Starbucks union says it rejects company’s proposal for 2% annual raise guarantee

About 500 baristas representing Starbucks’ 550-plus unionized US stores voted this week on the company’s latest contract offer. 3:33 p.m.

Most US states OK Medicaid pilot for sickle cell gene therapies

The strong interest from states is positive news for Bluebird Bio, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Crispr Therapeutics AG, which make therapies that have struggled to gain traction. 2:31 p.m.

Wellesley faculty end their strike, with no union contract in hand

The school’s non-tenure-track professors returned to the classroom Friday to prevent losing access to health insurance. 1:02 p.m.

Talk of raising taxes on millionaires swirls as Republicans draft Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

As Congress begins drafting a package for President Trump’s "big, beautiful bill," the Republican Party is split: Why not tax the millionaires? 1:01 p.m.

Massachusetts needs more affordable housing, study says. Lots of it.

The state is at least 440,000 units short of demand for income-restricted affordable housing. 10:24 a.m.

Eastern Bank is acquiring HarborOne, expanding in Mass. and R.I.

The deal is valued at approximately $490 million. 9:22 a.m.

Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees ‘privileged’ talks with 15 countries on US tariffs

Before the Trump administration paused some of its most stringent tariff plans, products imported from Switzerland had been set to face tariffs of 31 percent — more than the 20 percent tariffs on goods from the European Union. 5:29 a.m.

What science says about artificial food dyes amid RFK Jr.’s push to ban them

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, has called the dyes “poison” and long blamed artificial additives for chronic disease and illness in the United States. 4:06 p.m.

Tech diversity nonprofit shutting down after a decade of training people for software careers

Hack.Diversity helped more than 600 people get internships at local tech companies such as CarGurus and Rapid7. 3:56 p.m.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

The state’s unemployment system is a fiscal time bomb. Can Healey defuse it?

The state’s jobless trust fund, paid into by employers, is running out of money. A weakening local economy will only make matters worse. 3:36 p.m.

Brockton Neighborhood Health Center lays off 65 people

The layoffs accounted for about 10 percent of the center’s staff. 3:12 p.m.

Even snacks won’t make consumers feel better about the economy

Consumers, worried about the economy, are pulling back on their spending, and that anxiety is translating into lower sales and profits for some of the country's largest consumer-oriented companies. 2:47 p.m.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is not for sale, says Unilever CEO

Unilever Plc said Ben & Jerry’s is “not for sale” and will remain a key brand in the consumer goods group’s soon-to-be spun off ice cream division. 1:30 p.m.

Another downtown office tower, at 99 High Street, just sold at a deep discount

A new owner is taking over the mortgage of the the 32-story tower for 17 percent less than what the building’s prior owner paid two decades ago. 10:54 a.m.