Business news in brief

By The Associated Press

Grant program is discriminatory, appeals court rules

NEW YORK | A U.S. federal court of appeals panel suspended a venture capital firm’s grant program for Black women business owners on Monday, ruling that a conservative group is likely to prevail in its lawsuit claiming that the program is discriminatory.

The ruling against the Fearless Fund is another victory for conservative groups waging a sprawling legal battle against corporate diversity programs that have targeted dozens of companies. The case was brought by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, a group led by Edward Blum, the activist behind the Supreme Court case that ended affirmative action in college admissions.

Company that bred beagles pleads guilty to neglect

A company that bred beagles for medical research has agreed to pay a record $35 million as part of a criminal plea admitting it neglected thousands of dogs at its breeding facility in rural Virginia. Prosecutors said Monday that the penalties amount to the largest ever levied in an animal-welfare case.

The plea deal also bars Envigo RMS and its Indiana-based parent company, Inotiv, from breeding or selling dogs in the future.

The federal investigation of Envigo drew national attention in 2022 when federal authorities conducted a search of the breeding facility in Cumberland County, Virginia. Inotiv issued what it called a “statement of contrition” after Monday’s plea deal in federal court in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Buzbee steps down as executive editor of The Washington Post

NEW YORK | Sally Buzbee has stepped down after three years as executive editor of The Washington Post, one of journalism’s most storied brands. No reason was given for her departure.

The paper recently hired a new publisher, Will Lewis, who has said the newspaper must take steps to correct a dramatic drop in digital subscriptions over the past few years.

Lewis said Matt Murray, former editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, will run the Post’s newsroom through the election this fall. After that, Robert Winnett, who is currently deputy editor of the Telegraph Media Group, will take over as the newspaper’s editor.

—From AP reports