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China's Xi promises open markets and billions in new investments for 'Belt and Road' projects 10/18/2023 09:04am • BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping promised foreign companies greater access to China’s huge market and more than $100 billion in new financing for other developing economies as he opened a forum Wednesday on his signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Xi's initiative has bu Italy's far-right Premier Meloni defies fears of harming democracy and clashing with the EU 10/18/2023 12:15am • ROME (AP) — When Giorgia Meloni took office a year ago as the first far-right premier in Italy’s post-war history, many in Europe worried about the prospect of the country's democratic backsliding and resistance to European Union rules. The European Commission president issued a decidedly undipl Colleges Work to Make Financial Aid Award Letters Clearer 10/17/2023 08:00pm • Against a backdrop of rising college costs and student borrowing rates, more than 400 colleges and universities have committed to following standards of clarity in financial aid offer letters, which have become confusing and -- in some cases -- deceptive. Most universities don't tell students the ne How to Cash a Check 10/17/2023 08:00pm • Not that long ago, Americans had one primary way to cash checks -- at their bank or credit union. Today, we enjoy many check-cashing options, including mobile apps and retail stores. Trying to decide where to cash a check? Read this guide on how to cash a check, including information about the fees Retail sales rise solid 0.7% in September, reflecting US shoppers' resilience despite higher prices 10/17/2023 05:45pm • NEW YORK (AP) — Americans showed their steadfast resilience and kept spending online, at restaurants and other outlets in September even as they grappled with higher prices, rising interest rates and a host of other headwinds piling up. Retail sales rose 0.7% in September, more than twice what eco Trump returns to his civil fraud trial, hears an employee and an appraiser testify against him 10/17/2023 05:32pm • NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump returned Tuesday to the civil fraud trial that imperils his real estate empire, watching and deploring the case as an employee and an outside appraiser testified that his company essentially put a thumb on the scale when sizing up his properties' value. Incensed by a How China's Belt and Road Initiative is changing after a decade of big projects and big debts 10/17/2023 05:29pm • BEIJING (AP) — China's Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns. The shift comes as leaders from across the developing world descend on Beijing this week for a government-orga North Dakota Gov. Burgum calls special session to fix budget bill struck down by court 10/17/2023 03:39pm • BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum called a special session Tuesday of the Republican-controlled Legislature to address a major budget bill struck down by the state Supreme Court last month, leaving a giant hole in state government operations lawmakers are rushing to fill. The ses Putin meets with Hungary's prime minister in rare in-person talks with an EU leader 10/17/2023 02:18pm • BEIJING (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks on Tuesday with Vladimir Putin in a rare in-person meeting for the Russian president with a leader of a European Union country. Orbán and Putin met in Beijing before an international forum on one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Greater Mid-Atlantic News Digest 1 p.m. 10/17/2023 01:06pm • Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, and the rest of the world, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org Questions about cov Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli gets seven-month ban from soccer for betting violations 10/17/2023 12:55pm • MILAN (AP) — Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli was banned for seven months by the Italian soccer federation on Tuesday for betting violations. Fagioli agreed to a plea bargain with the federation, known as the FIGC, that included therapy for a gambling addiction. In a far-reaching case with pros Bank of America profits jump 10% but warns of slowing spending by Americans 10/17/2023 10:38am • NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America posted a 10% rise in third quarter profits Tuesday, helped by higher interest rates that allowed the bank to charge more for loans at the same time that it kept expenses under control. However, CEO Brian Moynihan warned Tuesday that Americans continue to slow their Understanding Federal Student Loan Types 10/16/2023 08:00pm • The cost of college -- including tuition, housing, textbooks and other fees -- adds up for families. However, students are often eligible for financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work-study or loans to help reduce the overall price of attendance. To be eligible for federal and some other f 10 Highest Dividend-Paying Stocks in the S&P 500 10/16/2023 08:00pm • The current dividend yield for the S&P 500 on average is just north of 1.6% at present. A few years ago, that would have been within spitting distance of many top-rated bonds -- but with 10-year Treasury yields now at 4.7%, many investors are now looking at the typical dividend stocks with a ver Inflation Is Taking a Toll: Are Financial Wellness Programs the Answer? 10/16/2023 08:00pm • The financial wellness of U.S. employees has declined by 10% since 2021, according to the 2023 Workplace Benefits Report from Bank of America. Factors such as rising interest rates, inflation, economic uncertainty and stagnant wages have all taken a toll. But who's responsible for helping employees