US Business

Gig-economy companies won passage of a California ballot measure protecting their contract-worker systems, a major victory the companies hope will help them beat back challenges to their business models elsewhere.

Mobile-phone chip-making giant Qualcomm reported strong quarterly earnings, boosted by Apple’s new iPhone 12 and other smartphones capable of connecting to superfast 5G networks.

With the presidential race and control of the Senate still undecided, many corporate leaders foresee a clouded path through the pandemic and other immediate business challenges.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX was dismissed by Pentagon brass during its early years. But now, the billionaire entrepreneur and his company are enjoying more success than ever in snaring Pentagon business.

The biotech giant received a big boost after U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators appeared to give a positive assessment of the company’s experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug, sending shares up 40%.

Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize the possession of all illegal drugs and also legalize the use of psilocybin—the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms—for mental health treatment.

Uber, Lyft and DoorDash won a pivotal vote in California that exempts them from having to reclassify their drivers as employees, as Proposition 22 passed following the costliest ballot-measure campaign in state history.

U.S. employers geared up for Election Day with a flurry of internal messages unlike those in previous elections, with some urging staffers to avoid work travel and to be on guard against potential disruptions.

Under the terms the companies are discussing, retail giant Walmart would promote TV sets running Comcast software and would get a share of recurring revenue from Comcast in return.

The videoconferencing app is looking at its handling of politically sensitive public events after recent criticisms.