Business

The Washington Blade reports: The D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on March 13 suspended the liquor license for the DC Eagle gay bar and nightclub for seven days and fined the club $2,000 over an incident last fall involving former mayor and current D.C. Council member Vincent Gray [photo]. News of the license suspension and fine surfaced on Wednesday when …

The Huffington Post reports: Contrary to Jeff Bezos’ suspicions, it wasn’t the White House, Saudi Arabia or hackers who provided the National Enquirer with the cache of racy text messages that the Amazon founder sent to his girlfriend. Instead, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, it was her brother who shared the private messages with the …

The New York Times reports: Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook struck with some of the world’s largest technology companies, intensifying scrutiny of the social media giant’s business practices as it seeks to rebound from a year of scandal and setbacks. A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent …

Variety reports: Disney has set March 20 as the closing date for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Disney announced the formal closing process Tuesday morning, indicating that the company has received the last major approval for the deal from regulators in Mexico. Disney said current 21st Century Fox shareholders will have until 5 p.m. ET Thursday to choose the …

Reuters reports: Apple Inc on Monday invited media to a March 25 event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, where it is expected to launch a television and video service. Sources previously told Reuters that the company is targeting April for the launch of a streaming television service that will likely include subscription TV service. …

Yahoo News reports: The U.S. economy added a sharply lower-than-expected 20,000 non-farm payrolls in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Consensus expectations called for 180,000 positions to be added for the month, according to Bloomberg data. February’s headline reading for new payrolls was the weakest in 17 months. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, from 4% in January. …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Philadelphia is the first major U.S. city to ban cashless stores, placing it at the forefront of a debate that pits retail innovation against lawmakers trying to protect all citizens’ access to the marketplace. Starting in July, Philadelphia’s new law will require most retail stores to accept cash. A New York City councilman is pushing …

NBC News reports: A sprawling General Motors assembly plant near Youngstown was idled on Wednesday after more than 50 years producing cars and other vehicles, a move that will eliminate nearly 1,700 hourly positions by month’s end. GM announced late last year that Lordstown along with three plants in the U.S. and one in Canada would close by early next …

Bloomberg reports: The U.S. trade deficit widened in 2018 to a 10-year high of $621 billion, bucking President Donald Trump’s pledges to reduce it, as tax cuts boosted domestic demand for imports while the strong dollar and retaliatory tariffs weighed on exports. The annual deficit in goods and services increased by $68.8 billion, or 12.5 percent, Commerce Department data showed …

Forbes reports: Capitalism is taking some lumps—and not just in the headlines. For only the second year in a decade, both the number of billionaires and their total wealth shrank, proving that even the wealthiest are not immune to economic forces and weak stock markets. By our latest count there are 2,153 billionaires, 55 fewer than a year ago. Of …

CNBC reports: The Food and Drug Administration called out 15 retailers on Monday for allegedly selling tobacco products to minors and requested information from more than 40 e-cigarette companies the agency thinks may have illegally introduced new products onto the market. The agency named corporate-owned and franchise retailers who were allegedly found selling tobacco products to minors more than 15 …

Reuters reports: OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP is exploring filing for bankruptcy to address potentially significant liabilities from thousands of lawsuits alleging the drug manufacturer contributed to the deadly opioid crisis sweeping the United States, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The deliberations show how Purdue and its wealthy owners, the Sackler family, are under pressure to respond …

The New York Times reports: The drugmaker Eli Lilly will begin selling a cheaper version of its most popular insulin, Humalog, in an effort to head off criticism about the rising costs of prescription drugs, the company said Monday. Lilly will begin selling an “authorized generic” of Humalog 100 for $137.35 per vial, a 50 percent discount off the list …

The Verge reports: Amazon has said it’s ending plans for a New York City headquarters, but a group of state officials, businesspeople, and union leaders are asking the company to stay. In an open letter set to be published in the New York Times tomorrow, the group will ask Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to reconsider the company’s decision to abandon …

CNBC reports: Gap Inc. said Thursday it will split into two independent publicly traded companies — one comprised of its Old Navy brand, and the second a yet-to-be-named company that includes its other brands like Banana Republic and Athleta. Its shares surged more than 20 percent in after-hours trading on the news. Following a review by Gap’s board of directors, …

Next Gov reports: Google failed to mention that there’s a microphone inside its Nest Secure home device product and three Senate Republicans say Americans need to know more. Nest owners were caught by surprise earlier this month, when the company announced on its Twitter that users could activate a microphone within the Nest that would enable new features. Though the …

Reuters reports: Marijuana producer Canopy Growth has roped in lifestyle guru Martha Stewart as an adviser to help develop and launch a line of pot-based products for both humans and animals, it said on Thursday. Stewart, a 90s icon who became a household name through her cooking and lifestyle shows, co-hosts a show with rapper Snoop Dogg, who made headlines …

CBS News reports: More than 86 tons of frozen Boston Market dinners are being recalled from retailers across the U.S., as well as from a Defense Department facility, after consumers reported that some items contained pieces of glass or plastic. Produced by Bellisio Foods in Jackson, Ohio, between Dec. 7, 2018, to Feb. 15, 2019, the boneless pork rib patties …

CNN reports: An appeals court has rejected the Justice Department’s bid to overturn a ruling that cleared the way for AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner. At a hearing in December, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges Judith W. Rogers, Robert L. Wilkins and David B. Sentelle grilled the Justice Department’s attorneys about their contention that the original decision by Judge …

CNBC reports: Boeing announced Tuesday the nomination of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley for election to the company’s board of directors. Haley served as ambassador to the U.N. under President Donald Trump from January 2017 until December, when she resigned. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to Boeing’s continued success as a cutting …