By Mark Kennedy
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) – New data from the music industry confirms what a lot of people long suspected – 2021 was a very good year for Morgan Wallen, Adele and vinyl. MRC Data’s year-end report, presented in collaboration with Billboard, showed that Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” ended 2021 as […]

By Jennifer Peltz
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) – An athletic Hungarian farm dog and a tiny pet of bygone Russian aristocrats are the latest breeds in the American Kennel Club’s purebred lineup. The club announced Tuesday that it’s recognizing the Russian toy and the mudi. That means they’re eligible to compete for best in […]

By David Mchugh
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – OPEC and allied oil-producing countries decided Tuesday to pump more oil to the world economy amid hope that travel and demand for fuel will hold up despite the rapid spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19. The 23-member OPEC+ alliance led by oil cartel member Saudi […]

By Jordan Press
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – Internal government documents show Finance Department officials believe there could be sweeping implications for the economy if the Bank of Canada ever issued its own cryptocurrency. The Bank of Canada has spent years looking at whether to introduce a digital currency, but so far hasn’t seen an immediate […]

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkey’s yearly inflation climbed by the fastest pace in 19 years, jumping to 36.08% in December, official data showed on Monday. The Turkish Statistical Institute said the consumer price index increased by 13.58% in December from the previous month, further eroding peoples’ purchasing power. The yearly […]

By Martin Crutsinger
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. consumer prices rose 5.7% over the past year, the fastest pace in 39 years, as a surge in inflation confronts Americans with the holiday shopping season under way. The November increase, reported Thursday by the Commerce Department, followed a 5.1% rise for the 12 months ending […]

By Mia Rabson
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – It’s the end of days for plastic grocery bags and Styrofoam takeout containers in Canada. The federal government is publishing the draft regulations that will ban the manufacture, import and sale of six single-use plastic items that are difficult to recycle and have more environmentally friendly alternatives. Plastic […]

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Surging COVID-19 cases brought on by the spread of the Omicron variant have put a damper on the “most wonderful time of year” for small business owners, as multiple provinces reinstate tough public health restrictions. Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said that last month, the organization […]

By Danica Kirka
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON (AP) – Britain announced 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in grants and other aid to help the hospitality industry survive the onslaught of the omicron variant of COVID-19, bowing to days of pressure from pubs, restaurants and other businesses that have seen their income plunge following public health warnings. […]

TORONTO – Ontario has reintroduced capacity limits at restaurants, bars and retailers, and capping indoor social gatherings at 10 people in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. The province is also limiting outdoor gatherings to 25, and prohibiting food and drink consumption at sports arenas, cinemas […]

By Martin Crutsinger
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. industrial production increased 0.5% in November as output at the nation’s factories reached the highest level since January 2019. The November gain followed an even larger 1.7% increase in October, a rebound from a 1% decline in September, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday. There were severe […]