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.
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UPCOMING
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US--ADA GUIDANCE WITHDRAWN
DESCRIPTION: President Donald Trump’s administration has withdrawn 11 pieces of guidance related to the Americans with Disabilities Act that helped stores, hotels and other businesses understand their obligation to the law. The Department of Justice says removing the guidance was done as part of a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses. But disability rights advocates are concerned it may signal that the government is less likely to enforce the ADA. By AP Health Writer Kenya Hunter. UPCOMING: 800 words, photo.
UPCOMING: By 04/08/2025 3:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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US--TRUMP-COAL
Trump is expected to sign executive orders to boost coal, a reliable but polluting energy source
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders aimed at boosting coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been in decline. Two senior White House officials say Trump will use his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. The officials spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue before the Republican president’s announcement. Trump has long promised to boost what he calls “beautiful†coal to fire power plants and for other uses, but the industry has been declining for decades.
WORDS: 325 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 10:25 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:693e2604785c07ff790d9afd2e06d543&mediaType=text
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FINANCIAL MARKETS
Dow jumps 1,300 as some relief washes through financial markets on hopes for tariff negotiations
SUMMARY: Stocks are rising worldwide as some relief flows through financial markets. The S&P 500 climbed 3.7% Tuesday to trim a bit of its historic losses since President Donald Trump raised the stakes in his trade war last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1,363 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 4.2%. Analysts warn more swings are likely ahead for markets, but hopes remain that Trump may lower his tariffs following negotiations. He talked about progress on a deal with South Korea, and Tokyo led global markets higher after Japan appointed a trade negotiator for talks with the United States.
WORDS: 886 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 10:20 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956&mediaType=text
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HEALTH INSURERS-MEDICARE ADVANTAGE RATES
Health insurers rally after government lays out better-than-expected Medicare Advantage raise
SUMMARY: Shares of major health insurers jumped early Tuesday after the federal government announced a better-than-expected, 2026 payment increase for Medicare Advantage plans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Monday after markets closed that final rates are expected to increase more than 5% in 2026. Leerink Partners analyst Whit Mayo says that wound up “well above expectations.†BTIG analyst David Larsen said separately that the final increase more than doubled what was initially proposed in January. He added that it likely accounts for higher care use that the program has seen recently.
WORDS: 281 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 10:13 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fa63b549d1859e4edbd7c3545b9ad2f4&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-US STEEL-NIPPON
US Steel rises for a 2nd day after Trump orders new security review Nippon Steel bid
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is ordering a new review of Nippon Steel’s proposed bid to buy U.S. Steel for nearly $15 billion. Trump and President Joe Biden have previously vowed to block the deal. Late Monday Trump ordered the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the transaction “to assist me in determining whether further action in this matter may be appropriate.â€
WORDS: 401 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 9:58 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3d2b1f178d60020309d34a5602aaee32&mediaType=text
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US--INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
Fewer foreign visitors are traveling to the US in what some see as a sign of a ‘Trump Slump’
SUMMARY: Visits to the U.S. from overseas fell 11.6% in March compared to the same month last year, according to preliminary government data released Tuesday. Those numbers don’t include Canada — which is scheduled to report tourism data later this week — or land crossings from Mexico. But air travel from Mexico dropped 23%. The U.S. tourism industry had expected 2025 to be another good year. But many travelers appear to be choosing other destinations. Tourism officials say potential visitors have been angered by President Donald Trumps’ tariffs and rhetoric, and alarmed by reports of tourists getting arrested at the border.
WORDS: 1281 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 9:32 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:14c31b490fd382d09ad5cae625ddc937&mediaType=text
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AS--PAKISTAN-MINERALS
Pakistan seeks billions in investment as it promotes its minerals sector
WORDS: 369 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 9:09 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0ac2f697f2479fc52f3fb82723a9062b&mediaType=text
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AF--SOUTH AFRICA-TARIFFS-CITRUS
Trump tariffs threaten 35,000 jobs, entire towns in South Africa’s citrus sector, farmers group says
WORDS: 478 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 9:09 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ca9ecce2bf5d20ef1cc9a283ecaf842a&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-TARIFFS-Q&A
Answering your questions about President Trump’s vast new tariffs
SUMMARY: After weeks of anticipation and speculation, President Donald Trump followed through on his reciprocal tariff threats by declaring a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States. In announcing the reciprocal tariffs, Trump was fulfilling a key campaign promise by raising U.S. taxes on foreign goods to narrow the gap with the tariffs the White House says other countries impose on U.S. products. But economists don’t share Trump’s enthusiasm for tariffs since they’re a tax on importers that usually get passed on to consumers.
WORDS: 1600 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 8:21 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:025d996838e64d7f1b33eb288e34d892&mediaType=text
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US-PHILANTHROPY-FOREIGN-AID-FREEZE
As a future of US foreign aid cuts comes into focus, so do efforts to respond
SUMMARY: The reality of the Trump administration’s cuts to U.S. foreign assistance are sinking in within the field of international development. Two months into the cuts, different initiatives have started to help laid off colleagues and nonprofits who lost funding. Former USAID workers set up a fundraiser called The Solidarity Fund with the help of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. It will benefit USAID employees who have lost their jobs and has raised $16,000 so far. Another group, Accountability Lab, is helping nonprofits merge or spin off programs in order to prevent the loss of valuable property or knowledge as some nonprofits face bankruptcy.
WORDS: 958 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 8:07 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:176201cf23d19e8e012864f0e8da9dc6&mediaType=text
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EU-META-TEEN SAFETY
Kids under 16 will no longer be allowed to livestream on Instagram without parental consent
WORDS: 276 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 7:36 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e79cc36bfc3a08f9386ebb99abd4c73d&mediaType=text
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TRUMP-TARIFFS-WORLD
As China and the US spar, countries brainstorm over how to cope with the trade war
SUMMARY: As President Donald Trump and China spar over tariff hikes and other retaliatory moves, governments elsewhere are brainstorming over strategies for coping with the trade war between the world’s top two economies. Japan’s prime minister spoke with Trump and then convened a task force to mitigate damage from the 24% U.S. tariffs imposed on Washington’s biggest ally in Asia. India’s foreign minister appealed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a rapid signing of a trade deal. Malaysia’s prime minister was meeting with fellow leaders of other Southeast Asian countries to craft a “soft diplomacy†response to tariffs of nearly 50% on some countries in the region.
WORDS: 803 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 7:31 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:579f182cc6204270de2eb3f549100b2e&mediaType=text
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AS--CHINA-US-TARIFFS
China says it will ‘fight to the end’ after Trump threatens to impose still more tariffs
SUMMARY: China says it will “fight to the end†and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports. The Commerce Ministry said the U.S. tariffs were groundless and bullying. China has vowed retaliatory tariffs and the ministry hinted in its statement Tuesday that more may be coming. The ministry said its own countermeasures were aimed at maintaining the normal trade order and were legitimate, while the U.S. actions were blackmail in nature. Trump’s threat came after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs he announced last week.
WORDS: 804 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 7:25 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b5010acb08114304d8c36267b47eda13&mediaType=text
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EU--BRITAIN-ROYALS
Lawyer says Prince Harry was unfairly treated when stripped of UK security detail
SUMMARY: A lawyer for Prince Harry says he was treated unfairly when he was stripped of his British security detail. Shaheed Fatima argued to a London appeals court Tuesday that a group that evaluated the Duke of Sussex’s security needs failed to follow its own process and perform a risk management assessment. Harry lost his government-funded protection in 2020 after he stepped down from his role as a working member of the royal family and moved to the U.S. A judge last year said the decision to provide security to Harry on a case-by-case basis was not irrational or unjustified.
WORDS: 625 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 7:25 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e04acba285668f074358ae1f2f0e1a4a&mediaType=text
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SOC--UEFA-PREGAME CONCERTS
Pre-game concerts coming to Women’s Champions League finals in Europe from next season
WORDS: 313 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 6:58 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2c8fc91326dc71cb2ad8a46dada5a075&mediaType=text
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US-MONEY MATTERS-GRAY DIVORCE
Gray divorce: 10 financial and tax issues you must know after 50
SUMMARY: Beyond the emotional strain of a “gray divorce,†managing your finances is critical. The first step is hiring an experienced divorce attorney. Although it might be tempting to avoid legal fees, going without professional guidance could cost you more in the long run. Additionally, understanding the key financial and tax issues that come with gray divorce is essential.
WORDS: 644 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 6:10 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9c8b0863a1fa27cc7cbb8963ef59af35&mediaType=text
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AS--AUSTRALIA-TRUMP-TARIFFS
Canadian couple likely the only business owners on Australia’s Norfolk Island to face US tariffs
SUMMARY: Jesse Schiller and Rachel Evans are likely the only business owners on Australia’s Norfolk Island to be affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs, as the island exports nothing to the United States. The Canadian couple own a business that makes hair accessories under the brand Kooshoo. Schiller said Tuesday he and his wife are likely the only business owners on the South Pacific island that will pay tariffs — and they will pay at the rates imposed on Japan and India, where their goods are manufactured. Norfolk Island was a shock inclusion in the Trump administration’s list of global tariffs last week. While Australia was assigned a 10% tariff, Norfolk Island was singled out for a 29% tariff.
WORDS: 505 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 4:53 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:149f6daa15ae545ae59ac49a5e242e4f&mediaType=text
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LT--PANAMA-HONG-KONG-PORTS
Contract for Hong Kong company to operate Panama Canal ports had irregularities, audit finds
SUMMARY: Panama’s comptroller authority says an audit found irregularities in the renewal of a 25-year port concession in the interoceanic canal and it would request an investigation into the authorization of the contract to a Hong Kong company. Comptroller-General Anel Flores said the audit found some payment defaults, accounting miscalculations and some “shadow†operation of companies that the company originally denied, causing Panama around $300 million in lost revenue. The release of the audit of Panama Ports Company, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate subsidiary that operates ports at both ends of the Panama Canal, comes amid recent Trump’s government allegations of Chinese interference in the canal’s operations, which Panamanian authorities have denied.
WORDS: 335 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 1:49 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:223e36a9c17ba1d4704f7a78bca27c58&mediaType=text
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US--CHILD CARE-EDUCATION
Scholarships for child care are drying up. Now families are paying the price
SUMMARY: Many parents need child care scholarships to work. But qualified families are increasingly being turned away from state child care assistance programs, thanks to the rising costs of child care and the end of pandemic aid. In at least three states — Arizona, Colorado and Texas — parents who apply face long waitlists. Other states, including Nevada and Oklahoma, have increased copayments for parents or have said they will serve fewer children. In Idaho, enrollment was paused for part of last year. Last week, some employees were laid off from their jobs helping states implement child care scholarships. It all has left advocates worried about the future of federal child care programs.
WORDS: 1252 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 1:23 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1a0c569943fb606e4a0db7630ec4821a&mediaType=text
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US--DEPORTATION FLIGHTS-AVELO
Budget airline Avelo to fly deportation flights for ICE from Arizona
SUMMARY: Budget carrier Avelo Airlines says it has signed an agreement to fly deportation flights from Arizona starting in May. CEO Andrew Levy acknowledged in a statement Monday how the decision may be a controversial one involving a sensitive and complicated topic. But Levy says the Houston-based carrier decided to fly for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Control and Enforcement agency to have the financial stability to expand and protect jobs. An advocate says the agreement is unusual because the government typically hires charter companies for these flights, not commercial airlines. A Connecticut immigration rights group is urging people to boycott Avelo.
WORDS: 407 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 1:14 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:463bc3e5c65b002c0cca9976be066df6&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-GREAT DEPRESSION
Trump says high tariffs may have prevented the Great Depression. History says different
SUMMARY: In the early days of the Great Depression, Rep. Willis Hawley, a Republican from Oregon, and Utah Republican Sen. Reed Smoot thought they had landed on a way to protect American farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition: tariffs. Most historians look back on the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs Act of 1930 as a mistake that made a bad economic climate much worse. But tariffs have a new champion in President Donald Trump. Trump now argues that the Great Depression might never have happened if the U.S. hadn’t moved away from its history of high tariffs. He says Smoot-Hawley was Washington’s attempt to embrace tariffs anew but came too late. Those accounts don’t tell the whole story.
WORDS: 1552 - MOVED: 04/08/2025 12:02 a.m. EDT
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