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Lawyers for Tesla have asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that CEO Elon Musk unlawfully threatened employees with a loss of stock options in a 2018 Twitter post NEW ORLEANS -- Lawyers for Tesla have asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling that CEO Elon Musk unlawfully threat ened employees with a loss of stock options in a 2018 Twitter post amid a union organizing effort. Three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, in a March ruling, upheld a National Labor Relations Board order that the tweet be deleted. The panel also upheld an order that a fired Tesla employee be rehired with back pay. The case arose from United Auto Workers’ organizing efforts at a Tesla facility in Fremont, California. Tesla attorneys want the full 17-member court to rehear the case. The panel ruling, they argue in a Monday evening filing, co NFL icts with Supreme Court and appellate court precedents regarding First Amendment free speech protections. A...

Asian shares are mixed in directionless trading following a U.S. holiday, as optimism about a deal on the U.S. debt was dented by worries about the regional economy TOKYO -- Asian shares were mixed in directionless trading Tuesday following a U.S. holiday, as optimism about a deal on the U.S. debt was dented by worries about the regional economy . Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% to 31,328.16. Australia's S &P/ASX 200 edged down 0.1% to 7,209.30. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.0% to 2,584.90. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up less than 0.1% at 18,553.22. The Shanghai Composite fell less than 0.1% to 3,221.01. Analysts say investors remain concerned about the a possible “second wave” of COVID-19 cases in China, although the economic impact is expected to be more limited than from the earlier pandemic wave. China's recovery from virus-related disruptions during the past several years appears to be faltering, adding to worries over the regional economy. “To s...

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, have expressed concern about policies of each other’s governments following Chinese raids on consulting firms and U.S. restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology WASHINGTON -- Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, expressed concern Thursday about policies of each other’s governments following Chinese raids on consulting firms and U.S. curbs on exports of semiconductor Technology , their governments said. The two sides announced no progress in disputes over technology and security but said Raimondo and Wang promised to strengthen exchanges on trade issues. Companies from both sides have been buffeted by tighter official controls on trade in semiconductors and other activity on security grounds. Political relations between the two governments are at their lowest level in decades following disputes over technology, security, China's territorial claims and Beijing...

California regulators say the state is unlikely to run short of electricity this summer, thanks to new power sources and a wet winter that filled reservoirs to restart hydroelectric power plants shuttered during the drought RICHMOND, Calif. -- California regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter that filled the state's reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant during the drought. The nation's most populous state normally has more than enough electricity to power the homes and businesses of more than 39 million people. But the electrical grid has trouble when it gets really hot and everyone turns on their air conditioners at the same time. It got so hot in August 2020 that California's power grid was overwhelmed, prompting the state's three largest utility companies to shut off electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes for a few hours o...

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and debt ceiling negotiators have hit “crunch” time as they strain to make a deal with the White House to raise the nation's debt limit, avert default and cut federal spending WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his Republican debt negotiators hit “crunch” time Friday at the Capitol, straining to wrap up an agreement with President Joe Biden to curb federal spending and lift the nation's borrowing limit ahead of a fast-coming deadline. They hope to end weeks of frustrating talks and strike a deal by this weekend. Treasury says the government could start running out of money as soon as next Thursday, sending the U.S. into a potentially catastrophic default with economic spillover around the world. Anxious retirees and social service groups were among those making default contingency plans as lawmakers left town for the long holiday weekend. The next batch of Social Security checks are due to go out next week. “The world is watching,"...

When Russia invaded Ukraine, companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately When Russia invaded Ukraine, global companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately, others curtailing imports or new investment. Billions of dollars' worth of factories, energy holdings and power plants were written off or put up for sale, accompanied by fierce condemnation of the war and expressions of solidarity with Ukraine. More than a year later, it’s clear: Leaving Russia was not as simple as the first announcements might have made it seem. Increasingly, Russia has put hurdles in the way of companies that want out, requiring approval by a government commission and in some cases from President Vladimir Putin himself, while imposing painful discounts and taxes on sale prices. Though companies’ stories vary, a common theme is having to thread an obstacle course between Western sanctions and outraged public opinion on o...

The head of the Russian private army Wagner says his force lost more than 20,000 men in the drawn-out battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut KYIV, Ukraine -- The head of the Russian private army Wagner says his force lost more than 20,000 men in the drawn-out battle for Bakhmut. He said about half of those who died in the eastern Ukrainian city were Russian convicts recruited to fight in the 15-month-old war. The figure stood in stark contrast to the widely disputed claims from Moscow that just over 6,000 of its troops were killed in the war as of January. That compares with official Soviet losses in the Afghanistan war of 15,000 troops between 1979-89. Ukraine hasn’t said how many of its soldiers have died since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Analysts believe the nine-month fight for Bakhmut alone has cost the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, among them convicts who reportedly received little training before being sent to the front. Russia’s invasion...

Alaska’s push to become a bigger player in the clean energy market will be in the spotlight this week at a conference convened by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska's push to become a bigger player in the clean energy market is in the spotlight this week at a conference convened by its Republican governor, even as the state continues to embrace new fossil fuel production, including the controversial Willow oil project on the petroleum-rich North Slope. Gov. Mike Dunleavy successfully pushed through the legislature a bill he is expected to sign Tuesday that would allow the oil-reliant state to cash in on the sale of so-called carbon credits to companies looking to offset their carbon emissions. Projects could include credits for improving a forest’s health through thinning or by allowing trees to grow bigger, thereby increasing a forest’s potential to hold carbon. Lawmakers cast the bill as allowing Alaska to have the best of both worlds — continuing to permit oi...

A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the past two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars NEW YORK -- Jonnifer Neal's Kia was stolen twice in one day — first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed. But Neal’s ordeal didn’t end there. After her car was recovered a month later, she was stopped by police twice coming home from work because a police error caused the Optima to remain listed as stolen. The same error resulted in officers waking her up at 3 a.m. another night. On yet another occasion, a swarm of officers pulled her over as she was traveling to Mississippi, handcuffing and placing her in the back of a cruiser for more than an hour. The Kia now sits in her garage. “It’s been a few months, but honestly I’m still nervous,” Neal said. “I drive that car maybe once in a blue mo...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he believes that Russia has taken control of the eastern city of Bakhmut KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Bakhmut was “only in our hearts ," hours after Russia’s defense ministry reported that forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, had seized the city in eastern Ukraine. Speaking alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Zelenskyy said the Russians had destroyed “everything.” “You have to understand that there is nothing,” he said. “For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” he said. “There is nothing in this place.” The Russian ministry statement on the Telegram channel came about eight hours after a similar announcement by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said that fighting for Bakhmut was continuing. The eight-month battle for Bakhmut has been the longest and probably most bloody of...