A day after considering cutting taxes to promote economic growth, President Donald Trump on Wednesday changed course and said he would abandon the idea because the nation already had "a strong economy." Trump's flip-flop came after recent market volatility and economic uncertainty, and amid a debate about whether the United States was heading for a slowdown that would imperil his reelection chances. Trump earlier this week acknowledged, for the first time, that his China trade policies may mean economic pain for Americans, though he insisted the tariffs are needed for more important long-term benefits.

A slightly disappointing economic forecast issued for Netflix in the first quarter of 2019 on Thursday overshadowed a solid earnings report covering the final quarter of last year. The streaming service has begun to significantly raise prices on American subscribers to help pay for rising programming costs.

Luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. said that third-quarter revenue rose 4 percent to just above $1 billion, but industry analysts were anticipating a bigger boost. Some of that unexpected drag has occurred as tourists, particularly Chinese tourists, pull back on spending in places like New York and Hong Kong. And other luxury retailers have noticed as well.

Bill and Melinda Gates are pushing back against a new wave of criticism about whether billionaire philanthropy is a force for good. The couple, whose foundation has the largest endowment in the world, say they are not fazed by recent blowback against wealthy giving. It's come in high-profile moments at the World Economic Forum, the shifting political conversation about taxes and socialism in the U.S., and best-selling book "Winners Take All," which calls the influence of high-dollar giving an "elite charade." "I'm not sure that the attack has been on philanthropy. I think the attack has been on wealth," Melinda Gates said in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

Frozen food-makers are seeking special rules for "mini meals," citing little pizza bagels and dumplings as examples that might qualify as healthy. Chewing gum and bottled water companies say they should no longer be shut out from using the term just because their products don't provide nutrients.

Netflix's subscriber growth is bogging down even before the leading video streaming service confronts high-powered threats from Apple and Walt Disney Co. The latest sign of the challenges the company is facing emerged Wednesday with the release of its third-quarter results. The numbers provided further evidence that Netflix's salad days may be over, particularly in the U.S., where most households that want its 12-year-old streaming service already have it.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. is "very close" to a deal with China on tariffs, but that he doesn't know if he wants to do it. "I like the deal we have now," he said on Thursday, as he was leaving the White House to head to Argentina for a meeting of the Group of 20 nations, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping about ways to ease an escalating trade war.

Visa and Mastercard on Friday announced their departure from Facebook's Libra project, a major setback to the social network's plan for a worldwide digital currency. Along with the two payment giants, several other large companies have said they're exiting Libra. Payment processing company Stripe is stepping back, as well as e-commerce company eBay.

People who buy homes are a huge revenue generator, but so are those who are investing in the homes that they already own, for a multitude of reasons, a win for Home Depot and Lowe's.

Global stocks soared Friday, reversing the big losses they suffered just a day earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 700 points in the latest twist in a wild three months for markets. Hopes for progress in the U.S.-China trade dispute, a strong report on the U.S. jobs market and encouraging comments from the head of the U.S. central bank about its interest rate policy all combined to cheer investors.