BIG-TICKET FACTORY ORDERS UP 1.2% IN FEB.

WASHINGTON» Orders to U.S. factories for bigticket manufactured goods rose by a solid amount in February, but the gain came before the coronavirus had shut down much of the country.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that durable goods orders rose 1.2% last month, rebounding from January when orders had shown a tiny 0.1% gain.

With all the shutdowns that have come as authorities deal with the coronavirus, economists are looking for weak reports in the coming months.

Judge clears way for New Mexico suit over kid privacy claims. ALBUQUERQUE» AU.S. district judge has rejected an effort to derail New Mexico’s lawsuit against Twitter, Google and other companies that develop and market mobile gaming apps for children.

The judge concluded in a ruling Tuesday that the court has jurisdiction over the case, clearing the way for it to proceed.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas filed the lawsuit in 2018, taking aim at Google, Twitter, their online ad businesses and mobile app maker Tiny Lab Productions. He accused them of violating state and federal laws aimed at protecting the privacy of children by collecting information through the apps without consent.

Santa Fe newspaper announces layoffs amid COVID-19.

SANTA FE» The Santa Fe New Mexican announced nearly a dozen layoffs, salary reductions and a shortened workweek amid an economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publisher Tom Cross said Tuesday the moves are intended to keep the family-owned newspaper, its website and other operations as healthy as possible while the media outlet deals with a decline in advertisements.

Under the plan, New Mexican managers will see reduced salaries and staff will have reductions in hours worked. It’s unclear if the layoffs affect the newsroom. In addition, staffers at the alternative newsweekly Santa Fe Reporter announced the publication also had layoffs and salary cuts.