HEALTH CARE
CVS corporate layoffs announced in Boston and Wellesley
CVS Health is laying off 76 corporate employees in Boston and 64 in Wellesley, as part of a previously disclosed wave of terminations. The announcement came shortly after the Globe reported that 1,000 corporate employees would be laid off in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Based in Woonsocket, R.I., CVS recently employed around 8,600 workers in Massachusetts and thousands more in the rest of New England. CVS announced 5,000 layoffs across the company earlier this month as part of ongoing cost-reduction measures and a shift to focus on health care services. (The Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island layoffs are part of this count.) The cuts largely affect corporate workers, rather than customer-facing roles in pharmacies, clinics, and retail stores. CVS operates more than 9,000 stores and 1,100 walk-in clinics nationwide. — DITI KOHLI
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AIRLINES
American fined millions for long tarmac delays
The federal government is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for dozens of instances in which passengers were kept on board planes without a chance to exit during long ground delays. The US Department of Transportation said Monday it is the largest such fine against an airline since rules covering long ground delays took effect about a decade ago. The department said its investigation revealed that from 2018 through 2021, American kept 43 domestic flights stuck on the ground for at least three hours without giving passengers the chance to deplane. There are exceptions in which airlines are allowed to bend the rules, including for safety and security reasons, but the department said none of those were factors in the flights it identified. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
INTERNATIONAL
China extends tax policies for foreign workers
China will extend preferential income tax policies for foreigners working in the country through the end of 2027, in a move that sends an encouraging signal to foreign businesses in China. The Asian nation will continue to waive taxes on foreign workers’ benefits, including subsidies for housing, language training, and children’s education, according to a statement from its finance ministry on Monday. Earlier this month, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China called on the Chinese authorities for an “urgent clarification” as to whether non-taxable allowances for foreign employees would apply beyond the end of this year, saying an extension of the policy would demonstrate a firm commitment to the foreign business community, as well as Chinese firms that hire foreign nationals. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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TRAVEL
Book early for the holidays
Should you book your Thanksgiving and December holiday flights now, or should you wait? No, it’s not too soon to think about that, according to Google. The tech giant’s updated booking trend analysis, released on Aug. 28, along with a new “cheapest time to book” feature, reveals that domestic flights timed around Christmas 2023 will have the lowest fares 71 days before departure. Traveling on Dec. 21, for example, would mean purchasing your flight as early as Oct. 7. That’s a shift from last year’s booking advice, when domestic December holiday flight pricing trends for the United States indicated you could land the best fare up to 22 days before departure. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
Evergrande delays vote on debt restructuring
China Evergrande Group delayed key votes on its offshore-debt restructuring plan just hours before they were to occur Monday, adding to uncertainty in a protracted process to finalize one of the country’s biggest restructurings ever. The distressed developer, at the epicenter of a property crisis that’s unleashed record delinquencies in a threat to China’s financial markets, delayed the meetings for the group and some units to Sept. 25-26, it said in a filing. Evergrande cited a desire to let creditors evaluate recent developments including resumption of trading in its stock, as well as the terms of the proposals. Its shares slumped as much as 87 percent in Hong Kong trading following a 17-month halt, becoming a penny stock. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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LABOR
German rail workers vote not to strike
Germany’s rail workers will not go on open-ended strikes after less than 50 percent of union members voted in favor, German news agency dpa reported Monday. A vote of 75 percent in favor would have been necessary for all-out strike action. The ballot was preceded by months of staged hours-long or one-day “warning strikes,” called by the EVG union, a common tactic in German wage negotiations. A majority of workers also voted in favor of a compromise deal that includes a pay increase of 410 euros ($443) per month in two stages over a period of 25 months. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
VACCINES
Anti-vaxxers extend their fears to Fido
Vaccine skepticism has spread to our pets. More than half of US dog owners expressed concerns about vaccinating their dogs, including against rabies, according to a new study published Saturday in the journal Vaccine. The study comes as anti-vaccine sentiments among humans have exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Canine vaccine hesitancy is pervasive,” said Matt Motta, one of the paper’s authors and a political scientist at Boston University’s School of Public Health who studies hesitancy. This is not the first indication that insurgent anti-vaccine attitudes have impacted our furry friends. A study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal in 2021 found overlap between the movement against mandatory childhood vaccines and vaccine-resistant pet owners. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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TRAVEL
China drops COVID tests for arriving travelers
China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travelers starting Wednesday, a milestone in its reopening to the rest of the world after a three-year isolation that began with the country’s borders closing in March 2020. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the change at a briefing in Beijing on Monday. China in January ended quarantine requirements for its own citizens traveling from abroad, and over the past few months has gradually expanded the list of countries that Chinese people can travel to and increased the number of international flights. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
STREAMING
Too much to choose from as offerings mount
Overwhelmed by the choices of movies and TV shows to watch online? There’s a reason why. The number of titles on streaming services jumped 39 percent over the past two years to 2.35 million, according to a report released Monday by market researcher Nielsen. Add in traditional broadcast and cable channels and the number of individual viewing options climbed to 2.7 million. The figures reflect movies and shows available in the United States, Canada, the UK, Mexico, and Germany. Netflix and Disney+ are among 167 streaming providers, up from 118 two years ago. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
COSMETICS
Owner of the Body Shop considering selling
Cosmetics maker Natura & Co is considering the sale of its Body Shop unit as it seeks to cut costs, the latest step in a reversal of a major global expansion strategy. It acquired the British retailer from L’Oreal about six years ago. The move adds to a shift for Natura, which has been returning focus to its core Latin America business after grappling with disruptions brought on by the pandemic and inflation. The company sold its luxury cosmetics brand Aesop to L’Oréal this year. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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