What’s News
Oil Prices Soar to Five-Month High
U.S. oil prices rallied to a five-month high after an unexpected and sharp decrease in U.S. distillate stockpiles convinced traders to shrug off rising crude stockpiles and the end of a Kuwaiti oil-workers’ strike.
Election 2016
Front-Runners Seek Knockouts in Next Round of Primaries
After sizable primary wins for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in New York, the next big voting day is April 26, when five Eastern states head to the polls. Here’s a state-by-state rundown. 99
Three Officials Criminally Charged Over Flint Water Crisis
Two Michigan regulators and a Flint water-plant supervisor have been charged in the first criminal case stemming from probes into lead contamination of the city’s water. 84
One Firm Getting What It Wants in Washington: BlackRock
BlackRock’s escape from tougher federal scrutiny follows years of pushback, a sign of its increased sway in the capital.
Harriet Tubman to Be Added to $20 Bill
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said he would put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, bowing to public pressure after a long-running campaign to solicit input on his initial proposal to put a woman on the $10 bill appeared to misfire. 1165
Hundreds of Migrants Feared Dead in Mediterranean
The U.N. refugee agency estimates about 500 migrants drowned after their boat sank off the Libyan coast sometime last week. 67
EU Hits Google With Antitrust Charges Over Android Apps
The European Union fired off its second round of formal antitrust charges at Alphabet’s Google in less than two years, accusing it of abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system.
SunEdison’s Failed Deals Could Bite Back
The deal-making frenzy that hastened SunEdison’s collapse could continue to cause problems for the solar-power company during any bankruptcy.
Wal-Mart to Revamp Board
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it would transform its board, with four members retiring and a grandson of founder Sam Walton being nominated for election, as part of a plan to “strengthen the board for the future.”
VW Crisis Comes to Head This Week
Volkswagen is preparing to offer a buyback to U.S. owners of some diesel-powered vehicles and payments to others, ahead of a Thursday court deadline to address cars it has long known violate air pollution rules.
Mattel Loss Widens Amid Continued Barbie Slump
Mattel’s loss widened in the first quarter as Barbie’s revival stalled and the toy maker was unable to make up for the loss of a valuable Walt Disney license to rival Hasbro.
U.S. Stocks Keep Rising, Helped by Energy Shares
U.S. stocks rose as a rally in oil prices ignited gains in energy shares. The advance in shares since mid-February has propelled the Dow near its record close, set in May.
A strike by Kuwaiti oil workers didn’t have the same effect on prices as it might have in past years.
Heard on the Street
Oil Shocker: Bulging Inventory Beats Scary Headlines
Oil price shocks need to be huge to have similar price impact to those of yesteryear given a big rise in global crude inventory.
Ahead of the Tape
How Microsoft Is Reclaiming Its Former Glory
As Microsoft’s stock approaches its record, Thursday’s earnings report could help the rally maintain its momentum.
Fed Watchdog Says Media Release Safeguards Need Improvement
The Federal Reserve should strengthen its controls to safeguard sensitive economic information released early to the media, a government watchdog said in a report.
President Obama’s Riyadh visit was expected to focus on further cooperation in the fight against Islamic State, and a foreign-policy agenda that has positioned Washington as a broker between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Photo: AP.
Obama Pushes Mideast Plans
President Obama’s trip is meant to provide reassurances to Gulf allies and to bolster his own foreign-policy legacy, but frustrated Gulf leaders are already looking ahead to the next administration.
Indonesia Steps Up Hunt for Financial Fugitives
The detention of convicted businessman Samadikun Hartono in China after 13 years on the run is part of a broader anticorruption effort by the Widodo administration.
NATO and Russia Hold ‘Frank’ Discussions
Ambassadors from Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization met Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years.
Norway’s Mass Killer Wins on Claim of Mistreatment in Jail
The Norwegian state has violated mass killer Anders Behring Breivik’s human rights, a judge ruled, a month after Mr. Breivik claimed in court that he had suffered inhuman and degrading treatment in prison. 152
L.A. Mayor Proposes Spending $138 Million on Homeless Problem
Eric Garcetti’s plan comes as Los Angeles grapples with the largest increase of homeless individuals among the nation’s major urban centers.
Supreme Court Contraception Case Shows No Signs of Compromise
The Obama administration and religiously affiliated employers in a final round of legal briefs moved no closer to a compromise for covering contraception in workers’ insurance plans, likely leaving it to the eight-member Supreme Court to settle the dispute.
Court Upholds Terror Victims’ Ability to Collect Iran Funds
The Supreme Court cleared the way for victims of terrorist attacks to collect about $2 billion in frozen funds tied to Iran’s central bank.
Ex-New Orleans Officers Plead Guilty in Katrina Shootings
Five former police officers pleaded guilty to a reduced number of charges in the deadly shootings on the Danziger Bridge in the days following Hurricane Katrina and were sentenced to less prison time.
New NLRB Rules Haven’t Helped Unions as Expected
A new federal rule imposed last year to speed up union-organizing elections hasn’t helped increase labor’s foothold in private-sector workplaces, as business groups feared.
Video
Meet the 16-Year-Old CEO of Mobile App 'Flogg'
4:20
Life Expectancy for White Women Declines in U.S.
5:10
Ailing Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech
1:22Photos
Life
What Artists Take to Coachella
James Bay can’t play without his ring. Cold War Kids’ singer has a Morrissey-inspired tattoo. Courtney Barnett loves her trucker hat. Musicians reveal the tools and talismans they need to perform.
WSJ Book Club
Tracy Chevalier Picks ‘Tenant of Wildfell Hall’ for Book Club
Novelist Tracy Chevalier (“Girl With a Pearl Earring”) picks Anne Brontë’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” for the WSJ Book Club.