National

CHAPEL HILL, N. C.—President Biden in the coming weeks is expected to decide whether to put forward a student-loan forgiveness plan aimed in part at motivating young voters to cast ballots in November’s elections.At the University of North Carolina, and in neighborhoods across the surrounding Research Triangle area, there are signs that whatever approach he takes could leave swaths of voters dissatisfied. CHAPEL HILL, N. C.—President Biden in the coming weeks is expected to decide whether to put forward a student-loan…

TOKYO—President Biden said the U.S. would respond militarily to defend Taiwan if China tries to take it by force, sparking uncertainty over whether the U.S. was moving away from its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity and prompting a clarification from the White House. Mr. Biden’s comments were met with anger from Beijing and praise from Taipei. They were also part of a pattern: In August and October of last year, the president answered questions on Taiwan by suggesting a break in U.S. policy toward the…

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—The live-streaming of a shooting rampage at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., demonstrated the strengths and limitations of a global accord to counter the spread of terrorist content online.More than 50 countries including the U.S., Germany and India, along with internet companies such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc., Google parent Alphabet and Twitterhave signed up in support of the Christchurch Call since its inception in 2019 after a white supremacist murdered 51 people at two mosques in…

The Federal Reserve’s efforts to slow inflation are raising the possibility of higher unemployment, a slower-growing economy and a recession, prospects that could create new headaches for the Biden administration.As the country heads into midterm-election season, much of the political discussion has centered around solid economic growth and robust employment versus the damaging impact of inflation. More recently, warnings about the prospect of an economic downturn—which could come in 2023 according to some estimates—have…

Authorities in Sweden and Finland have raised alert levels for cyberattacks, concerned they face increased hacking risks because of the war in Ukraine and the two Nordic countries’ subsequent applications to join NATO.Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, cybersecurity officials in Sweden and Finland haven’t seen an increase in attacks targeting critical infrastructure, though they say the countries are becoming more interesting targets for hacking groups with Russian ties.…

Old Navy set out to make clothes shopping more inclusive for women of all body types. It ended up with too many extra-small and extra-large items and too few of the rest, a mismatch that frustrated customers and contributed to falling sales and a management shake-up.The stumbles at Old Navy are a problem for its parent, Gap Inc. GPS -4.29% The chain accounts for the majority of the company’s sales and profits and helps prop up the weaker Gap and Banana Republic brands.…

Twitter Inc. TWTR 1.19% is adding more content guardrails, a potential flashpoint with the company’s prospective new owner Elon Musk, who has said he wants the social-media platform to dial back on moderating tweets. The company said Thursday that it plans to slow what it deems misinformation around crises including armed conflicts, natural disasters and public health emergencies and elevate credible information. Twitter…

Canada on Thursday said it plans to ban the use of China's Huawei and ZTE 5G gear to protect national security, joining the rest of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network."We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa. "Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it under the plans we're announcing today."Champagne added that companies will be required to remove their 5G…

Long considered a bellwether for corporate tech demand, Cisco’s results and forecast paint a worrisome picture for supply. Photo: Jordi Boixareu/Zuma Press…

…