Economic Indicators

Millions drop off food stamps

The latest data from the USDA shows more than 2.8 million Americans have dropped off food stamps since President Trump’s first full month in office.

German factory orders down 4 percent in June

Official data show that factory orders in Germany dropped a steep 4 percent in June compared with the previous month, led lower by a drop in demand from outside the eurozone.

China tightens controls to slow currency's fall

China has tightened controls on trading in its yuan in a possible effort to stop a decline against the U.S. dollar that has raised the danger of an outflow of capital from the world's second-largest economy.

Newspaper: Regulators unsure where mill's pollution goes

Environmental regulators aren't sure where a northwestern Indiana steel mill's emissions end up after the pollution is released by the sprawling mill, which is a major source of industrial lead and benzene emissions, a newspaper has found.

Influence of organized labor gets big test in Missouri vote

On the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakening public-sector unions, labor's clout is being put to a new test by a voter referendum in Missouri over whether the state should ban compulsory union fees in all private-sector workplaces.

Germany tightens cash transfer rules as Iran seeks funds

Germany's central bank is changing its terms and conditions to provide for deeper scrutiny of cash transfers, a move that comes as Iran seeks to repatriate cash held in a Hamburg-based bank and the U.S. presses allies to get tough on Tehran.

Business Highlights

___ US businesses cast wider net as jobless rate hits 3.9 pct.