Water provider asks for nearly 5% rate increase

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia American Water wants a nearly 5% rate increase for customers. The utility asked state regulators last week to approve a the surcharge for infrastructure improvements, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. West...

EU lawmakers back gas, nuclear energy as sustainable

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers voted Wednesday to include natural gas and nuclear in the bloc's list of sustainable activities, backing a proposal from the EU's executive arm that has been drawing fierce criticism from environment groups and now looks set to trigger legal challenges. ...

Microsoft's Activision Blizzard bid faces UK antitrust probe

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft's acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard faces antitrust scrutiny in the U.K., where competition regulators said Wednesday they've opened an initial inquiry into the $69 billion deal. The Competition and Markets Authority said it has started...

Amazon faces UK investigation over anti-competitive concerns

LONDON (AP) — Britain's competition watchdog is investigating whether Amazon is harming competition and hurting consumers by giving an unfair advantage to merchants that pay for extra services. The Competition and Markets Authority's formal investigation said Wednesday that it...

European Union lawmakers back plan to include natural gas, nuclear energy as sustainable activities

EU chief warns of danger of complete cut-off of Russian gas

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the 27-nation European Union needs to make emergency plans to prepare for a complete cut-off of Russian gas in the wake of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. “It is obvious: (Russian President...

FDA temporarily suspends order banning Juul cigarettes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration issued an administrative stay Tuesday on the order it issued last month for vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the market. The agency said on Twitter that the stay temporarily suspends the marketing denial...

NY firm pays $10K state ethics penalty to settle CT case

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A New York-based maritime company has agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty to Connecticut regulators who say the firm violated the state's ethics rules by providing gifts to employees and a board member of the quasi-public Connecticut Port Authority, including NHL tickets,...

Gov: Maine won't help prosecute abortion seekers, providers

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine will not cooperate with other states' investigations into people who seek abortions or health care providers that perform them, the state's governor said Tuesday. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed an executive order that she said will protect access to...

Californians to vote on 7 ballot measures this November

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters will weigh in on seven ballot measures this fall, the fewest to appear on a statewide general election ballot since 2014. Thursday was the deadline to qualify measures for the November ballot. Secretary of State Shirley Weber confirmed...