Business category, Page 13
Google faces antitrust déjà vu as U.S. seeks to break up its digital advertising business
After deflecting the U.S. Justice Department’s attack on its illegal monopoly in online search, Google is facing another attempt to dismantle its internet empire in a trial focused on its abusive tactics in digital advertising. The trial scheduled to begin Monday in an Alexandria, Virginia, federal court will revolve around...
Emerging TikTok deal with China ensures U.S. control of board and crucial algorithm, White House says
WASHINGTON — An emerging TikTok deal with China will ensure that U.S. companies control the algorithm that powers the app’s video feed and Americans will hold a majority of seats on a board overseeing U.S. operations, the White House said Saturday. A central question to the tug of war between...
Club Cafe on Pittsburgh’s South Side opening daytime coffee house
After reopening the longtime South Side music venue on July 31, the new owners of Club Cafe have been going full speed ahead with the space. Starting with soft opening hours next Wednesday, that will also include a daytime coffee house. The official opening will be Oct. 1. Club Cafe...
Realtors, experts weigh in on Pittsburgh housing market for median income earners
Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Ashlea Lee was tired of hunting for pet-friendly rental apartments for Reese, her 5-year-old golden retriever. The Westmoreland County native and Greensburg Central Catholic alumna knew what she wanted: a modest ranch,...
Toyota and Hyundai recall more than 1.1 million vehicles for seat belt, panel display problems
Toyota and Hyundai are recalling a combined 1.1 million vehicles because of problems with the instrument panel displays and seat belts, U.S. auto regulators said Thursday. Toyota is recalling 591,377 automobiles because the instrument panel display can fail and not show the driver critical information including vehicle speed, brake system...
U.S. House panel advances bill to require AM radio in all new vehicles
WASHINGTON — A panel of U.S. House lawmakers advanced a bill this week that would require the inclusion of AM radio in all new vehicles for eight years. “I know quite well how crucial AM radio is for receiving emergency alerts during hurricane season, for consumers and rural communities to...
Waymo’s robotaxi expansion will get a Lyft in Nashville next year
Robotaxi leader Waymo announced that its driverless vehicles will begin transporting passengers in Nashville, Tennessee, next year while heading in a new direction by teaming up with Lyft instead of its recent ride-hailing partner Uber. The Nashville plan calls for robotaxi ride requests to initially be limited to Waymo’s own...
Chat with Trump at wrestling match helped salvage U.S. Steel deal, McCormick says
Just days after being sworn into office, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick had lunch with a group of U.S. Steel workers who favored the company’s sale to Nippon Steel. That January meeting convinced the Pittsburgh Republican of the controversial deal’s merits, McCormick said Wednesday at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C....
U.S. jobless aid applications retreat to 231,000 after surging to nearly 4-year high a week earlier
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid last week retreated significantly after surging to a nearly four-year high a week earlier. U.S. filings for unemployment benefits for the week ending Sept. 13 fell by 33,000 to 231,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s less than the 241,000 analysts surveyed...
Nvidia to invest $5 billion in Intel; companies will work together on AI infrastructure and PCs
NEW YORK — Nvidia, the world’s leading chipmaker, announced on Thursday that it’s investing $5 billion in Intel and it will collaborate with the struggling semiconductor company on products. Nvidia and Intel will team up to work on custom data centers that form the backbone of artificial intelligence infrastructure as...
Duquesne Light promises improvements after April storm
Duquesne Light officials on Wednesday vowed to make improvements after customers complained of poor communication and long power outages after a severe storm in April. The April 29 storm left three dead and caused massive, widespread damage, blowing roofs off of buildings, downing massive trees and leaving debris in roadways....
Broadway opposition brings the curtain down on planned Times Square casino backed by Jay-Z
NEW YORK — A proposed Caesars Palace casino in Times Square that’s backed by Jay-Z lost its bid for a gambling license Wednesday after running into fierce opposition from Broadway theater owners and producers who were worried about its potential impact on the theater district. A state-commissioned community advisory committee...
Federal Reserve cuts key rate for 1st time this yearVideo
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and it...
Emiliano’s South Side location abruptly closes amid fed raids at Cranberry, Richland spots
Update: The restaurant chain released a statement on Thursday The South Side location of a regional Mexican restaurant chain appears to be closed for good. A person who answered the phone at Emiliano’s Bethel Park location confirmed the South Side site was closed, but would not answer further questions. In...
Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for U.S. workers
NEW YORK — Amazon says it’s making a $1 billion investment to raise wages and lower the cost of health care plans for its U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers. The Seattle-based company said Wednesday the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour and said that some of...
Retail sales up 0.6% in August from July even as tariffs hurt jobs, lead to price hikes
NEW YORK — Shoppers increased their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school shopping, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs start to hurt the job market and lead to price increases. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised...
Orr’s Jewelers leaving Squirrel Hill for Strip District bustle
Orr’s Jewelers is closing its Squirrel Hill store after more than two decades and opening a new one in the Strip District to capitalize on the neighborhood’s rapid redevelopment. The 10,000 square-foot Strip District shop will open by the end of the year in a converted warehouse on the 1600...
New bill seeks ‘commonsense’ curbs on Pittsburgh vape shops to protect kids
Pittsburgh officials are considering new restrictions on vape shops in an effort to limit kids’ exposure to stores selling nicotine and CBD. The measure, introduced to City Council on Tuesday, would not allow new vape shops to open within 1,500 feet of elementary or secondary schools, licensed daycare facilities, religious...
Costco recalls Prosecco because bottles could shatter without warning
Costco is recalling bottles of store brand Prosecco because they could shatter without warning. In a notice on the company’s website Tuesday, Costco said the recall affects Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene purchased between April 25 and August 26. The affected bottles were sold in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota,...
Dorfman: Company execs remain skittish about buying own shares
This column frequently tracks insider buys by companies’ chief executives. Lately, they are scarce. Executives normally sell more shares than they buy because their cup is periodically refilled via stock-option grants. Over the past 21 years, according to Gurufocus.com, dollar volume for buys has usually run about 34% of the...
Senate approves White House economist to serve on Fed board
WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved one of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers for a seat on the Federal Reserve’s governing board, giving the White House greater influence over the central bank just two days before it is expected to vote in favor of reducing its key interest rate....
Appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to unseat Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook ahead of rate vote
WASHINGTON — An appeals court ruled Monday that Lisa Cook can remain a Federal Reserve governor, rebuffing President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove her just ahead of a key vote on interest rates. The Trump administration is expected to quickly turn to the Supreme Court in a last-ditch bid to...
DEP gives preliminary nod to $10B Homer City plant, environmental group sounds alarm
State environmental regulators say they intend to approve an air quality plan for a proposed natural gas-fired power plant near Homer City, despite concerns from an environmental group that the facility would become the largest air polluter in Pennsylvania. The Department of Environmental Protection said the air quality plan submitted...
Trump again calls to end quarterly earnings reports, hitting corporate fault line
President Donald Trump again called for an end to quarterly earnings reports, tapping into a long-running fault line in American capitalism over how much information should be disclosed by public companies. In a social media post on Monday, Trump echoed comments he made during his first term to end the...
Shipping companies support a 1st-ever global fee on greenhouse gases, opposed by Trump officials
Nearly 200 shipping companies said Monday they want the world’s largest maritime nations to adopt regulations that include the first-ever global fee on greenhouse gases to reduce their sector’s emissions. The Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of companies, governments and intergovernmental organizations, is asking member states of the International...
