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The number of Americans applying for jobless aid slips to 203,000 as layoffs remain low

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining at historic lows as layoffs are rare and most Americans enjoy job security. Jobless claims slipped to 203,000 last week from a revised 207,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, ticked up slightly to 205,500. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can provide early clues of where the job market is headed. For the past year, ...

Trump administration relied on flawed logic to justify scrapping vehicle emission rules, study says

The Trump administration relied on flawed logic to justify scrapping vehicle emissions standards this year, making errors in how it accounted for fuel savings, the price of technology and mileage, according to a new study by a group of economists. Correcting those errors would negate the economic benefits that the administration said would come from eliminating greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and trucks, according to the paper published Thursday in the journal Science. The Trump administration got rid of the emissions standards earlier this year when it revoked what’s ...

Pentagon orders audit of 30 universities’ partnerships with foreign institutions

The Department of Defense has ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with mostly Chinese universities and military training institutions as the Trump administration scrutinizes the country’s growing global influence. If the schools don’t complete a review and terminate any arrangements deemed problematic within the next two weeks, they face losing funding. The goal is to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation, the Pentagon said Monday. “The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national ...

One Tech Tip: How to keep your child’s tablets, laptops from becoming distractions from schoolwork

Tablets and computers have become crucial school supplies for many students. But the same devices children use to read text, write essays, solve math problems or research history projects can also offer distractions in the form of games, social media and web browsing. It can be a challenge for parents to figure out how to help children stay focused when using these devices. That can be especially complicated with school-managed devices, where parents may have limited control over settings and restrictions. Helpful options can include using built-in tools and settings on devices, ...

Juul gets OK to sell updated vaping device with age-gating technology

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vaping company Juul Labs on Friday received federal permission to sell an updated version of its e-cigarette, which includes an optional age-verification system designed to prevent underage use. The decision from the Food and Drug Administration allows the company to sell a new version of its top-selling vaping device for the first time since it launched more than a decade ago. In recent years, the company has had to lay off hundreds of employees while paying roughly $3 billion to settle government and private lawsuits over teen use of its products. Juul plans to ...