MoneyWatch

The messaging service WhatsApp said this week it is piloting a new feature that allows U.S. users to send money without paying fees, using cryptocurrency. The new payment service marks yet another example of how digital currencies are becoming more accepted in the mainstream U.S. financial scene. The crypto feature …

Roughly 267,000 Americans applied for first-time weekly unemployment benefits last week, the lowest level since March of 2020, the Department of Labor reported Wednesday.  Jobless claims have steadily declined in recent months despite rising inflation, weaker consumer spending, supply and worker shortages, and the ongoing impact of the coronavirus. The four-week …

Elon Musk’s net worth has surpassed $300 billion, making him the first person on the planet to reach that milestone. It also means the Tesla chief executive is worth tens of billions more than the second-richest person on earth, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.  Musk was worth $302 billion as of …

Microsoft executives in 2008 warned Bill Gates to stop sending flirtatious emails to a female employee but dropped the matter after he told them he would stop, the company revealed Monday. The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Brad Smith, then Microsoft’s general counsel and now its president …

The Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a series of steps to limit pollution from long-lasting chemicals, known as PFAS, which …

Some of the nation’s largest college athletics programs stand to lose up to $150 million total this fall because their governing body has banned games outside their region to help control the coronavirus. The Big Ten and Pacific-12 conferences said their decision to play conference-only games announced this month was …

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday said it had settled charges against Steven Seagal over the actor’s failing to disclose he was being paid to pitch investing in an initial coin offering. The “Above the Law” star did not disclose he was promised $250,000 in cash and $750,000 …

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been surrounded by controversy in the past, and this year it’s just not happening, according to model Shanina Shaik, who leaked the news during an interview with The Daily Telegraph. “Unfortunately, the Victoria’s Secret show won’t be happening this year,” Shaik told the British …