Richard Branson
A passer-by pulls luggage while walking past a sign offering directions to an Uber and Lyft ride pickup location at Logan International Airport, in Boston, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Businesses like Uber, Airbnb and Square were born in recessions. Now, the effects of COVID-19 are forcing existing businesses to reinvent themselves, and some of today’s most significant business obstacles will spark new startups offering innovative solutions. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
4 tips for starting or reinventing a business in tough times

By Hal M. Bundrick Of Nerdwallet Feb. 17, 2021 07:04 AM EST

FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2019, file photo, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken work with teams from NASA and SpaceX to rehearse crew extraction from SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station, at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Fla. For the first time in nearly a decade, the two astronauts blasted towards orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil on May 30 2020, a first for a private company. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP, File)
World's space achievements a bright spot in stressful 2020

By Marcia Dunn Dec. 16, 2020 11:36 AM EST

Editorial Roundup: West Virginia

By The Associated Press Oct. 14, 2020 01:07 PM EDT
Recent editorials from West Virginia newspapers: ___ Oct. 13 The Journal on plans by Virgin...

Virgin Australia planes are parked at terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Virgin Australia will cut about 3000 jobs as the airline struggles with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Virgin Australia airline to be sold to US-based Bain Capital

By Nick Perry Sep. 04, 2020 02:35 AM EDT

Spaceport America vets capital projects amid investigation

By Susan Montoya Bryan Sep. 02, 2020 04:25 PM EDT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An investigation into the conduct of Spaceport America's chief executive officer is ongoing and initial findings are expected in the...

Melaku Gebermariam uses an electrostatic sprayer to disinfect the inside of a Delta Airplane between flights on July 22, at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. U.S. airlines have scrambled to reassure travelers that planes are safe. They require passengers to wear face masks and are cleaning cabins more thoroughly, even spraying seats with anti-microbial mist. (AP Photo/Nathan Ellgren)
Virus pandemic reshaping air travel as carriers struggle

By David Koenig And David Mchugh Aug. 17, 2020 03:41 AM EDT

FILE- In this April 2019 file photo, Richard Branson, of Virgin Group, prepares to unfurl a banner during a naming ceremony for the Brightline train station, to be renamed as Virgin MiamiCentral in Miami. The partnership between Richard Branson's Virgin and the private Florida passenger train service Brightline, which began with the British entrepreneur's trademark pizazz, has ended quietly with a whimper. Brightline announced in a monthly report that it has ended its affiliation with the Virgin Group and will stop its rebranding to Virgin Trains USA. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
US passenger train company drops Virgin as partner

By Terry Spencer Aug. 11, 2020 09:54 AM EDT

Virgin Australia planes are parked at terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Virgin Australia will cut about 3000 jobs as the airline struggles with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Virgin Australia plans to shed staff under new US owners

By Rod Mcguirk Aug. 05, 2020 12:59 AM EDT

FILE - In this June 16. 2011, file photo, Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic Airways, attends a news conference in Miami Beach, Fla. Branson announced that Virgin was starting flights between London and Cancun, Mexico. Virgin Atlantic, the airline founded by British businessman Branson, filed Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, for relief from creditors as the virus pandemic hammers the airline industry. The airline made the filing in U.S. federal bankruptcy court in New York after a proceeding in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Virgin Atlantic airline files for US bankruptcy protection

Aug. 04, 2020 08:13 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 31, 2020, file photo, cruise ships are docked at PortMiami in Miami. The cruise industry hopes to set sail later this summer. But with images of coronavirus-ravaged ships still fresh in many minds, there could be years of choppy water ahead. The global cruise industry expected to carry 32 million passengers and take in $71 billion in revenue this year. That will fall by at least 50% this year, says Euromonitor International, a consulting firm. Euromonitor .(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
As cruise industry prepares to sail, choppy waters are ahead

By Dee-Ann Durbin Jun. 09, 2020 11:17 AM EDT

Update on the latest in business:

May. 26, 2020 03:40 AM EDT
FINANCIAL MARKETS Asian shares up as recovery hopes overshadow virus worries TOKYO (AP) — Shares rose in Asia today as...

AM-Prep: Cooler Copy

May. 26, 2020 03:05 AM EDT
BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT DEFLECTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR COVID-19 OUTBREAK RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — With Brazil emerging as one of the world's most...

FILE - In this July 25, 2016, file photo, an agent of LATAM airlines stands by the counters at the airport in Santiago, Chile. The South American carrier said Tuesday, May 26, 2020, it is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it grapples with the sharp downturn in air travel sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)
Latam Airlines seeks bankruptcy protection as travel slumps

By Adam Schreck May. 26, 2020 01:26 AM EDT

A shop vendor wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus waits for customer outside headscarves shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday, May 11, 2020. Despite a sharp drop in infections, Malaysia's leader said restrictions to fight the coronavirus will be extended by four more weeks until June 9. The government has already let most businesses reopen with strict conditions to help revive a hard-hit economy. But mass gatherings are still barred, with schools, cinemas and houses of worship staying shut, group sports prohibited and interstate travel banned. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Company earnings tell the story of the pandemic's early days

The Associated Press May. 11, 2020 10:57 AM EDT

Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo Unity flys free in the New Mexico Airspace for the first time on Friday, May 1, 2020. Virgin Galactic's spaceship VSS Unity has landed in the New Mexico desert after its first glide flight from Spaceport America. The company announced Friday's flight on social media, sharing photos of the spaceship. (Virgin Galactic via AP)
Virgin Galactic posts loss, touts future potential revenue

By Susan Montoya Bryan May. 05, 2020 06:25 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2020 file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump walks to a meeting in the Oval Office with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido at the White House in Washington. According to interviews with opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and aspiring freedom fighters, planning for a clandestine cross border incursion from Colombia began in the aftermath of an April 30, 2019 barracks revolt by soldiers who betrayed Maduro and swore loyalty to Guaido, who the U.S. and some 60 other nations recognize as Venezuela’s rightful leader. (AP Photo/ Evan V
Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela's Maduro

By Joshua Goodman May. 01, 2020 05:06 PM EDT

The Virgin Australia check-in counters are all but bare at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Virgin Australia is seeking bankruptcy protection, entering voluntary administration after a debt crisis worsened by the coronavirus shutdown pushed it into insolvency. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
AP Explains: What Virgin Australia's bankruptcy move means

By Rod Mcguirk Apr. 23, 2020 12:09 AM EDT

FIE - In this Feb. 5, 2019, file photo a ramp worker guides a Delta Air Lines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. Delta Air Lines says it earned $1.1 billion in the fourth quarter by operating more flights and filling a higher percentage of seats. The financial results beat Wall Street expectations. Delta and other U.S. airlines are enjoying a prolonged period of profitability thanks to steadily rising demand for travel. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Think things are bad for airlines? It's about to get worse

By David Koenig Apr. 22, 2020 04:09 PM EDT

In this April 7, 2020, photo, grounded Virgin Australia aircraft are parked at Brisbane Airport in Brisbane, Australia. Virgin Australia, the nation's second-largest airline, announced Tuesday, April 21, 2020, it had entered voluntary administration as it seeks to strengthen its finances amid a debt crisis. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)
Virgin Australia airline seeks bankruptcy protection

By Rod Mcguirk Apr. 21, 2020 03:21 AM EDT

FILE - In this March 28, 2020, file photo, Bloom Energy CEO KR Sridhar, right, watches as California Gov. Gavin Newsom writes down a note during a tour with Sridhar of the Bloom Energy Sunnyvale, Calif., campus. Bloom Energy is a fuel cell generator company that has switched over to refurbishing ventilators as an increasing number of patients experience respiratory issues as a result of COVID-19. Gov. Newsom announced Monday, April 6, 2020, the state would loan 500 ventilators to the national stockpile for use by New York and other states experiencing a crush of coronavirus-related hospitalizations. (Beth LaBerge/Pool Photo via AP, File)
California lends 500 ventilators to 4 states, 2 territories

By Kathleen Ronayne Apr. 06, 2020 01:45 PM EDT