Business News

Even with the U. S. economy booming and the job market strong, hiring has slowed among one category of employers: Small businesses. Yet it isn't because these companies are hurting.

The longtime PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is stepping down. The company said Monday that she'll be succeeded by seasoned PepsiCo executive Ramon Laguarta. Nooyi, 64, has been with PepsiCo Inc.

A jury's $289 million award to a former school groundskeeper who said Monsanto's Roundup left him dying of cancer will bolster thousands of pending cases and open the door for countless people who blame their suffering on the weed killer, the man's lawyers said. "I'm glad to be here to be able to help in a cause that's way bigger than me," Dewayne Johnson said at a news conference Friday after the verdict was announced. Johnson, 46, alleges that heavy contact with the herbicide caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Even if you have "Location History" off, Google often stores your precise location. Here's how to delete those markers and some best-effort practices that keep your location as private as possible. But there's no panacea, because simply connecting to the internet on any device flags an IP address that can be geographically mapped.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is defending his company's decision not to ban right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his "Infowars" show. Dorsey's remarks, in a series of tweets late Tuesday, came after other tech companies removed Jones' content for violating hate speech policies. Dorsey said Twitter didn't suspend Jones or "Infowars" because "he hasn't violated our rules.

Dental health experts worry that more people are using toothpaste that skips the most important ingredient — fluoride — and leaves them at a greater risk of cavities. Most toothpastes already contain fluoride.

President Donald Trump is backing calls for a Harley-Davidson boycott amid an ongoing steel tariff dispute. Harley-Davidson drew Trump's wrath in June after the manufacturer announced it is moving production of motorcycles sold in Europe to facilities outside the U. S. The company blames the decision on tariffs imposed by the European Union to retaliate for tariffs Trump imposed on a host of EU products. On Sunday Trump tweeted that "many" Harley-Davidson owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas. That followed Trump's meeting on Saturday with about 180 bikers who are part of a "Bikers for Trump" fan group at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson did not respond to a request for comment.

The TV commercial is promoting the burger chain's new Teriyaki Bowls.        

Board members at Tesla are evaluating CEO and Chairman Elon Musk's $72 billion proposal to take the electric car and solar panel maker private. Six of nine members say in a statement Wednesday that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week.

Amazon, known for bringing items to shoppers, is adding a curbside pickup option at Whole Foods for Prime members. Shoppers will be able to order groceries on the Prime Now app and park in reserved spaces for workers to place the items in their cars. Curbside grocery pickup is a feature that Walmart, Kroger and other grocers have been expanding to make shopping more convenient and boost sales.

Apple has become the world's first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion. The milestone marks the financial fruit of stylish technology that has redefined society since two mavericks named Steve started the company 42 years ago. The peak reached Thursday seemed unimaginable in 1997 when Apple teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, with its stock trading for less than $1. To survive, Apple brought back its once-exiled co-founder, Steve Jobs, as interim CEO and turned to its archrival Microsoft for a $150 million cash infusion to help pay its bills. Jobs eventually introduced such popular products as the iPod and iPhone that have driven Apple's rise. Apple shares rose 2.7 percent to an all-time high of $207.05 around midday.

Shoppers are snidely tweeting fictitious new names for grocery stores in response to President Trump's comments that voter ID cards should be required because grocery shoppers must show identification, too.