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Lawyers for New Hampshire casino owner fight fraud allegations at hearing

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former state senator and casino owner accused of buying luxury cars with a fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief loan kept financial records that were “sloppy at best” and nefarious at worst, an auditor testified Monday. But his attorney argued that the state is trying to destroy his business based on a sloppy investigation. Andy Sanborn, a Republican from Bedford, did not attend the hearing he requested to appeal the state Lottery Commission’s August decision to permanently revoke his gaming operator’s license. His attorney said Sanborn was at a Boston ...

The White House is threatening the patents of drugs developed with taxpayer dollars

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is putting pharmaceutical companies on notice, warning them that if the price of certain drugs is too high, the government might cancel their patent protection and allow rivals to make their own versions. Under a plan announced Thursday, the government would consider overriding the patent for high-priced drugs that have been developed with the help of taxpayer money and letting competitors make them in hopes of driving down the cost. In a 15-second video released to YouTube on Wednesday night, President Joe Biden promised the move would ...

McDonald’s testing new CosMc’s chain amid unprecedented global expansion

McDonald’s is testing a new restaurant format with customizable drinks and treats designed to appeal to afternoon snackers — and grab sales from competitors like Starbucks and Dunkin’. The company said Wednesday it will open 10 CosMc’s restaurants through the first half of next year. One will be near the company’s headquarters in Chicago and the rest will be in Texas. The company will study the results for at least a year before determining whether to expand. The announcement was one of the most anticipated at McDonald’s day-long investor conference Wednesday. The company ...

Stock market today: Most of Wall Street slips following mixed data on the economy

NEW YORK (AP) — Most stocks slipped on Wall Street Tuesday, but the market hung near its best level in 20 months following mixed reports that kept alive questions about whether the U.S. economy can pull off a perfect landing where it snuffs out high inflation but avoids a recession. The S&P 500 edged down by 2.60 points, or 0.1%, to 4,567.18 for its first back-to-back loss since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 79.88, or 0.2%, to 36,124.56, and the Nasdaq composite rose 44.42, or 0.3%, to 14,229.91. Stocks were down more sharply in Asia amid worries about the ...

Family sues Panera, saying its caffeinated lemonade led to Florida man’s cardiac arrest

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — The family of a 46-year-old Florida man has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against one of the biggest fast-casual restaurant chains in the U.S., claiming Panera Bread Company’s caffeine-filled lemonade drink led to his death. David Brown had high blood pressure and didn’t drink energy drinks, but the lawsuit said he believed the Panera Charged Lemonade was safe since it was not advertised as an energy drink. It was offered in the same place as the restaurant chain’s non-caffeinated or less-caffeinated drinks, according to the lawsuit ...

Bitcoin has surpassed $41,000 for the first time since April 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is once again having a moment. On Monday, the world’s largest cryptocurrency soared past $41,000 for the first time in over a year and a half — and marking a 150% rise so far this year. Volatile bitcoin rocketed from just over $5,000 at the start of the pandemic to nearly $68,000 in November 2021, according to FactSet, a period marked by a surge in demand for technology products. Prices fell back to earth during an aggressive series of Federal Reserve rate hikes aimed at taming inflation and then the collapse of FTX, one of the biggest companies in ...