Apple's ad blocker impacts Walmart and Pope Francis weighs in on U.S. economy

U.S. stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) are sliding again today, being dragged down by the global auto sector thank to the continuing emissions scandal at Volkswagen. The scandal may be spreading, namely to BMW, according to some reports.

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Here are som eof the other stories Yahoo Finance is keeping an eye on today.

Pope Francis weighs in on U.S. economy
Turning now to Pope Francis who continued his visit to this country by speaking to a joint session of Congress earlier today.  Among the many topics covered the pontiff weighed in on the distribution of wealth and job creation, saying in part, "Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good."

Apple vs. Walmart
Apple's (AAPL) new i-Phone ad-blockers are causing issues for some major retailers. The top selling iOS ad-blocking app reportedly prevents certain sites from fully loading. The Walmart (WMT), Sears (SHLD) and Lululemon (LULU) sites are among those affected.

Walmart and clean energy
Speaking of e-commerce and Walmart the retailer is joining nine other companies, including Starbucks (SBUX) and Nike (NKE), in pledging to source 100 percent of their electricity from renewable energy. To date, 36 companies have signed the pledge.

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