BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. He appeared to be urging it to press the militant group, a close ally of Iran, to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border. Mikati…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy’s steady growth. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, a solid increase though less than the previous month’s robust 0.8% gain. A 1.6% jump in sales at auto dealers drove…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, will also head a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world. Trump said Burgum will oversee a panel that crosses all executive-branch agencies involved in…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S. In a Friday ruling, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan sided with the state of Texas and a group of business organizations…… MORE
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is laying off about 1,000 workers worldwide, shedding costs as it tries to compete in a crowded global automobile market. The workers are mostly salaried but some blue-collar workers were affected. They were told of the moves early Friday. The company confirmed the layoffs in a statement but gave few…… MORE