Nov 1 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is backing away from a plan to freeze tailpipe-emissions targets for new vehicles through 2025, say people familiar with the process. The administration is now considering requiring a 1.5% annual increase in fleetwide fuel efficiency, with the rule likely to come by year's end. https://on.wsj.com/2N2Upc4
- U.S. President Donald Trump said China and the U.S. are in the process of selecting a new site to sign what he has called phase one of a broader trade agreement between the two countries. The countries had planned to sign phase one of pact at APEC in Chile, but the event was cancelled due to widening protests in the capital city of Santiago. https://on.wsj.com/323tDEA
- Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Inc MO.N wrote down its investment in Juul Labs Inc by more than a third, acknowledging that it hadn't anticipated the regulatory pitfalls confronting the e-cigarette market. The Marlboro maker, which paid $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in e-cigarette maker, cited the proposed flavor bans for the write-down. https://on.wsj.com/2N4kbg5
- Qantas Airways Ltd QAN.AX became the latest airline to ground some older Boeing (NYSE:BA) Co BA.N 737s for structural cracks. The structural fault presents a new problem for the U.S. plane maker, as it is separately working on fixes for its newer MAX model. https://on.wsj.com/2BXHkua
- The identical twin brother of Lt Col Alexander Vindman, a National Security Council official who shared before House committees this week his concerns about President Trump's July phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, may also be called to testify. https://on.wsj.com/2oA5zvn