(Reuters) – Walmart has agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve civil charges that the largest U.S. retailer illegally disposed hazardous waste and medical waste from its facilities in California municipal landfills. The settlement was announced on Tuesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He said the settlement followed more than 70 waste audits between 2015 and 2021, which found thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid wastes including spray paints, rust removers, bleach, … Read more…

By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) – Qualcomm on Tuesday said it was teaming up with Alphabet’s Google to offer a combination of chips and software that will let automakers develop their own AI voice assistants using technology from the two firms. Qualcomm’s chips have long powered mobile phones with Google’s Android operating system and the company has expanded into the automotive business, with chips that can power both a car’s dashboard and automated driving systems that … Read more…

By Karen Freifeld (Reuters) – U.S. rules that will ban certain U.S. investments in artificial intelligence in China are under final review, according to a government posting, suggesting the restrictions are coming soon. The rules, which will also require U.S. investors to notify the Treasury Department about some investments in AI and other sensitive technologies, are derived from an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in August 2023 that focused on keeping American investors’ … Read more…

By Polina Devitt and Swati Verma LONDON (Reuters) – Gold is extending a period of successive record highs, moving the psychological milestone of $3,000 per ounce into view, analysts said, as geopolitical tension, a tight U.S. electoral race and favorable macro backdrop attract more investors. Spot gold reached a historic high of $2,740.37 a troy ounce on Oct. 21 and is on track for its strongest annual performance since 2007, with a rise of over … Read more…

By David Shepardson (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department said Monday it plans to award $325 million to Hemlock Semiconductor to significantly expand production capacity of semiconductor-grade polysilicon as it seeks to shift the chips supply chain. The government grant from the $52.7 billion semiconductor manufacturing and research subsidy program would support construction of a new manufacturing facility on the company’s existing site in Hemlock, Michigan. “Polysilicon is the bedrock of semiconductors, and it’s important … Read more…