Business Briefs – June 7, 2017

Small Businesses in Clean Energy Sector Still Hope for Best

NEW YORK (AP) – Small business owners who install solar panels or help customers use clean energy don’t seem fazed by President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. They’re confident in two trends they see: A growing awareness and concern about the environment, and a desire by consumers and businesses to lower their energy costs. energy sector.

Spanish Bank Buyout Showcases Europe’s New Anti-Crisis Rules

MADRID (AP) – Spain’s Banco Santander is paying the symbolic sum of 1 euro to take over troubled rival Banco Popular, in a deal that showcases Europe’s new system to rescue failing banks without stressing markets. Santander said Wednesday it will take over all the shares in Banco Popular, which had lost more than half their value since last week.

Ryan Won’t Commit to Treasury Timetable for Debt Increase

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker Paul Ryan won’t commit to holding a vote to increase the government’s borrowing cap this summer. Instead, the Wisconsin Republicans says the House will vote on must-do legislation to increase the so-called debt ceiling before the government defaults, but not necessarily by an August deadline requested by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

How President’s Climate Moves Affect the Coal Industry

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – President Donald Trump says withdrawing from a global climate change agreement will boost the U.S. economy, but existing market forces have had far more of an effect on the fossil fuel industries than climate regulations. For at least three years now, the coal industry has been reeling from growing competition from natural gas, wind and solar power. Environmental regulations enacted under President Barack Obama haven’t helped any but they’ve played a much smaller role.

Big Firms Join Race for Investors Looking to Make an Impact

NEW YORK (AP) – Impact investing has gone from niche into the mainstream, as more people look to put their money into investments that deliver a positive impact on the world, along with positive returns. Swell, a startup incubated by the insurance giant Pacific Life, is one of the latest entrants and offers a case study of how the industry’s biggest players are looking to tap into impact investing’s growth, particularly among younger generations.

World Economy Seen Picking Up, Political Uncertainty a Risk

PARIS (AP) – A global watchdog says the world economy is picking up speed but faces big political uncertainties and needs to be reformed to make growth work for a broader swath of people. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says in its latest outlook report, published Wednesday, that world growth should accelerate from 3 percent in 2016 to 3.6 percent in 2018.

Labor Secretary Defends Merging Anti-Discrimination Agencies

WASHINGTON (AP) – Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta says the Trump administration’s proposal to overhaul the way the government investigates workplace discrimination would not lessen enforcement of decades of civil rights law. But Democrats say the merger is part of a broader effort by the administration to roll back decades of civil rights protections.