Business Briefs – June 29, 2017

What Amazon Wants From Whole Foods: Data on Shopping Habits

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon’s nearly $14 billion deal for Whole Foods isn’t just about getting more than 460 grocery stores. Ultimately, Amazon wants to sell Amazon and Whole Foods shoppers alike even more goods and services — including stuff they might not even realize they need. For that, Amazon will tap data-driven insights into how shoppers behave offline. Amazon could reconfigure stores to make them more profitable and suggest goods and services beyond groceries.

Murdoch Takeover Bid for Sky Delayed for Extra Scrutiny

LONDON (AP) – Britain’s government stalled Twenty-First Century Fox’s takeover of the Sky pay TV and broadband network Thursday after regulators said the deal could give Rupert Murdoch and his family too much influence over the country’s media. But investors and experts said the deal’s completion could be merely a matter of time as the concerns could be addressed by concessions by Twenty-First Century Fox.

Trump Plan Would Expand Oil Drilling in Arctic and Atlantic

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is taking steps to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans as President Donald Trump continues to push for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The Interior Department says it is rewriting a five-year drilling plan established by the Obama administration, with an eye toward opening areas in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. It’s one of six initiatives the president unveiled Thursday in hopes of generating more energy exports and jobs.

If GOP Can’t Repeal Obamacare, How Can They Overhaul Taxes?

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans’ struggle to pass a health care bill is jeopardizing efforts to overhaul America’s tax system, another one of President Donald Trump’s top priorities. A day after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delayed a vote on the health bill, questions lingered about whether congressional Republicans could pass big, complicated pieces of legislation.

Blue Apron Delivers Flat First Day on Stock Market

NEW YORK (AP) – Wall Street was not hungry for Blue Apron. The meal-kit company’s stock was flat Thursday after its first full day on the stock market.

Debt Deadline Now October, CBO Says as Deficit Spikes

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new government estimate says the drop-dead deadline for Congress to increase the government’s borrowing authority and avoid a devastating economic default is early to mid-October. The Congressional Budget Office also predicts the federal budget deficit will spike to $693 billion this year. That’s $134 billion more than it predicted in January, mostly because of slipping tax revenue projections.

Large Study Links Key Pesticide To Weakened Honeybee Hives

WASHINGTON (AP) – A large study finds yet more honeybee problems with a common but much criticized pesticide. Scientists studying real-life conditions in the field saw honeybee hives in Hungary and England were significantly weaker after the bees fed on plants where the seeds were treated with neonicotinoids. But bees weren’t harmed when the same experiment was done in Germany. Scientists think that the insecticide hurts hives that are already weakened by disease, parasites or poor diet.

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