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Business

USDA: Fla. orange crop down 36 percent after twin hurricanes this fall

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Production of oranges in Florida this season is forecast to be down 36% from earlier estimates, in part a reflection of twin hurricanes that battered growing regions, according to U.S. Agriculture Department figures released Friday. The latest forecast calls for ...

Southwest Airlines brings back dividend as travel rebounds

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines said Wednesday that it is bringing back dividends for shareholders, which it suspended when the pandemic devastated the airline business in early 2020. Dallas-based Southwest said in a regulatory filing that it will pay a quarterly dividend of 18 cents per ...

Ferrero buys Blue Bunny ice cream maker Wells Enterprises

The Associated Press Italian confectioner Ferrero said Wednesday it is acquiring Wells Enterprises, one of the largest U.S. ice cream makers, in a deal that will broaden both companies’ offerings. Wells, a 100-year-old family-owned company based in Le Mars, Iowa, makes Blue Bunny, Halo Top ...

Juul labs reaches settlements covering thousands of lawsuits

The Associated Press Embattled vaping company Juul Labs has reached settlements covering thousands of lawsuits over its e-cigarettes, which in recent years became a scourge in schools and communities nationwide. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Juul said that it has ...

Microsoft strikes 10-year deal with Nintendo on Call of Duty

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft agreed Wednesday to make the hit video game Call of Duty available on Nintendo for 10 years should its $69 billion purchase of game maker Activision Blizzard go through — an apparent attempt to fend off objections from rival Sony. The blockbuster merger is facing ...

US opens probe into Jeep Compass SUV engines shutting down

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that the engines on some small Jeeps can shut down while being driven. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 229,000 Jeep Compass SUVs from the 2019 and 2020 model years. Documents ...