Business

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert reminding California’s tenants and homeowners of their rights and protections amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Attorney General recognizes that families across the state may be facing difficulty affording rent and mortgage payments, including as the result of layoffs, reduced working hours, and other economic impacts of COVID-19. Attorney General Bonta provides the following information to help Californians understand the protections in place that can help prevent evictions and foreclosures during the pandemic.

What does Bitcoin have to do with roads and bridges? A lot right now in the U.S. Congress. One way lawmakers propose to pay for the $1 trillion infrastructure bill the Senate approved Tuesday is by imposing tax-reporting requirements for cryptocurrency brokers, the way stockbrokers report their customers’ sales to the IRS. It could open the way for tighter regulation of cryptocurrency — something the Biden administration is moving toward as it also pushes for tax compliance.

The past 18 months have thrown the smartphone market royalty into disarray. It was no surprise that Huawei was dethroned from its coveted spot but getting booted out of the world’s Top 5 was still painful. Samsung barely maintains a lead in the global market after a decrease in shipments, while Apple remains stable against all odds. Amidst this reshuffling, Xiaomi is emerging as the strongest contender, having surpassed even Samsung last quarter, at least in Europe.

Asian stocks were mostly higher Wednesday as traders mirrored overnight gains on Wall Street during another busy earnings week.

The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people before a key vote expected this week that would push a long recognized national priority much closer to the finish line, after years of talk.