Business News at a Glance

Trump’s China Fight Puts U.S. Tech in the Cross Hairs

President Donald Trump says his trade war with China will protect America’s dominance and derail Beijing’s plan for technological and economic supremacy. But as the fight kicks into high gear this week, U.S. tech and telecom companies are warning that the industry’s growing reliance on products made and assembled in China means they are more likely to be casualties, not victors, in the skirmish. Trump’s next round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods goes into effect Monday. The tariffs will hit the tech and telecom companies that provide much of the gear that powers the internet.

In Beating Disney for Sky, Comcast Remains in the Game

Comcast and the Walt Disney Co. have long been rivals. But Brian L. Roberts, who runs Comcast, has become the Magic Kingdom’s nemesis in chief. He waged a fight for 21st Century Fox this summer, forcing Disney to pay about $18 billion more than it had planned to secure Rupert Murdoch’s entertainment empire. Then, on Saturday, Comcast emerged as the victor in a battle with Disney for control of the British pay-television company Sky. In a deal valued at $39 billion, Comcast bid 17.28 pounds per Sky share, while Fox (bidding on behalf of Disney) bid 15.67 pounds a share.

Where to See What’s Up Amazon’s Sleeve

Tourists in Seattle have a new must-see destination: Amazon Go, the cashierless store the company opened in January. People who are interested in what is coming next from Amazon just need to roam the city. Amazon uses Seattle as a living laboratory, trying out new retail and logistics models. Some trials never leave the city. But others, like the use of independent contractors to deliver packages, have found their ways to the rest of the country and abroad. The pilots point to a company investing in figuring out its footprint and how to provide convenience at a lower cost.

OPEC Signals No Rush to Increase Oil Output

Oil producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia signaled Sunday that they did not see any rush to increase output, despite pressure from President Donald Trump to pump more oil and hold down prices. Meeting in Algiers, Algeria, officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied governments, including Russia, said that after having increased production in recent months, customers have adequate supplies. The Saudis and their allies appear to be trying to walk a fine line between accommodating Trump and not putting so much oil into the market that prices crash — as they did in 2014.

App-Only Banks Rise in Europe and Aim at Traditional Lenders

Greg Stevenson was trying to refinance the mortgage on his home in eastern England when things started to go awry because of computer problems at his bank, TSB. So he moved his money to Monzo, a British startup that is among a growing number in Europe offering checking accounts and ATM cards, but lack physical branches. So-called fintech companies have sought to take on the world’s biggest banks for years, but only recently have begun to build a critical mass. And thanks to favorable regulations in Europe and an influx of capital, that shift is accelerating.

Walmart, Patagonia and Lyft Make Push to Increase Voter Turnout

President Donald Trump came to office boasting of his business bona fides and suggesting that companies and chief executives would welcome his market-friendly policies. Some of that has come to pass. The stock markets are booming, and big business cheered last year’s tax overhaul. But throughout Trump’s administration, big companies have routinely been drawn into open conflict with him. Now, before the midterm elections in November, a coalition of major companies, including Walmart, Patagonia and Lyft, is making a big push to increase voter turnout. The participating companies insist that the effort, called Time to Vote, is nonpartisan.

Starring in That Drug Commercial? An Actual Patient

Several years ago, a casting director working on a commercial for the NovoLog FlexPen, a dial-a-dose insulin injector from Novo Nordisk, called a friend and urged her to try out. The friend, Vivicca Whitsett, a compliance administrator at a brokerage firm in Los Angeles, was game. Her audition went well, but Whitsett also filled an essential requirement: She has Type 2 diabetes. She was chosen to spearhead the campaign, which included a national TV spot. Drug commercials have long been populated by actors or celebrities. Now, many in the industry say there’s an increased desire to use real people.