At Google antitrust trial, documents say one thing. The tech giant’s witnesses say different

At Google antitrust trial, documents say one thing. The tech giant’s witnesses say different

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The judge who will decide whether Google holds a monopoly over technology that matches buyers and sellers of online advertising must choose whether to believe what Google executives wrote or what they have said on the witness stand. The Justice Department is wrapping up its antitrust case against Google this week at … Read more

Treasury rule would expand tax credits for installing electric vehicle chargers

Treasury rule would expand tax credits for installing electric vehicle chargers

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is moving to clarify how homeowners and businesses can receive lucrative tax credits for installing electric vehicle chargers. A rule proposed Wednesday by the Treasury Department would make credits worth up to $1,000 for individuals and $100,000 for businesses available for each EV charger that is installed. If finalized, the … Read more

Weekly applications for US jobless benefits fall to the lowest level in 4 months

Weekly applications for US jobless benefits fall to the lowest level in 4 months

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in four months last week. Jobless claims slid by 12,000, to 219,000, for the week of Sept. 14, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than economists’ expectations for 230,000 new filings. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, considered largely representative of layoffs, … Read more

A volunteer network of interpreters wants to make refugees’ languages more accessible. Will AI help?

A volunteer network of interpreters wants to make refugees’ languages more accessible. Will AI help?

NEW YORK — They may be Tigrinya speakers fleeing the authoritarian Eritrean government’s indefinite military service policy. Or Rohingya people escaping ethnic violence in Myanmar. But refugees navigating resettlement often face a shared hurdle: poor machine translations and a short supply of interpreters knowledgeable in their less-serviced languages. Tarjimly, a Google-backed nonprofit described as “Uber … Read more

Bank of England keeps its main interest rate on hold at 5% in wake of big US Fed rate cut

Bank of England keeps its main interest rate on hold at 5% in wake of big US Fed rate cut

LONDON — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at 5% Thursday despite a big cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve, its first since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic more than four years ago. The decision was widely expected amid ongoing concerns about inflation within the bank’s monetary policy committee, particularly … Read more