Bloomberg US prosecutors ridiculed celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti’s claim that he was charged with trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike Inc as payback for his feud with President Donald Trump, calling the allegation a “fantastic notion” based on hyperbole and insinuation. Avenatti asked a judge in August to throw out the case, claiming it was a vindictive prosecution …

Bloomberg Shares of Thomas Cook Group Plc tanked after the UK tourism operator said it needs more emergency financing. Thomas Cook said it will require another $251 million for a “seasonal standby facility,” sending the shares down as much as 28 percent. The company already increased the size of a bailout plan in August by 20 percent to 900 million …

Bloomberg Retails sales increased 0.4 percent in July, the first advance in three months, as consumers spent more on new cars, Statistics Canada said from Ottawa. The gain trailed economist expectations for a 0.6 percent increase. Excluding motor vehicles and gasoline, retail sales fell 0.1 percent on the month. The report falls short of economist expectations for a larger rebound …