Business category, Page 17
Southwest Airlines’ new policy will affect plus-size travelers. Here’s how
Southwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making. The new rule goes into effect Jan. 27, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats. Currently,...
Trump says he’s firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook, opening new front in fight for central bank control
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday night that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics. Trump said in a letter posted...
Cracker Barrel says it ‘could’ve done a better job’ with release of new logo that angered some fans
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo but apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week. “If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the company said Monday...
Entrepreneur accused of defrauding PNC Bank ordered to pay $26M
A federal judge Monday ordered a New York businessman to pay back more than $26 million to PNC after the bank caught what it described as large-scale check fraud. The order, crafted by attorneys on both sides and approved by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak, comes less than two...
Keurig Dr Pepper to buy Peet’s Coffee owner in $18 billion deal
NEW YORK — Keurig Dr Pepper said Monday it will buy Peet’s Coffee owner JDE Peet’s in a deal worth about $18 billion. When the acquisition is complete, the company plans to split into two separate companies, one focused on coffee and the other focused on beverages including Dr Pepper,...
Wealth management firm breathes life into prominent Aspinwall building
Fox Chapel financial adviser Mike Dukovich is breathing life into a longtime Aspinwall office building, opening a branch of YTS Wealth Management in the former Bradford building that sits prominently at the town’s entrance. A leading independent wealth management firm, YTS opened at 133 Freeport Road. “The partnership bought the...
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital nurses vote to unionize
A majority of about 700 nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital have voted to unionize with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the union announced Sunday. Ballots were counted late Saturday following voting that day and Tuesday. Nurses voted 402 to 305, or 57% to 43%, in favor of unionizing. Nurses, elected officials, patients...
GOP lawmakers push for tariffs tailored to help home-state companies
Congressional Republicans are embracing Donald Trump’s tariff campaign as a way to advance home-state causes, lobbying the president to impose more import duties to protect local companies. The rank-and-file GOP lawmakers’ entreaties, which often present trade actions shoring up favored manufacturers as a winning tactic for midterm elections, bolster the...
Railroad companies fail to join safety program after toxic Ohio derailment
Two and a half years after a derailed train spewed toxic gases across eastern Ohio, none of the nation’s largest freight railroads have fulfilled promises to join a voluntary federal close call program designed to reduce rail hazards and prevent accidents. Two railroads — BNSF and Norfolk Southern — launched...
European postal services suspend shipment of packages to U.S. over import tariffs
ATHENS, Greece — The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule. The exemption, known as the “de minimis” exemption, allows packages worth less than $800...
Trump trumpets deal giving US a 10% stake in downtrodden Intel
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday announced the U.S. government has secured a 10% stake in struggling Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in a deal that was completed just a couple weeks after he was depicting the company’s CEO as a conflicted leader unfit for the job. “The United States...
Powell signals Fed may cut rates soon even as inflation risks remain
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday opened the door ever so slightly to lowering a key interest rate in the coming months but gave no hint on the timing of a move and suggested the central bank will proceed cautiously as it continues to evaluate...
Here’s the scoop: Flora Park Creamery serves Penn State ice cream
Randy Stetor drives a 16-foot refrigerated truck to Penn State’s main campus in State College every two weeks and returns with 6,000 pounds of ice cream. And not just any ice cream — he brings back three-gallon tubs of flavors from the famous Penn State Berkey Creamery. “The cows are...
Cracker Barrel unveils new logo as part of wider rebrand efforts, sparking ire among some online
NEW YORK — Cracker Barrel is marching forward with an ongoing makeover. And to the dismay of some fans, the chain’s new logo now ditches the barrel itself. Or rather, the drawing many have associated with Cracker Barrel over the years. The man leaning on that barrel is also gone,...
Sony hikes the price of the Playstation 5 in the U.S.
NEW YORK — Sony has raised the price of its PlayStation 5 consoles being sold in the United States by $50. “Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,” Sony Global Marketing Vice President Isabelle Tomatis wrote in a blog post. “As a result, we’ve...
Highmark operating income hits $121M in 1st half, propelled by covid funds, efficiency gains
Highmark Health, the Pittsburgh-based parent company of Highmark insurance and Allegheny Health Network, posted operating income of $121 million through the first half of the year, with solid performances from its main divisions. That’s a marked decline, though, from the same time in 2024, when Highmark reported a $307 million...
U.S., EU issue written framework for their trade deal, still a work in progress
BRUSSELS — U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and European Union officials on Thursday released a bare-bones account of their trade deal that imposes a stiff 15% import tax on 70% of European goods exported to the U.S., but they left blank key areas including wine and spirits and steel and...
China races to build world’s largest solar farm, which would be the size of Chicago
TALATAN, China — Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world’s largest solar farm when completed high on a Tibetan plateau. It will cover 235 square miles, which is the size of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels far faster than anywhere else...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits rise last week, but layoffs remain historically low
WASHINGTON — More Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but U.S. layoffs remain in the same historically healthy range of the past few years. Applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Aug. 16 rose by 11,000 to 235,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s slightly more than the...
Residents, landowners tell state regulators they oppose 2nd Rustic Ridge mine in Donegal area
A group of about two dozen Donegal area residents pleaded with state environmental regulators Wednesday to reject an application for another coal mine next to an existing one. They cited mine subsidence damage, loss of water supply, coal truck traffic and stream pollution from the mine the Johnstown company already...
Target CEO to step down amid company struggles
NEW YORK — Target named an insider as its next chief executive officer Wednesday, a decision that comes as the discount retailer tries to reverse a persistent sales malaise and to revive its reputation as the place to go for affordable but stylish products. Minneapolis-based Target said CEO Brian Cornell,...
Trump calls on Federal Reserve official to resign after official accuses her of mortgage fraud
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to gain control over the central bank. Bill Pulte, director of the agency that...
John Dorfman: Are you benefiting from wave of share buybacks?
July set a record for companies buying back their own shares. They did it to the tune of $166 billion. Are the companies whose stocks you own buying back their own shares? It’s worth checking. Buybacks aren’t a magic panacea for raising shareholder value, but they often help. When there...
Walmart recalls frozen shrimp over potential radioactive contamination
Walmart has recalled frozen, raw shrimp sold in 13 states because federal health officials say it could have potential radioactive contamination. The Food and Drug Administration asked Walmart to pull three lots of Great Value brand frozen shrimp from stores after federal officials detected Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping...
Nexstar Media Group buying Tegna in deal worth $6.2 billion
NEW YORK — Nexstar Media Group is buying broadcast rival Tegna for $6.2 billion, bringing together two major players in U.S. television and the country’s local news landscape. If the transaction is approved, Nexstar will pay $22 in cash for each share of Tegna’s outstanding stock. And the regulatory greenlight...
