MoneyWatch

At least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry in 2020. Those numbers are about three times higher than previously thought, according to a new U.S. House report released Wednesday. With workers standing shoulder-to-shoulder along production lines, the meatpacking …

Two Virginia lobbyists accused of trying to inhibit Black voters during the 2020 presidential election have been fined $5 million by federal regulators for illegally sending robocalls. An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission found that Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl paid a separate company to place more than 1,100 recorded …

In the biggest sign yet that Hollywood’s fall plans are being altered by the coronavirus surge driven by the Delta variant, Sony Pictures on Thursday delayed the release of the big-budget sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” Instead of opening in theaters September 24, the “Venom” sequel will now debut …

The nation’s 59 million self-employed workers got a lifeline last year when lawmakers created the first-ever program that extended jobless benefits to this growing group of workers. But that program, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), will end on September 6, once again placing unemployment benefits out of reach for these workers. …

Jay-Z’s business entities sued Iconix Brand Group, accusing the licensing firm of lying about its finances when it made deals with the rapper’s Roc Nation apparel company. Roc Nation alleged the Iconix’s scheme cost it millions when the licensing company’s stock price fell from a peak of more than $400 per …

Celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and Elton John say they are boycotting Brunei-owned hotels over the country’s implementation of harsh new criminal sentences.The penalties, based on Islamic law, include death by stoning for gay sex and amputation for theft.The boycott was kicked off by actor George Clooney last week, who admitted …