Google to stop reading Gmail to help sell ads

June 24, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO

Google is going to stop reading your Gmail in search of opportunities to sell ads.

The change announced Friday will end a practice that Google has embraced since the company introduced Gmail in 2004, even though it raised concerns among privacy watchdogs and creeped out some users.

Google still plans to show ads within Gmail, but will rely on signals other than scanning through email content.

British economy a year after the Brexit vote

LONDON

Few events outside of war can have quite as much impact on the economy of a country as Britain’s decision a year ago to leave the European Union.

The momentous vote June 23, 2016, has the potential to sever Britain’s ties to its main trading partner.

One year on from the vote, the economy has defied predictions of recession, but it has seen the expected slide in the pound and rise in inflation.

Honda denies covering up the dangers of air bags

DETROIT

Honda is going public in an effort to debunk claims by lawyers that it knew about the hazards of exploding Takata air-bag inflators nearly two decades ago but covered them up.

The automaker issued a statement Friday that outlines its defense against claims that Honda should compensate car owners because the use of Takata air bags caused their vehicles to lose value.

The public escalation of Honda’s fight comes just three days before Takata Corp. is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the United States.

Sears closes another 20 stores

NEW YORK

Sears Holdings Corp. is shutting down another 20 stores, on top of more than 200 closings already announced this year, as the ailing retailer tries to turn around its business.

Real-estate investment trust Seritage, which owns the 20 real-estate properties, confirmed the closings – 18 Sears stores and two Kmart stores – in a government filing Friday.

Kansas jury awards $218M to farmers in Syngenta GMO suit

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

A federal jury in Kansas has awarded nearly $218 million to farmers who sued Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta over its introduction of a genetically engineered corn seed.

Syngenta vowed to appeal the verdict in what served as the first test case of tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits assailing Syngenta’s decision to introduce its Viptera seed strain to the U.S. market before China approved it for imports.

The lawsuits say that wrecked an increasingly important export market for U.S. corn, causing years of depressed corn prices.

Associated Press

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1231.091.30

Aqua America, .71 33.460.02

Avalon Holdings,2.550.03

Chemical Bank, .2746.39-0.06Community Health Sys. 9.34 0.06

Cortland Bancorp, .2818.50-0.15

Farmers Nat., .1614.700.45

First Energy, 1.44 28.92-0.26

Fifth/Third, .5224.65-0.49

FirstMerit Corp.,--

First Niles Financial, .1211.150.90

FNB Corp., .4813.48-0.13

General Motors, 1.5234.19-0.01

General Electric, .9227.560.01

Huntington Bank, .28 12.72-0.22

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.60-0.10

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9286.79-0.22

Key Corp, .3417.88-0.32

LaFarge, .34--

Macy’s, 1.51 22.250.16

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 159.632.23

PNC, 2.20119.50-1.26

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60158.78-0.35

Stoneridge 14.700.28

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.05-0.24

Selected prices from Friday’s 4 p.m. close.