The Latest: Fed sees no risk to dollar from cryptocurrencies

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting (all times local): 3:10 p.m. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is downplaying the possibility that digital currencies such as Facebook's planned "Libra" could supplant government-backed dollars any time soon. Powell tells...

Text of the Fed's statement after its meeting Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Below is the statement the Fed released Wednesday after its policy meeting ended: Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in May indicates that the labor market remains strong and that economic activity is rising at a moderate rate. Job gains have been solid, on...

3 things to watch for from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is likely — if not certain — to leave interest rates alone when its latest policy meeting ends Wednesday. But expectations are high that the Fed and its chairman, Jerome Powell, will signal that a rate cut may come soon for the first time in more than a...

Fed likely to leave rates alone but signal readiness to cut

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerome Powell has tantalized the financial world with the prospect that the Federal Reserve he leads may soon cut interest rates for the first time in over a decade. Probably not quite yet, though. When the Fed issues a policy statement Wednesday and Powell holds a news conference, the...

US retail sales rose 0.5% in May, led by online shopping

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their retail spending last month, a sign that recent worries about cautious consumers dragging on growth may have been overdone. The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales rose 0.5% in May, after a smaller gain of 0.3% in the previous month. April's figure...

The Latest: Iran's president meets with German FM in Tehran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on tensions between Iran and the U.S. and developments in the Persian Gulf region (all times local): 3:45 p.m. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has met with Germany's top diplomat amid heightened tensions over the country's unravelling nuclear accord with world powers. Rouhani...

Stern words from Iran: US cannot 'expect to stay safe'

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's foreign minister warned the U.S. on Monday that it "cannot expect to stay safe" after launching what he described as an economic war against Tehran, taking a hard-line stance amid a visit by Germany's top diplomat seeking to defuse tensions. A stern-faced Mohammad Javad Zarif...

Iran's foreign minister says the US, which launched an 'economic war' against Tehran, 'cannot expect to stay safe'

GOP officials rehash old fight against Volkswagen union vote

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Top Tennessee Republicans are predicting economic harm if workers at Volkswagen's car assembly plant in Chattanooga vote to unionize, and they are following a blueprint that helped GOP officials sink a similar vote five years ago. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted 712-626...

US hiring slows amid trade rifts and weaker global economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. hiring stumbled in May as employers added just 75,000 jobs, a sign that businesses have become more cautious in the face of weaker global growth, widening trade conflicts and perhaps some difficulty finding enough workers. Last month's modest job gain followed a much healthier...