CATHY BUSSEWITZ

AP Business Writer
A SlateSafety armband is worn by Wyatt Fischer, a furnace mason employee at Cardinal Glass, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Menomonie, Wis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Sensors can read your sweat and predict overheating. Here’s why privacy advocates care
As global temperatures rise and summer months bring record high temperatures, employers are exploring wearable technologies to keep workers safe.
 
FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building in Washington is shown on Jan. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FTC ban on noncompete agreements comes under legal attack
The federal government wants to make it easier for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor.
 
Transit Workers take part in a guided relaxation class Friday, May 17, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The class, held at a union hall for New York City transit employees, has emerged as one of several ways in which transportation workers around the country are trying to manage their fear and anxiety over a rise in violent crime on subways and buses. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Yoga, meditation and prayer: Urban transit workers cope with violence and fear on the job
Transit workers around the country are managing their fear and anxiety over a rise in violent crime on subways and buses. Concern has grown after a series of brutal attacks in recent months against bus drivers, subway operators and station agents.
 
FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against Arise Virtual Solutions, a gig work company, saying it misled consumers about the money they could make on its platform. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FTC says gig company Arise misled consumers about how much money they could make on its platform
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against a gig work company, saying it misled people about the money they could make on its platform.
 
FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by the FTC on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, though the rule seems sure to be challenged in court. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
How US changes to ‘noncompete’ agreements and overtime pay could affect workers
For millions of American workers, the government took two actions this week that could bestow potentially far-reaching benefits.
 
Attack on Saudi oil site fuels upward march for crude prices
Oil prices rose Monday as Saudi Arabian oil facilities were targeted by drone strikes just days after the largest crude exporting nations in the world said they would not increase output.
 
Fears and tension mount for commuters still heading to work
As the coronavirus rages across the U.S., grocery workers, health care professionals, university staffers, cleaning crews and others who don’t have the option to work from home must weigh safety against affordability when deciding how best to commute to their jobs.
 
Insider Q&A: More oil and gas bankruptcies coming
Bankruptcies in the U.S. oil patch are on the rise after the global pandemic decimated demand. But shale companies were struggling before COVID hit, loading up on debt before prices came crashing down.
 
Fracking pioneer Chesapeake files for bankruptcy protection
Chesapeake Energy, a shale drilling pioneer which was once one of the largest natural gas producers in the U.S., has filed for bankruptcy protection. The oil and gas company was a leader in the shale boom.
 
Face mask rules grow but enforcement proves a challenge
Ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft are requiring drivers and passengers to wear masks while using their services, joining a growing list of transportation companies hoping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as some cities emerge from lockdown.
 
Texas eases underground oil storage rules, raising concerns
Texas regulators are relaxing rules about where companies can store oil underground. That’s raising concern among environmentalists about potential groundwater contamination and other dangers.
 
Q&A: With rock-bottom prices, will the oil industry recover?
With a barrel of crude oil costing less than a New York pizza, many U.S. shale producers are being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and experts are wondering when, and if, the oil industry will recover.
 
A rare intervention by the US helped seal crucial OPEC deal
As demand for fuel plummeted worldwide and the oil industry faced a devastating drop in oil prices, the U.S. took the rare move of stepping into negotiations involving the member countries of OPEC and non-members such as Russia and Mexico.
 
Trump says he expects Russia, Saudis to cut oil production
President Donald Trump says he expects Saudi Arabia and Russia will dramatically cut production and end an oil war that sent energy prices plummeting. But the Kremlin disputed part of his tweet, leading to skepticism that a deal was imminent.
 
US seeks $3 billion to boost oil producers as prices plunge
The Trump administration is seeking $3 billion from Congress to top up the country’s strategic petroleum reserves, potentially propping up U.S. oil producers after crude prices crashed globally.
 
Where parents feel like chauffeurs, companies step in
A handful of ride-hailing companies are enabling parents to order rides, and in some cases childcare, for children using smartphone apps.
 
While losses mount, Uber CEO expects profitability in 2021
The losses at Uber are mounting, but the ride-hailing heavyweight now predicts it will be profitable in about two years. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company’s goal is to reach profitability for the full year of 2021.
 
Congress calls on ride-hailing companies to improve safety
Snubbed by Uber and Lyft, a House committee went ahead with its hearing Wednesday on safety and employment issues plaguing ride-hailing companies.
 
Uber lays off 350 employees in Eats, autonomous vehicles
Uber is laying off 350 employees from its food delivery, autonomous vehicles, safety, insurance and other teams. The move is the latest in a string of staff reductions at the ride-hailing giant since its ill-fated initial public offering.
 
GE freezes pensions for 20K workers in bid to trim debt pile
General Electric is freezing the pension plans of about 20,000 of its workers and offering pension buyouts to 100,000 former employees as it attempts to reduce its mountain of debt.
 
Whistleblower accuses GE of fraud, misleading investors
A whistleblower who warned regulators about Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme is now accusing General Electric of misleading investors, sending the company’s stock on a downward spiral.
 
WeWork reveals rapid growth and massive losses ahead of IPO
WeWork’s parent company is giving investors the most detailed look yet at its finances ahead of its anticipated stock market debut. The office-sharing company revealed breakneck growth on the back of massive losses Wednesday in regulatory filing.
 
Uber lays off 400 employees from global marketing team
Uber is laying off 400 employees in marketing, about a quarter of the marketing team’s global workforce of 1,200 people.
 
Uber offers riders more legroom, less chatting at a price
Uber passengers can now get a more spacious ride and a less talkative driver _ if they’re willing to shell out a few extra dollars. The ride-hailing giant launched “comfort” rides Tuesday.
 
When electric scooters crash, who pays the bills?
As scooter riders push onto the streets of more than 100 cities worldwide, they’re exposing themselves to liability and most likely not insured for damages they may cause. A rider’s health insurance could defray the cost of their own medical bills.
 
Uber’s Q1 losses reach $1B despite revenue growth
Uber is continuing to bleed money even as it posts dramatic revenue growth. In its first financial release since its lackluster IPO, Uber reported Thursday that revenue rose to $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up 20% from the same time last year.
 
Uber shares continue sliding in first full day of trading
Uber shares sunk even further after the company’s disappointing stock market debut, as doubts lingered over its ability to turn a profit and trade tensions dragged the overall market.
 
Uber’s hyped-up IPO hits a few potholes on its first day
After much hype leading up to the largest initial public offering in five years, Uber hit a few potholes on its first day of trading. It closed down 8%, reflecting lingering doubts about its future prospects for profitability.
 
Occidental tries to outbid Chevron for Anadarko Petroleum
A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron’s deal announced earlier this month, a rare move not often seen in the U.S. oil industry.
 
Lyft pulls electric bikes off the road after brake problems
Ride-hailing giant Lyft has pulled 3,000 electric bikes off the streets after customers complained the bikes were braking too hard. Lyft removed electric bikes from its New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. markets.
 
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