US Business

Retail sales rose 0.3% in October as consumers increased their purchases modestly in the early weeks of the holiday season.

The CEOs of Facebook and Twitter hailed their companies’ efforts to fend off election interference, but skeptical senators warned them that tougher regulation of social media could be coming.

Home Depot reported strong sales growth as the retailer continues to thrive from people spending more time on home-improvement projects during the coronavirus pandemic.

The retailer’s comparable sales rose at a slower pace than earlier in the coronavirus pandemic even as shoppers continued to buy up food and cleaning supplies and the company pushed early holiday deals.

Airbnb unveiled paperwork for its initial public offering, showing the home-sharing giant turned a profit in the third quarter after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to overhaul its business and shed costs.

Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine was 94.5% effective at protecting people from symptomatic Covid-19, an early look at pivotal study results showed—the second vaccine to hit a key milestone.

Businesses are wary of reopening offices due to the risk of exposing employees to Covid-19. They are also worried about their own legal exposure should staff get sick.

With offices mostly shut and face-to-face meetings rare, some are escaping Europe’s chilly north for the Mediterranean coast.

Makers of infant formula and diapers are girding for another possible Covid-19 challenge: fewer babies. Forecasts based on the last recession show U.S. birth rates could drop significantly next year.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched four astronauts into orbit, marking the company’s first full-fledged operational mission with humans on board and beginning regularly scheduled commercial flights to the International Space Station.