Warner Bros rejects takeover offer from Paramount, tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid
NEW YORK — Warner Bros. again rejected Paramount’s latest takeover bid and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix. Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back its the sale of its streaming and studio business to...
Blawnox councilwoman crafts mini Moondog’s to celebrate business owner, music charity
Blawnox native Katie Specht-Coban sees her borough as a small world filled with big-hearted people. The daughter of the late Charles Specht, former president of the Pittsburgh Miniature Society, has carried on her father’s passion of crafting tiny locations and keepsakes. In December 2024, the councilwoman presented miniature scenes for...
Musk’s AI chatbot faces global backlash over sexualized images of women and children
LONDON — Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is facing a backlash from governments around the world after a recent surge in sexualized images of women and children generated without consent by the artificial intelligence-powered tool. On Tuesday, Britain’s top technology official demanded that Musk’s social media platform X take urgent...
As Pa. energy prices rise, advocates skeptical that lawmakers will put aside partisan differences
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Democrats and Republicans who lead the Pennsylvania legislature have singled out increasing energy production as a goal...
Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found
A golden phone that President Donald Trump’s family business promised to release last year remains mysteriously under wraps as the technology industry serves up a glut of new gadgets at CES in Las Vegas this week. When the Trump Organization launched a mobile phone service last June, it was supposed...
Westmoreland developments: Manor restaurant revived, Hempfield welcomes secondhand clothing store
It’s safe to say Julia Gutkowski was born into the restaurant industry. The 19-year-old Irwin resident made her debut in the food business as an eighth grade student in the Penn-Trafford School District while waitressing at Manor Grille — the restaurant her parents, Derek and Megan Gutkowski, operated for more...
Former convenience store CEO, expansion leader Steve Sheetz dies
Former Sheetz Corp. president and CEO Steve Sheetz, who oversaw the expansion of the Altoona-based convenience store chain, died Sunday, the company said. Sheetz, 77, was head of the family-owned multi-state convenience store chain from 1984 to 1995, succeeding his brother, Bob, who had founded the business in 1952, according...
Flights to the Caribbean resuming after Venezuela-related restriction lifts
The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday lifted its prohibition on flights to the Caribbean and airlines have resumed normal flights. “The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00 am ET and flights can resume,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on social media site X. “Airlines are...
Trump’s plan to seize and revitalize Venezuela’s oil industry faces major hurdles
President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid isn’t likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices. Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions,...
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for 2nd year in a row
NEW YORK — Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk’s right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row. Tesla said that it delivered...
Trump delays increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks. Trump’s order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year...
Pittsburgh City Paper closes
Pittsburgh City Paper is closing after 34 years of operation. Employees at the alt-weekly Pittsburgh City Paper publication posted on social media that the news outlet was closing. Colin Williams, news editor at the City Paper, posted on Linkedin on Wednesday saying “It’s the end of an era — ownership...
Brandy Melville’s Shadyside opening rekindles debate over size exclusivity
Emily Anderson remembers feelings of shame and self-consciousness in what she refers to as the “universal experience growing up fat or plus size” while trying to shop at size-exclusive clothing stores. “As a teenager I didn’t feel like I belonged in clothing stores,” said Anderson, a yoga therapist for All...
Average U.S. long-term mortgage rate falls to lowest level of the year at 6.15%
WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level of 2025 this week, an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers. The average long-term mortgage rate dipped to 6.15% from 6.18% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s the lowest average long-term rate...
New Year’s Day: What’s open? Retailers. What’s closed? Government and banks.
While schools, government and banks are closed on New Year’s Day, most major retailers across the U.S. will be open, with many offering discounts on older inventory to clear the way for newer products. But before you run out the door on New Year’s Day to peruse deals, it’s wise...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with layoffs remaining low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data...
John Dorfman: What my father taught me about investing
My father, Isaiah Sol Dorfman, was a World-War-II spy, a labor-relations lawyer, and a lifelong stock-market investor. His interest in the market was contagious. When I started buying stocks, he examined my portfolio and said, “I think you’ve done well in picking your stocks. Too bad you didn’t have enough...
Lee Enterprises stabilizes finances with $50M investment led by billionaire David Hoffmann
Lee Enterprises announced a compromise Tuesday with billionaire investor David Hoffmann, who offered to take over the nation’s third-largest newspaper chain this year, to help stabilize the company’s finances with a $50 million investment and set Lee up for the future. Hoffmann, whose family investment firm already owns more than...
U.S. Steel’s contract dispute with Canadian company heads to arbitration
U.S. Steel’s lawsuit accusing a Canadian company of refusing to pay for millions of tons of iron ore pellets is heading to arbitration. The October lawsuit, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, claimed Ontario-based Algoma Steel violated its agreement to buy the pellets from U.S. Steel. The deal was signed...
AI prompts increased human interaction at this cyber security company
In an age of artificial intelligence, Dennis Underwood is working it “old school.” He is prioritizing face time. Underwood is CEO of Cyber Crucible, a cybersecurity software company in Fox Chapel that focuses on preventing data theft, identity theft and ransomware. He said the introduction of mainstream AI in the...
Majority of job hunters turn to AI to help land next gig
Mallory Helbling turned to her own professional advice when she found herself laid off in December 2024. Among them: using artificial intelligence tools to assist in her job search as a career coach. “I was able to get my first contract role in February 2025,” said Helbling, 37, of Sharpsburg,...
Environmental groups call $135,000 fine for U.S. Steel oil spills ‘laughable’
A six-figure expense is a big deal for a lot of businesses. Less so for U.S. Steel, a massive manufacturer with more than $15 billion in annual revenue. That’s why clean water advocates argue the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection missed the mark last month by fining U.S. Steel $135,000...
Bitty & Beau’s, coffee shop known for inclusive hiring, quietly closes Strip District store
A coffee shop chain staffed by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a group dramatically underemployed nationwide, has permanently shuttered its only Pittsburgh-area location. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee on Tuesday closed the doors on its shop in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. “Unsustainable financial loss” led to the shutdown, according to a...
Why your holiday gift returns might go to a landfill and what you can do about it
The holiday season will soon come to a close, but the busiest time of the year for product returns is just beginning. The National Retail Federation estimates 17% of holiday purchases will be sent back this year. More retailers are reporting extended return windows and increased holiday staff to handle...
Average U.S. long-term mortgage rate ticks down to 6.18% this week
WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage ticked down modestly this week, remaining in the same narrow range of the past two months. The average long-term mortgage rate fell to 6.18% from 6.21% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. A year ago, the rate averaged...
