Agency recommends current 80K attendance cap at Burning Man

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is recommending attendance be capped at existing levels for the next 10 years at the annual Burning Man counter-culture festival in the desert 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Reno.

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Burning Man organizers had proposed raising the current 80,000 limit as high as 100,000 in coming years.

But the BLM said in releasing the final environmental impact statement on Friday its preferred alternative for the proposed 10-year renewal of Burning Man's special recreation would stick with the cap that's been in place since 2017.

The agency said it would work with event organizers to address environmental and security concerns, but it's not advocating at this time any of the changes proposed in the draft environmental impact statement, including a ban on Dumpsters, new security barriers or private security searches for weapons or drugs.

Trump administration suspends trade complaint against China

The Trump administration has suspended a complaint it had made against China to the World Trade Organization, a shift that might signal a slight opening in the administration's trade war with Beijing.

The WTO says it's granted a request to suspend work until December on the administration's complaint that Beijing has failed to safeguard the intellectual property of U.S. companies operating in China — a major issue in the trade war. The Geneva-based WTO weighs disputes between its members, and if a country prevails, it can impose tariffs on imports from the other. President Donald Trump has already imposed tariffs on many Chinese goods.

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The WTO's announcement did not say why the administration had made the request, and the U.S. trade representative's office didn't respond to a request for comment.

Biden vs. Sanders and other things to watch in the first Democratic debates

WASHINGTON – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders over the past couple of weeks has subtly teed off on former Vice President Joe Biden, criticizing him for his “middle ground” approach on climate change, trade policies and corporate donors. 

And Biden hasn’t sat idly by. The former vice president has shunned some of Sanders’ key proposals, such as Medicare for all, and routinely pitched his more centrist approach as the more viable option. 

While neither has mentioned the other’s name, the subtext has been clear. And later this month, the two will come face-to-face for the first time since both announced their respective bids for the Democratic presidential nomination.

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Oklahoma governor, GOP leaders: drug settlement violates law

Oklahoma's governor and Republican legislative leaders are raising concerns about the state's proposed $85 million settlement with an opioid manufacturer that has yet to be approved by a judge.

Gov. Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat say in a brief filed Friday that the proposed settlement doesn't comply with a new state law .

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Attorney General Mike Hunter announced the deal with Israeli-owned Teva Pharmaceuticals on May 26.

The three leaders say they believe the settlement conflicts with the law that directs any settlement funds directly into the state treasury. The law was passed last month after lawmakers openly grumbled about how Hunter structured the state's $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharmaceuticals.

Oklahoma's lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over the opioid epidemic is continuing.

Mnuchin says 2020 deadline for Tubman $20 bill not possible

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is calling "completely erroneous" a published report that an initial 2020 deadline for completing the design of a $20 bill featuring Harriett Tubman could have been met.

Mnuchin told a congressional committee last month that the redesign of the $20 bill featuring Tubman, a 19th century abolitionist leader, had to be delayed.

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But The New York Times on Friday published an image of a $20 bill featuring Tubman which it said it had obtained from a former Treasury Department official. The image depicts Tubman in a dark coat with a wide collar and a white scarf.

The newspaper said the design process was far enough along that the Trump administration likely could have met the original 2020 deadline.

Broadcom, Exxon fall while Facebook, ArQule rise

Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily on Friday:

Broadcom Inc., down $15.68 to $265.93

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The chipmaker cut its full year revenue forecast citing restrictions on sales to Chinese companies, including Huawei.

Innovative Industrial Properties Inc., up $7.57 to $108.48

The real estate company announced a 33% increase in its quarterly dividend.

Exxon Mobil Corp., down 33 cents to $74.35

Energy stocks dropped a day after leading Wall Street higher following attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

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Louisiana-Pacific Corp., up 81 cents to $25.68

The building products company named F. Nicholas Grasberger III, CEO of Harsco Corp., to its board of directors.

Consolidated Edison Inc., up 76 cents to $88.54

Utility stocks gained, an indication investors may be worried about economic growth and are shifting money into safer holdings.

Facebook Inc., up $3.86 to $181.33

The social media company has key companies backing its proposed cryptocurrency.

ArQule Inc., up $1.91 to $8.20

The biotechnology company reported positive results from an early study of a potential blood cancer treatment.

Bluegreen Vacations Corp., up $2.49 to $10.49

The vacation timeshare company reached a settlement deal that lets it reinstate marketing activities at Bass Pro stores.