Business News at a Glance

Supreme Court Ruling Delivers a Sharp Blow to Labor Unions

The Supreme Court dealt a major blow Wednesday to organized labor. By a 5-4 vote, with the more conservative justices in the majority, the court ruled that government workers who choose not to join unions may not be required to help pay for collective bargaining. Forcing those workers to finance union activity violated the First Amendment, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority. The ruling means that public-sector unions across the nation, already under political pressure, could lose tens of millions of dollars. Justice Elena Kagan summarized her dissent from the bench, a sign of profound disagreement.

Justice Department Approves Disney’s Purchase of Fox Assets

The Department of Justice approved the Walt Disney Co.'s $71 billion bid for the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox on Wednesday, potentially complicating Comcast’s desire to make a rival offer for Rupert Murdoch’s entertainment empire. The government’s approval was filed in federal court on the condition that Disney, which already owns ESPN, divest all of Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, which include valuable channels like the New York Yankees’ YES network. The green light from the Justice Department makes it more difficult for Comcast to mount a competitive counteroffer.

President Backs Off on Limits to China

President Donald Trump has decided not to impose new investment restrictions on China, and will instead support a congressional effort to expand the powers of an existing federal body that reviews foreign investments in the United States for national security threats. The president is supporting a bipartisan bill, known as the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, which would broaden the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. The legislation would give CFIUS more power to investigate — and potentially block — foreign transactions.

8 States Impose New Rules on Equifax After Data Breach

Equifax agreed to a number of data security rules under a consent order with eight state financial regulators that was announced on Wednesday, the latest regulatory response to the breach that allowed hackers to steal sensitive personal information on more than 147 million people. The order describes specific steps the credit bureau must take, including conducting security audits at least once a year, developing written data protection policies and guides, and improving its software patch management controls. If Equifax falls short on any of its new promises, regulators in the states will be able to take punitive action.

Apple and Samsung End Smartphone Patent Wars

Apple and Samsung settled a seven-year legal fight on Wednesday, ending the most prominent case over smartphone patents during the past decade. The companies did not disclose the settlement amount. A jury in May ordered Samsung to pay Apple $539 million for infringing on its patents. Apple first sued Samsung in 2011 for copying the design of the iPhone, kicking off a winding trail of countersuits, trials and appeals. With two of global industry’s biggest players fighting over one of history’s most successful products, the case was one of the most closely watched legal fights in modern business.

No, Harley-Davidson’s CEO Did Not Punch Back at Trump

President Donald Trump has spent two days pummeling Harley-Davidson over its decision to move some production abroad. Then it appeared as if Harley-Davidson’s chief executive was punching back with a quote disparaging Trump. Except the quote was fake. Tuesday night, a fake quote critical of Trump and attributed to the company’s chief executive, Matthew Levatich, began circulating on Twitter. Harley-Davidson is suffering the fate of many of those who tangle with the president: Twitter trolls.