DC CHARTERS OFFER INNOVATIONS IN PANDEMIC-ERA EDUCATION

Returning to school in the nation’s capital during the pandemic has proven to be an ongoing experiment in learning — and not just for students.

BANK PROFITS REMAIN RESILIENT DESPITE LINGERING PANDEMIC

Unemployment remains high, many small businesses are struggling, and there are few signs that Congress and the White House can soon agree on another stimulus package to help the U.S. economy in the pandemic. But Wall Street banks are on the rebound after slumping the first six months of the year.

CHINESE RETAILER MINISO TO RAISE ABOUT $562 MILLION IN IPO

Miniso, a Chinese discount retailer known for its fashionable but affordable household products, is expected to raise up to $562 million in a U.S. initial public offering in New York.

US LAYOFFS REMAIN ELEVATED AS 898,000 SEEK JOBLESS AID

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to 898,000, a historically high number and evidence that layoffs remain a hindrance to the economy’s recovery from the pandemic recession that erupted seven months ago.

WALMART TO SPREAD OUT DEALS TO AVOID BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS

Walmart says it will spread out its traditional one-day Black Friday deals over three weekends in November in an effort to reduce crowds in its stores during a pandemic.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY OFFICIAL DEFENDS RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC

The airline industry has been shaken to its core by the pandemic, pushing some foreign carriers into bankruptcy and driving a few small U.S. ones out of business.

A TASTE FOR TRAVEL? FINNAIR TO SELL PLANE FOOD IN SHOPS

Finnish carrier Finnair will start selling business class airplane food in supermarkets in a move to keep its catering staff employed and to offer a taste of the airline experience to those missing flying in the COVID-19 times.

SOFIA COPPOLA'S ‘ON THE ROCKS' IS A MODEST DELIGHT

Few filmmakers can bring a rut to life like Sofia Coppola. When her characters are in a funk, whether it’s a Hollywood actor in between jobs, a few lost souls in a foreign place or a Queen, it’s never the stuff of melodrama.

SMALL GYMS DEVASTATED BY CORONAVIRUS FEAR, RESTRICTIONS

There’s little evidence of Americans’ passion for fitness at the tens of thousands of small and independent gyms around the country.

3 SCIENTISTS WIN NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE FOR BLACK HOLE RESEARCH

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics for establishing the all-too-weird reality of black holes — the straight-out-of-science-fiction cosmic monsters that suck up light and time and will eventually swallow us, too.

MORGAN STANLEY BUYING EATON VANCE IN DEAL VALUED AT $7B

Morgan Stanley will buy the investment management firm Eaton Vance in a deal valued at about $7 billion.

NICE KNOWING YOU: LONDON HEATHROW'S FAREWELL TO BA'S JUMBOS

British Airways’ last two Boeing 747 planes at the airline’s historic base of London’s Heathrow Airport made their final flight Thursday, the fleet’s retirement having been brought forward by the coronavirus pandemic.

MALCOLM JENKINS STARTS VENTURE CAPITAL FUND WITH NFL PLAYERS

Malcolm Jenkins has teamed with fellow NFL players to launch a venture capital fund.

HAWAII PUSHES FORWARD WITH TOURISM DESPITE SAFETY CONCERNS

Despite increasing coronavirus cases across the U.S., Hawaii officials hope to reboot tourism next week by loosening months of economically crippling pandemic restrictions, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving travelers.

FRENCH COURT: GOOGLE MUST OPEN PAYMENT TALKS WITH PUBLISHERS

A French appeals court upheld an order for Google to open negotiations with French publishers over payments to use their news content.

2 SCIENTISTS WIN NOBEL CHEMISTRY PRIZE FOR GENE-EDITING TOOL

The Nobel Prize in chemistry went to two researchers Wednesday for a gene-editing tool that has revolutionized science by providing a way to alter DNA, the code of life — technology already being used to try to cure a host of diseases and raise better crops and livestock.

FACEBOOK BRACES FOR CONTESTED ELECTION, VOTER INTIMIDATION

Facebook said it’s readied new safeguards for the 2020 U.S. elections that have it better prepared to deal with candidates who prematurely declare victory or contest official results and the possibility of voter intimidation by alleged — and potentially armed — “poll watchers.”

German Privacy Watchdog Fines H&M $41M For Spying On Workers

A German privacy watchdog said Thursday that it is fining clothing retailer H&M 35.3 million euros ($41 million) after the company was found to have spied on some of its employees in Germany.

Amazon To Kick Off Holiday Shopping With October Prime Day

Amazon is aiming to kickstart the holiday shopping season early this year.

‘BORAT' SEQUEL TO BE RELEASED BY AMAZON BEFORE ELECTION

Borat is back. Sacha Baron Cohen has filmed a sequel to his 2006 film “Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” that Amazon plans to release before the election.

HIGH DEMAND FOR FLU SHOTS? EXPERTS HOPE TO AVOID ‘TWINDEMIC'

October is prime time for flu vaccinations, and the U.S. and Europe are gearing up for what experts hope is high demand as countries seek to avoid a “twindemic” with COVID-19.

WALMART LOOKS TO AIRPORTS AS INSPIRATION OF NEW STORE LAYOUT

Walmart is getting inspiration from the airport terminal as it revamps the layout and signage of its stores to speed up shopping and better cater to smartphone-armed customers.

US LAYOFFS REMAIN ELEVATED AS 837,000 SEEK JOBLESS AID

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined last week to a still-high 837,000, evidence that the economy is struggling to sustain a tentative recovery that began this summer.

FAA CHIEF TESTS CHANGES TO BOEING'S GROUNDED 737 MAX

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, a former military and airline pilot, said Wednesday that he liked what he saw during a two-hour test flight of Boeing’s revamped 737 Max jetliner, a key step as the agency considers whether to let the plane return to flight after two deadly crashes.

JUSTICE DEPT. EXPECTED TO FILE ANTITRUST ACTION VS. GOOGLE

The Justice Department is expected to bring an antitrust action against Google in coming weeks, focusing on its dominance in online search and whether it was used to stifle competition and hurt consumers, a person familiar with the matter told.

FACEBOOK TIGHTENS POLITICAL AD BANS AS US ELECTION NEARS

With just over a month to go before Americans head en masse to the polls in an extraordinarily contentious election, Facebook is expanding restrictions on political advertising, including new bans on messages claiming widespread voter fraud.

AMAZON SEES BROAD AUDIENCE FOR ITS PALM RECOGNITION TECH

Amazon has introduced new palm recognition technology in a pair of Seattle stores and sees a broader potential audience in stadiums, offices and other gated or secured locations.

Finland Deploys Coronavirus Sniffing Dogs At Main Airport

Finland has deployed coronavirus-sniffing dogs at the Nordic country’s main international airport in a four-month trial of an alternative testing method that could become a cost-friendly and quick way to identify infected travelers.

BYU Students Make Glasses to Help Autistic Kid's Eye Contact

Heidi Kershaw was sitting in on a therapy session with her 7-year-old son, who has autism, when she noticed he kept getting distracted from the therapy exercises.

eBay Workers Who Sent Spiders to Couple to Plead Guilty

Four former eBay Inc. employees have agreed to plead guilty to their roles in a campaign of intimidation that included sending live spiders and cockroaches to the home of a Massachusetts couple who ran an online newsletter critical of the auction site, federal prosecutors said.