Menthol Ban Would Boost Smuggling, Reduce Revenues, with Few Health Benefits

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled long-anticipated proposed regulations banning the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, part of ongoing efforts to support smoking cessation. Critics doubt, however, whether banning mentholated cigarettes will reduce smoking or instead simply channel menthol smokers toward other tobacco products—or smuggled menthols. And states have yet…

Climate change will drive new transmission of 4,000 viruses between mammals by 2070

Blaise Kadjo, a specialist in mammals and a professor at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny University, shows a species of bat in the researcg laboratary of the zoology and animal biology depertment at the University in Abidjan on February 4, 2021. – Scientists say that bats are a crucial part of the food chain, but are also…

Twitter reports user bump, revenue miss for Q1, days after accepting Musk’s takeover bid

In this article TWTR Musk would have been appointed to Twitter’s board on Saturday, but the world’s richest man informed the company on the day that he would not, in fact, be taking the board seat. Andrew Burton | Getty Images News | Getty Images Twitter is set to report earnings for the first quarter…

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Meta, McDonald’s, Teladoc, Ford and more

In this article FB TDOC LUV MCD CAT Pavlo Gonchar | LightRocket | Getty Images Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Meta Platforms — Shares of the company formerly known as Facebook surged 17% after reporting mixed first-quarter results. The company posted a beat in earnings but a disappointing revenue miss. It also…

Powerball’s $473.1 million jackpot has a winner. Here’s the tax bill

Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images A single lottery ticket sold in Arizona is about to change someone’s life — after the IRS takes a piece of the windfall, of course. Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing resulted in one ticket matching all six numbers drawn to land the $473.1 million jackpot. The amount…

Bank stocks, once a Buffett favorite, take a back seat at Berkshire Hathaway amid recession worries

In this article BRK.A Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. David A. Grogan | CNBC Warren Buffett has begun to unleash Berkshire Hathaway‘s massive cash stockpile in recent weeks, snapping up an insurer and multi-billion dollar stakes in energy and computer corporations. But his recent moves are more notable for what he has…

Most adults’ top financial priority right now is nonretirement savings, survey shows

Israel Sebastian | Moment | Getty Images There are some financial goals more pressing for adults right now than bulking up their nest egg. For 2022, just 17% have made saving for retirement their top financial priority, according to First National Bank of Omaha‘s latest financial wellness survey. And nearly half of respondents — 46%…

Biden says he’s not considering $50,000 in student loan forgiveness

U.S. President Joe Biden announces additional military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as well as fresh sanctions against Russia, during a speech in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, April 28, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he’ll have his answer on student loan forgiveness within…

Denmark becomes the first country to halt its Covid vaccination program

Health personnel are preparing injection syringes with Covid-19 vaccine in 2021 in Copenhagen, Denmark. the country has now announced it will suspend its vaccination program and will review whether it’s needed later in the year. Ole Jensen | Getty Images News | Getty Images Denmark has become the first country to halt its Covid vaccination…

Barclays beats expectations but suspends buybacks after U.S. trading blunder

A branch of Barclays Bank is seen, in London, Britain, February 23, 2022. Peter Nicholls | Reuters LONDON — Barclays on Thursday said had suspended its planned share buyback program on the back of a costly trading error in the U.S. It comes as it reported expectation-beating profit for the first quarter, as strong investment banking…

Huawei’s first quarter revenue tumbles by nearly 14% as smartphone sales plunge

Huawei’s smartphone business has struggled under U.S. sanctions that restrict it from buying chips and other components from key suppliers. Costfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei announced Thursday that first quarter revenue fell by nearly 14% from a year ago, while its profit margin more than halved. “Our…

Americans view these Asian countries as safer now than before the pandemic

A new study shows American travelers view many Asian nations as safer travel destinations now than they did four years ago. South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam rose in the annual safety rankings published by travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. The survey in the 2022 “State of Travel Insurance Report” also…