Friday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Friday’s business headlines.

Electricity and rust

Rust is often associated with decay and disrepair, but scientists at Caltech and Northwestern University are looking at it as a means of generating electricity.

Thin films of it, as the scientists show in a new study, could be used to generate electricity when interacting with saltwater.

The rust involved with this project would have to be developed with consistency in a lab.

Amazon Dash button

Amazon is killing the Dash button.

The online retail giant says all Dash buttons will stop working at the end of the month.

The Dash button let you buy an item, like razors or detergent, on Amazon with one click.

But with the development of the Echo device that has eliminated the need for the Dash buttons and not that many customers were using them anyway.

Plant-based burgers

With success comes scrutiny, and plant-based burgers are getting a close look by nutritionists.

The Wall Street Journal says some nutritionists point out that they contain almost as many calories and more sodium than beef and that they are highly processed.

Plant-based patties tend to contain five times more sodium than beef, though companies say consumers often salt their beef burgers. Impossible’s burger contains nine grams of carbs and Beyon’s contains three, versus none in beef.

On the other hand, meat alternatives contain no cholesterol.

Jobs report

Friday is a jobs report day.

The numbers will be out at 8:30 a.m.

Economists polled by Refintiv anticipate the U.S. economy added a steady but unremarkable 164,000 jobs.

Unemployment, meanwhile, is expected to hold steady at 3.7%.

Analysts will also be monitoring wage growth and average hourly earnings for signs of inflation.