AP Business SummaryBrief at 12:02 a.m. EDT

Jury finds Instagram and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury has found Meta and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services. The decision Wednesday came after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days and more than a month since jurors heard opening statements in the trial. The plaintiff is a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM in documents and her lawyers called her Kaley during the trial. She says she became addicted to social media as a child and that this addiction exacerbated her mental health struggles. The companies must pay her a total $6 million in damages.

What men and women think about gender and pay, according to a new AP-NORC poll

NEW YORK (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds that men and women have different views on who has the advantage when it comes to earning competitive wages. Equal pay emerged as the biggest source of concern for women in the poll — compared to getting an education, a job or a promotion — and an area where men and women are far apart in their perception of gender equity. About 3 in 10 working women say they've personally experienced wage discrimination, compared to about 1 in 10 working men. The findings come at a time when men’s earnings are rising faster than women’s, and the gender wage gap is widening. It also comes as President Donald Trump’s administration dismantles federal agencies and legal tools designed to investigate wage discrimination.

EPA approves sale of a higher-ethanol fuel to try to lower gas prices

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced it would allow gas stations to continue selling slightly cheaper E15 this summer in a move that may be good for drivers and corn growers but will likely contribute to air pollution. The higher ethanol blend is usually limited to use in winter months. But the summer waiver for E15 has become commonplace in recent years, and both Republicans and Democrats have called for it to become year-round and permanent to lower prices at the pump. In some states it’s already allowed. But not all experts are convinced the move will substantially lower gas prices.

Supreme Court sides with Cox Communications in a copyright fight with record labels over downloads

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has sided with internet service provider Cox Communications in its copyright fight with record labels over illegal music downloads by Cox customers. The justices ruled unanimously Wednesday that Cox bears no liability for the copyright violations of its customers. Cox was accused of not doing enough to deter or cut off customers who downloaded music they didn’t pay for. The music companies are disappointed by the ruling and say there was" overwhelming evidence" that Cox "knowingly facilitated theft.” Cox is praising the court for affirming that internet service providers "are not copyright police.”

Stocks rise and oil prices ease as Wall Street keeps yo-yoing because of the war with Iran

NEW YORK (AP) — Hopes for a possible end to the war with Iran pushed stocks higher on Wall Street, while oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% in its latest flip-flop after the United States delivered a plan to pause the war to Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.8%. But the moves were shaky, and the S&P 500 briefly came close to erasing all of its jump, which maxed out at 1.2% during the morning. Stock indexes rose more than 1% across Europe and Asia. Gold's price also climbed after Treasury yields eased in the bond market.

TSA boss warns of airport shutdowns, but no deal yet on day 40 of Homeland Security funding fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration says it may have to shut down operations at some airports if the budget impasse drags on as travelers are experiencing record waiting times. In testimony Wednesday before a House committee, Ha Nguyen McNeill described the mounting hardships facing unpaid airport workers. Bills and eviction notices are piling up, and some workers are resorting to plasma donations to make ends meet. Her appearance on Capitol Hill comes as the latest offer to end a funding impasse and put restraints on President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda is running into fierce resistance. But there appears to be no end in sight on the 40th day of the stalemate involving the Department of Homeland Security.

Melania Trump shares the spotlight with a robot at an education and technology event

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump often commands the attention of any room she enters, but on Wednesday, she shared the spotlight with a robot. The humanoid robot Figure 03 accompanied the first lady on Wednesday as she arrived at the White House East Room for the second day of a summit she had convened with counterparts from around the world through her Fostering the Future Together global initiative. They have been discussing ways to empower children through education, innovation and the use of technology, including artificial intelligence. The robot thanked Melania Trump for the invitation to the White House.

Verdicts against social media companies carry consequences. But questions linger

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two landmark jury verdicts against social media companies have arrived in a long line of lawsuits alleging harm to children who use platforms including Instagram and YouTube. Penalties in excess of $380 million were assigned by the juries in California and New Mexico in cases that hold uncertain implications for Meta and YouTube. The California jury’s decision Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm. New Mexico's trial is heading toward a second phase to determine whether Meta created a public nuisance with its social media platforms and should pay for public programs to fix matters.

Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez pitches newly opened oil sector to investors at Miami summit

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez is selling investors on a newly opened oil industry and looser U.S. sanctions. On Wednesday, she spoke by video to an investment summit in Miami Beach, Florida. She said Venezuela now welcomes privatization and outside arbitration. She also said new laws protect investors even if politics have changed. She highlights the country’s huge oil reserves and low production costs. Royalties, taxes and investor dividends are all up for negotiation, Rodríguez added. Venezuela’s output collapsed for years amid corruption, mismanagement and sanctions. The U.S. Treasury has now allowed PDVSA to sell oil again to U.S. firms and global buyers.

Most Americans say US military action against Iran has gone too far, a new AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds most Americans believe recent military action against Iran has gone too far and many are worried about affording gasoline. As the war launched by the U.S. and Israel continues in its fourth week, the survey indicates that while President Donald Trump’s approval rating is holding steady, the conflict could be turning into a major political liability for his Republican administration. About 59% of Americans say U.S. military action has been excessive. Meanwhile, 45% are “extremely” or “very” concerned about affording gas in the next few months, up from 30% shortly before Trump took office. However, there's significant support for Trump’s objective of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.