US COMPANIES WALK FINE LINE WHEN DOING BUSINESS WITH CHINA

NEW YORK (AP) — The furor over a tweet by the Houston Rockets' general manager in support of Hong Kong protesters is highlighting the fine line that U.S. companies must walk when doing business with China.

China is highly appealing to U.S. companies looking for growth overseas. But experts caution they should know what they're getting themselves into when they do business with a country that's heading into 70 years of communist rule.

The NBA is trying to manage that delicate relationship after manager Daryl Morey posted a now-deleted tweet of an image that read "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." That set off an immediate backlash, with China's state broadcaster cancelling plans to show a pair of preseason games in that country later this week.

LEGOS LYING AROUND? TOY MAKER TESTS WAY TO RECYCLE BRICKS

NEW YORK (AP) — Lego is looking to keep its plastic bricks out of the trash.

The toy maker is testing a way for customers to ship their unwanted bricks back and get them into the hands of other kids.

It says customers in the U.S. can now print out a mailing label on its site, dump their used Lego bricks in a box and send them off for free. Lego says the blocks will be cleaned, placed in a box and given to Teach for America, a non-profit that will donate them to classrooms across the United States. Some bricks will be also sent to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston for their after-school programs.

Lego says if the test is successful, it may expand the program beyond the U.S. next year.

AGING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS TRY TO SUE OVER NAZI-ERA INSURANCE

AVENTURA, Fla. (AP) — Aging Holocaust survivors are trying to recover insurance benefits that were never honoured by Nazi-era companies, which could be worth billions of dollars.

The companies have demanded original paperwork, such as death certificates, that were not available after World War II. The survivors want to take insurance companies to court in the U.S. to recover the money, but it would take an act of Congress to allow it.

For nearly two decades, members of the Holocaust Survivors' Foundation USA have tried and failed to gain access to U.S. courts. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee recently held a hearing on their efforts.

The German government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Holocaust survivors and other victims of the Third Reich, as has an international commission created with U.S. backing.

MOTORIST CRASHES, DIES AFTER DEER KNOCKED INTO WINDSHIELD

RAY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 28-year-old woman has died in southeastern Michigan after a deer struck by another vehicle crashed through the windshield of a car she was driving.

The Macomb County sheriff's office says the driver of a Chevy Captiva hit the deer about 7:20 a.m. Tuesday on a road in Ray Township, north of Detroit.

The deer was thrown into oncoming traffic and smashed into the passenger side of a vehicle, which veered from the roadway and struck a tree. Erika Ladas of Capac was injured in the crash and later died at a hospital. Ladas had worked as a dispatcher for sheriff's office since January.

The 40-year-old driver of the Chevy was not injured.

The crash was under investigation.

SCHOOL DISTRICT: RAPPER PUNCHED STUDENT DURING CASH SCRAMBLE

ATLANTA (AP) — Officials say a local rapper punched a student in the face at a suburban Atlanta high school pep rally after throwing cash in the air and prompting a mad scramble.

News outlets report the incident happened at DeKalb County's McNair High School on Friday. The school district is investigating.

District officials say a teacher invited the rapper, known as Lil Tripp, without clearing it with officials. The rapper, whose legal name wasn't released, was performing in the school's gym and began throwing money. As students rushed onto the gym floor, officials allege the rapper punched a student in the face.

DeKalb school officials say they didn't hire the rapper or know he was coming, but that normal security was in place. They say the unnamed teacher could be disciplined.

School police declined comment.

BOEING TO INVEST $20 MILLION IN VIRGIN GALACTIC

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Boeing plans to invest $20 million in Virgin Galactic as the space tourism company nears its goal of launching passengers on suborbital flights.

The companies announced the investment Tuesday, saying they will work together on broadening commercial access to space and transforming global travel technologies.

Virgin Galactic has conducted successful test flights of its winged rocket ship at Mojave, California, and is preparing to begin operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Test flights will be conducted there before passenger flights begin.

Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides says the company is projecting commercial flights by mid-2020.

Virgin Galactic announced in July it intends to go public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp.

Boeing's investment is in return for shares, so it is contingent on that transaction closing.

News from © The Associated Press, 2019