Business News at a Glance

Trade Limits and Tariffs Are Heading China’s Way

The dust has yet to settle on President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but the White House is preparing another major trade measure aimed at China. Trump and his top trade advisers are readying actions to penalize China’s theft of U.S. intellectual property, including tariffs on at least $30 billion of annual Chinese imports, people familiar with the discussions said. The measures, which could be announced as early as next week, may also include investment restrictions, caps on visas for Chinese researchers and challenges to China’s trade practices at the World Trade Organization.

Unilever Spurns Britain for EU

Unilever said Thursday that it would make Rotterdam, Netherlands, its sole headquarters, dealing a symbolic blow to Britain as it negotiates its exit from the European Union. For nearly 90 years, the consumer products giant had maintained headquarters in London and in Holland. Investors have pushed Unilever for years, however, to eliminate the dual structure, arguing that doing so would make the company more agile. Unilever officials said Thursday that Brexit did not factor into the company’s decision. The company will continue to be listed in London, Amsterdam and New York.

Largest U.S. Radio Broadcaster Files for Bankruptcy

With its roughly 850 stations, the most of any U.S. broadcaster, iHeartRadio still wields considerable hitmaking power in the age of streaming. But Thursday, iHeartRadio’s parent company, iHeartMedia, filed for bankruptcy protection in an attempt to restructure part of the $20 billion debt load that has burdened it since a leveraged buyout a decade ago, on the eve of the 2008 recession. The company announced that it had reached agreements with creditors to reduce its debt by more than $10 billion. It said it would continue to operate its stations during the process.

Once a Leader in SUVs, Ford Is Racing to Catch Up

Ford Motor was one of the first automakers to spotlight Americans’ increasing desire for SUVs and similar roomy models. Now, the company is scrambling to catch up with the trend. On Thursday, Ford outlined a plan to introduce a number of new SUVs over the next three years. The new models, rolling out in 2019 and 2020, will include hybrid and battery-powered variants, high-performance models and a new series of rugged, off-road vehicles. Jim Farley, the company’s president of global markets, said Ford aimed to surpass Toyota Motor in domestic sales of hybrids, including plug-ins, across all models by 2021.

Pentagon Looks to Silicon Valley for Help on Artificial Intelligence

There is little doubt that the Defense Department needs help from Silicon Valley giants as it pursues work on artificial intelligence. The question is whether tech companies are willing to cooperate. On Thursday, Robert O. Work, a former deputy secretary of defense, announced that he is teaming up with the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank that specializes in national security, to create a task force of former government officials, academics and representatives from private industry. Their goal is to explore how the federal government should embrace AI technology and work better with big tech companies.

Undoing Bank Rules Proves to Be Easier Said Than Done

Republican have spent years hoping to roll back the tough bank regulations imposed after the 2008 financial crisis. The reality, they are finding, is that it is easier said than done. The Senate this week passed a bipartisan bill that would have loosened some of the regulations enacted in the 2010 Dodd-Frank law. But that bill ran into a roadblock on the other side of Capitol Hill. Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the chamber had no intention of “rubber stamping” the measure that the Senate passed Wednesday evening.

Rihanna Protests Ad on Snapchat that Mocks Domestic Violence

Snapchat users noticed an ad that asked whether they would rather “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown.” On Thursday, the popstar took to Instagram, a direct competitor for Snapchat, to criticize the ad for making light of domestic violence. Stock prices for Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, sank by 4 percent. “I’d love to call it ignorance but I know you ain’t that dumb!” Rihanna wrote in a statement, posted to her Instagram Stories. “You spent money to animate something that would intentionally bring shame to DV victims and made a joke of it!!!”

Fallout for United Airlines Continues After Death of Kokito the French Bulldog

Fallout from the death of a French bulldog named Kokito continued for United Airlines Thursday, as the airline explained how the dog had come to die in an overhead compartment and two U.S. senators introduced a bill to stop such a thing from happening. United’s admission followed an uproar over the Monday death of Kokito. The flight attendant who placed the carrier in the overhead bin said she had not heard the owner tell her that the dog was in the carrier, a spokeswoman for United said. A witness and the owner said the dog had been barking before takeoff.