Business Briefs – May 21, 2017

Volkswagen Has Fix for More Cars in Cheating Scandal

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – U.S. and California regulators have approved a fix for more Volkswagen cars caught up in the company’s emissions cheating scandal. The California Air Resources Board announced Friday that Volkswagen would provide owners of additional 2-liter diesel vehicles with the option of a modification to bring them into compliance with U.S. emissions standards.

Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Drone Registration Rule

WASHINGTON (AP) – An appeals court has struck down a Federal Aviation Administration rule that requires owners to register drones used for recreation. The ruling on Friday is a victory for hobbyists. The FAA had cited safety concerns as it tried to tighten regulation of the fast-growing army of drone operators. Some pilots of commercial airliners have reported close calls with drones flying near airports.

Prospect of NAFTA Rewrite Gives U.S. Farmers a Case of Jitters

WASHINGTON (AP) – A big majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trump’s presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health-care law. But many are nervous about Trump’s vow to overhaul trade policy, including his plan announced Thursday to renegotiate NAFTA.

Trump’s message that NAFTA was a job-killing disaster had never resonated much in rural America. NAFTA had widened access to Mexican and Canadian markets, boosting U.S. farm exports and benefiting many farmers.

Trump’s Pick for Deputy Treasury Secretary Withdraws

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s choice to be deputy treasury secretary, bank executive Jim Donovan, is withdrawing from consideration to be second in command for Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Treasury spokesman Tony Sayegh says Donovan withdrew to focus “his attention on his family.” Donovan is a managing director at Goldman Sachs and an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Experts Question North Korea Role in WannaCry Cyberattack

TOKYO (AP) – Experts are questioning whether North Korea was behind the WannaCry cyberattack attack, saying it doesn’t fit the pattern of previous hacks blamed on Pyongyang. Identifying hackers behind sophisticated attacks is a notoriously difficult task. Proving they are acting under the explicit orders of a nation state is even trickier. Experts ask why, for example, would Pyongyang carry out a big hack that hurt its two closest strategic partners, China and Russia, for less than $100,000 in ransom.

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