Big Wall Street banks have started enforcing stricter mask and vaccine requirements for staff, sometimes communicating them behind the scenes, in an effort to combat Covid-19 infections in their offices while avoiding a fierce national debate about individual rights, sources at the banks and consultants who work with them told Reuters. 

The Federal Reserve may be wrestling with an inflation problem, but two former senior staffers at the US central bank argue that continued higher prices in the future may be what is needed to shift the whole economy to a higher plateau and deliver a jobs boom that helps the broadest set of people. 

US and European stock markets made modest gains on Friday after days of records as concerns about the pandemic sparked a surprise collapse in US consumer confidence.

Ford Motor Co said late on Friday it will ask the US Patent Office to rescind trademarks obtained by rival General Motors Co for the terms “Cruise” and “Super Cruise,” escalating a brawl GM began by suing Ford over its use of “Blue Cruise” for an automated driving system.

A decade after Libya descended into chaos, a host of countries are eyeing potential multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects in the oil-rich nation if stability is assured.

US value stocks may be getting a second wind, as bets on economic strength bolster Treasury yields and lift cyclically-sensitive shares that have stagnated in recent months after a powerful rally earlier this year. 

Oil prices dipped on Friday and ended the week little changed after weathering concerns from banks and the International Energy Agency that the spread of coronavirus variants is slowing oil demand. 

US consumer sentiment dropped sharply in early August to its lowest level in a decade, in a worrying sign for the economy as Americans gave faltering outlooks on everything from personal finances to inflation and employment, a survey showed on Friday. 

US consumer prices jumped again in July, as spiking gasoline prices continue to fuel inflation, prompting the White House on Wednesday to call for oil producers to open the taps to boost supply.

US oil major Exxon Mobil Corp, along with Chevron Corp, is seeking to bulk up in the burgeoning renewable fuels space by finding ways to make such products at existing facilities, sources familiar with the efforts said.

A group of 29 US House Democrats want congressional leaders to include at least $160 billion in additional funding for electric vehicles as part of a $3.5 trillion spending measure, according to a letter seen by Reuters. 

The US Senate approved a $3.5 trillion spending blueprint for President Joe Biden’s top priorities early on Wednesday morning in a 50-49 vote along party lines, after lawmakers sparred over the need for huge spending to fight climate change and poverty.

The US Senate has set a Tuesday vote on passage of a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that is one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities, and then will immediately begin to debate a more far-reaching $3.5 trillion bill.

US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc sold 32,968 China-made vehicles in July, including 24,347 for export, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said on Tuesday.

JPMorgan Chase & Co employees in the United States will be required to wear masks in public indoor settings and in common areas within its offices regardless of their vaccination status, the bank told staff in a memo on Friday. 

The US Senate voted to advance a $1 trillion infrastructure package on Saturday but remained on a slow path toward passage with two Republicans openly opposing behind-the-scenes efforts to wrap up work on one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities. 

The economic boost from an expected $1 trillion infrastructure bill working its way through the US Senate has helped push Wall Street stocks near record levels, but some investors are concerned that the next two months in Washington could be rocky.

Amazon will require all of its US employees to wear a mask at work regardless of their vaccination status.

US employers hired the most workers in nearly a year in July and continued to raise wages, giving the economy a powerful boost as it started the second half of what many economists believe will be the best year for growth in almost four decades. 

US President Joe Biden was scheduled to sign an executive order on Thursday setting a target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles and propose new vehicle emissions rules to cut pollution through 2026, the White House said.