US factory activity slows; inflation pressures subside

U.S. factory activity slowed in April while consumer spending was unchanged in March and a key inflation measure recorded its first monthly drop since 2001, but economists still expect an interest rate increase in June as the labor market tightens. The weak reports on...

Grocery stores devote more space to fresh food, threatening big-name brands

Supermarkets today are picking fresh food, hot dishes and locally made items to display throughout stores, with shelf space devoted to dry goods on the decline, The Wall Street Journal reported. New Jersey-based ShopRite, for example, is building new stores that have...

Macron, Le Pen exchange May Day blows across Paris

Centrist presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen traded campaign blows across Paris on May Day, as France’s most crucial election in decades entered its final week. Macron sought for a third successive day to paint National...

UPS air maintenance workers threaten strike ahead of shareholders meeting

A union representing 1,200 U.S. air maintenance workers at United Parcel Service turned up pressure on the company on Sunday to settle a three-year contract dispute, saying it would seek clearance to strike. The union is taking its grievances directly to UPS...

White House is open for business leaders—and their ideas

WASHINGTON — In a meeting at the White House with business leaders two weeks into his presidency, Donald J. Trump turned to Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase. Aren’t the Chinese manipulating their currency? Mr. Trump asked, according to...

Defense industry CEOs vent about ongoing budget mess in Washington

Congress’ failure to reach a 2017 spending bill brought fresh headaches for major defense contractors who say uncertainty over Pentagon funding hurts their planning and could have consequences for military readiness. “There’s a lot of frustration and...