AP Business SummaryBrief at 10:29 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press

Some smaller news outlets in swing states can’t afford election coverage. AP is helping them

NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press says it will provide free campaign and election night coverage to dozens of small and independent newsrooms located in swing states, through a program funded by a Knight Foundation grant. Several newsrooms in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada will qualify. The Institute for Nonprofit News says the material will augment local political coverage at outlets that are often the only source of independent news in a community. The grant comes during troubled financial times for the news industry; the Gannett and McClatchy chain of local news outlets said earlier this year they would stop paying for AP material

US inflation cools again, potentially paving way for Fed to cut interest rates soon

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States cooled in June for a third straight month, a sign that the worst price spike in four decades is steadily fading and may soon usher in interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. In a better-than-expected report, consumer prices declined 0.1% from May to June after having remained flat the previous month, the government said Thursday. Measured from 12 months earlier, prices were up 3% in June, down from 3.3% in May. The latest inflation readings could help convince the Fed’s policymakers that inflation is returning to its 2% target.

Groceries are expensive, but they don’t have to break the bank. Here are some tips to save

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’ve noticed that you’re paying more than before for the same amount of groceries, you’re not the only one. Inflation is easing slightly, but grocery prices are still high. Unlike some other items, you can’t just stop buying groceries when they get pricy. There’s nothing you can do about inflation, but you can find ways to save on groceries so they don’t heavily impact your wallet or your eating habits. These include using coupons, budgeting, and buying in bulk.

IRS collects milestone $1 billion in back taxes from high-wealth taxpayers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS has collected $1 billion in back taxes from high-wealth tax cheats — a milestone meant to showcase how the agency is making use of the money it received as part of the Biden administration’s signature climate, health care and tax package signed into law in 2022. The announcement Thursday comes as the much-maligned agency shows the public how much work it is getting done. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen praises the Inflation Reduction Act for “increasing tax fairness and ensuring that all wealthy taxpayers pay the taxes they owe, just like working families do.”

Marathon Oil reaches $241 million settlement with EPA for environmental violations in North Dakota

The federal government announced a $241.5 million settlement with Marathon Oil on Thursday for alleged air quality violations at the company’s oil and gas operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice said the settlement requires Marathon to reduce climate- and health-harming emissions from those facilities and will result in over 2.3 millions tons worth of pollution reduction. Attorney General Merrick Garland calls the settlement “historic” and says it “will ensure cleaner air for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other communities in North Dakota, while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution.”

Biden awards $1.7 billion to boost electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly in 8 states

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is awarding nearly $2 billion in grants to help restart or expand electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly sites in eight states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The Energy Department will issue grants totaling $1.7 billion to General Motors, Stellantis and other automakers to create or retain thousands of union jobs and support auto-based communities. Besides the three battleground states, grants also will go to EV facilities in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia. The White House says that the grants cover a broad range of the automotive supply chain, including electric motorcycles and school buses, hybrid powertrains, heavy-duty commercial truck batteries and electric SUVs.

EU accepts Apple pledge to let rivals access ‘tap to pay’ iPhone tech to resolve antitrust case

LONDON (AP) — The European Union says it’s accepting Apple’s pledge to open up its “tap to pay” iPhone payment system to rivals as a way to resolve an antitrust case and head off a potential hefty fine. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, said Thursday that it’s accepting the commitments that Apple offered earlier this year and will make them legally binding. The Commission had accused Apple in 2022 of abusing its dominant position by limiting access to its mobile payment technology. The changes that Apple is making are to remain in force for a decade and apply throughout the bloc’s 27 countries plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

Biden’s challenge: Will he ever satisfy the media’s appetite for questions about his ability?

NEW YORK (AP) — If you watched President Joe Biden’s news conference, two weeks after a poor debate performance, you may have been reassured by his ability to talk about complex issues. Or you may have been alarmed about his gaffe, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as Trump, or times he seemed to lose his train of thought. That’s his essential problem dealing with the media. The questions about whether his campaign can move forward dominated the news conference and seem unlikely to go away if he continues with his candidacy.

Dollar General agrees to pay $12 million fine to settle alleged workplace safety violations

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Labor says Dollar General has agreed to pay a $12 million fine and improve conditions at its thousands of retail stores nationwide to make them safer for workers. The discount retailer and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached the settlement to resolve alleged violations that included unsafe storage, blocked emergency exits and fire extinguishers, and inaccessible electrical panels. The deal announced on Thursday requires Dollar General to significantly reduce inventory and improve stocking to prevent such hazards. The company also must hire more safety managers. The agreement covers all of the Goodlettsville, Tennessee, company’s 20,000 stores in the U.S. with the exception of its pOpshelf locations.

Higher costs and low base fares send Delta’s profit down 29%. The airline still earned $1.31 billion

Americans are traveling in record numbers this summer, but Delta Air Lines says it saw second-quarter profit drop 29% due to higher costs and discounting of base-level fares across the industry. The airline is also predicting a lower profit than Wall Street expects for the third quarter. Delta said Thursday that it earned $1.31 billion in the second quarter, down from more than $1.83 billion last year. The weaker profit came despite revenue of $16.66 billion, a company record for the quarter. T But Delta’s costs are rising even faster. The airline spent much more on labor, jet fuel and other big items than it did in the April through June period of last year.