Reuters USA

(Reuters) – Humana Inc said on Thursday it will exit the employer group insurance business in a phased manner over the next 18 to 24 months and focus primarily on government-funded programs and specialty businesses. The company said it does not expect the move to impact its full-year 2023 forecast. It now expects first-quarter earnings …

Humana to exit employer group insurance business Read More »

By Michael Erman NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has sent the nation’s top patent regulator a letter urging close scrutiny of Merck & Co’s requests for new patents on its blockbuster cancer treatment Keytruda, saying further efforts to protect the drug could be an abuse of the system. “It is not at all …

Senator Warren urges U.S. patent office to scrutinize Merck’s Keytruda Read More »

(Reuters) – Wall Street’s main stock indexes opened higher on Thursday as a strong sales forecast from Nvidia boosted chipmakers, although a surprise fall in weekly jobless claims added to worries that the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates for longer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 130.30 points, or 0.39%, at the open …

Wall St opens higher as Nvidia offsets Fed jitters Read More »

By Natalia Siniawski MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico’s headline inflation decelerated more than forecast by analysts in early February, data from the national statistics agency showed on Thursday. Annual headline inflation in the first half of the month came down to 7.76% from 7.94% a month earlier, while economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.80%. Meanwhile …

Mexico’s inflation decreases slightly more than forecast Read More »

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled on Thursday a long-awaited overhaul of arms export policy with increased emphasis on human rights, backing off a Trump-era policy of giving more weight to commercial concerns. As Reuters reported on Wednesday, the new Commercial Arms Transfer (CAT) policy covers review of security …

U.S. weapons sales to get stricter human rights review under Biden Read More »

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese authorities charged longtime central bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants on Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment after months of delay in the high-profile case. But the development has also prompted fears that authorities in Lebanon, where Salameh still enjoys high-level political backing, …

Explainer-The probes into Lebanese central bank chief Salameh Read More »

By Timothy Aeppel NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio (Reuters) – A 77-year-old factory in a hard-luck Ohio town sputtered into high gear to produce a new line of electric garbage trucks. A short drive away, construction began on a $20 billion plant that will take pizza-sized silicon wafers and make them into computer chips used in everything …

Chips, EVs power Biden’s big bet on America’s industrial policy Read More »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, continuing to signal persistently tight labor market conditions. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 192,000 for the week ended Feb. 18, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had …

U.S. weekly jobless claims fall ; fourth-quarter growth trimmed Read More »

By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will host an event for top donors and social-media influencers this weekend, the latest in a flurry of moves that suggest he’s ramping up to battle former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. About 150 guests are expected to attend the three-day event …

DeSantis to host donors ahead of likely 2024 White House bid Read More »