after a lackluster day on Wall Street

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares are mostly lower on selling of technology shares following a lackluster day on Wall Street. Shares slipped in early Wednesday trading in France and Germany, while rising in Britain. Chinese markets retreated after President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether or not he will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month. Trump also said he was expecting “to do well” in negotiations with China. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 wavered between slight gains and losses a day after its parliament chose Sanae Takaichi to be its first female prime minister. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was nearly flat and the Dow gained 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite index lost 0.2%.

Warner Bros. Discovery confirms it has received buyout interest and is considering its options

NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery — the home of HBO, CNN and DC Studios — has signaled that it may be open to selling all or parts of its business, just months after announcing plans to split into two companies. In an announcement Tuesday, the entertainment and media giant said it had initiated a review of “strategic alternatives” in light of “unsolicited interest” it had received from multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros. specifically. Warner Bros. Discovery did not specify who that interest was coming from — but the review arrives after reports of a potential bidding war. Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery jumped nearly 10% Tuesday.

Netflix blames tax dispute in Brazil for rare quarterly earnings letdown

Netflix’s missed the earnings target set by stock market analysts during the video streamer’s latest quarter, a letdown that the company blamed on a tax dispute in Brazil. The results announced Tuesday broke Netflix’s six-quarter streak of posting a profit that eclipsed the analysts projections that steer investors. The Los Gatos, California cited an unexpected $619 million expense tied to the Brazilian tax dispute for the earnings shortfall while hailing its programming for delivering revenue the matched analyst forecasts. Investors, though, weren’t placated by the explanation as Netflix’s shares still fell by more than 6% in extended trading after the numbers came out.

US ranchers oppose Trump's plan to import more Argentine beef and experts doubt it will lower prices

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to cut record beef prices by importing more meat from Argentina is running into heated opposition from U.S. ranchers who are enjoying some rare profitable years and skepticism from experts who say the president’s move probably wouldn’t lead to cheaper prices at grocery stores. Major ranching and farming groups all criticized Trump’s idea because it would likely hurt American ranchers and feedlot operators. And agricultural economists say that Argentine beef accounts for such a small slice of beef imports that even doubling that wouldn’t change prices much.

Taiwan reports its first case of African swine fever and culls scores of pigs

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan reported its first cases of African swine fever, and authorities culled at least 195 pigs and ordered a ban on the movement and slaughter of pigs across the island. The Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday that samples from dead pigs from a farm in the coastal city of Taichung had tested positive for African swine fever on Tuesday. Animal protection and quarantine authorities “preventively culled 195 pigs,” and established a control zone with a radius of 3 kilometers from the center of the affected farm. In 2019, millions of pigs were culled in China and Vietnam as the virus spread through Asia.