WASHINGTON (AP) — Mass firings of federal workers have begun. That was the announcement Friday from the White House as Republicans worked to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers to end the government shutdown. In a court filing, the budget office said well over 4,000 employees would be fired, though it noted that the funding…… MORE
Postal traffic to the U.S. remains down about 70% five weeks after the end of the “de minimis” exemption. The United Nations postal agency reported this on Friday. The exemption had spared low-value packages from duties and taxes. Since the U.S. ended the tariff exemption for packages worth less than $800, confusion has reigned. In…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which the electric vehicle maker’s cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and endangering drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said…… MORE
HONG KONG (AP) — China has outlined new curbs on exports of rare earths and related technologies, extending controls over the use of the elements critical for many high-tech products and military applications. The regulations announced by the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday require foreign companies to get special approval to export items that contain…… MORE
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s antitrust watchdog is labeling Google a “strategic” player in the online search advertising market, paving the way for regulators to force the company to change its business practices to ensure more competition in that market. The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday that its investigation found that the US tech giant…… MORE