Business category, Page 113
EPA rule would force clean-up of toxic coal ash dumped in landfills, ponds near power plants
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening a rule aimed at controlling and cleaning up toxic waste from coal-fired power plants. A proposal announced Wednesday would for the first time require safe management of so-called coal ash dumped in hundreds of older landfills, “legacy” ponds and other inactive sites...
5 tips to tackle a home remodel in an uncertain economy
Spring is kickoff season for many kitchen remodels, bathroom updates and deck repairs, but recent economic turmoil may have homeowners questioning their home improvement plans. Spending on home renovations is expected to slow this year because of factors such as declining home sales and values, rising interest rates , continuing...
Musk says he’s not stepping down as Tesla CEO
Elon Musk on Tuesday dismissed speculation that he might step down as Tesla’s CEO and told the company’s annual shareholders meeting that the electric car and solar panel company would start doing some advertising. “Say it ain’t so,” one shareholder asked Musk about stepping down as Tesla’s leader. “It ain’t...
Ford recalls 310,000 trucks to fix problem with airbags
DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 310,000 trucks in the U.S. because the driver’s front air bag may not inflate in a crash. The recall covers certain F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks from the 2016 model year. The company says dust can accumulate in a cable...
New Heinz machine will let users craft their own sauces
Mixing condiments is getting easier with a digital customizable sauce dispenser unveiled Wednesday by Kraft Heinz Company. The Heinz Remix machine can create more than 200 potential sauce combinations through a touchscreen that allows consumers to select from a range of flavors and intensities. The base sauces are Heinz Ketchup,...
IRS moves forward with free e-filing system in pilot program to launch in 2024
NEW YORK — Most taxpayers are interested in filing their taxes directly to the IRS for free, a new report says, and that option will be tested next year. The IRS has spent the past nine months studying whether U.S. taxpayers want to see a free, e-filing system run by...
‘Taco Tuesday’ trademark tiff flares anew between fast food competitors
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Declaring a mission to liberate “Taco Tuesday” for all, Taco Bell is asking U.S. regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John’s to abandon its longstanding claim to the trademark. Too many businesses and others refer to “Taco Tuesday” for Taco John’s to be able to have exclusive rights...
Brooklyn steel company hopes to move forward with $218M project in Aliquippa
A Brooklyn-based company said it hopes to build a steel plant for the 21st century at the former site of a J&L Steel facility in Aliquippa. On Tuesday morning, with a stage covered in red fabric backed by a structure displaying photos and videos of the history of 72 Steel,...
Mountain Valley Pipeline gets new permit to build in Appalachian national forest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A controversial and long-delayed natural gas pipeline got the green light for construction on national forest land in Virginia and West Virginia after the U.S. Forest Service reissued its approval for a permit, despite past federal appeals court rulings determining developers had “inadequately considered” the project’s environmental...
ChatGPT chief says artificial intelligence should be regulated by a U.S. or global agencyVideo
The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT told Congress on Tuesday that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. “As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are...
Retail sales up 0.4% in April, buoyed by solid job market, easing inflationary pressure
NEW YORK — Consumers picked up their spending modestly in April from March, buoyed by a solid job market and easing inflationary pressures. A bump up in demand for new cars also helped results, according to the Commerce Department report issued Tuesday. Retail sales increased 0.4% in April from March...
John Dorfman: Acuity, Littelfuse join the Do Nothing Club
Some people love stocks that are surging. Others love stocks that have been knocked down. Investors pay less attention to stocks that have been holding still, and therein may lie an opportunity. Some of these Do Nothing stocks may just … well, do something. Hence, my Do Nothing Club. It...
Alcoa strikes 8-year deal to supply Emirates Global Aluminium
Alcoa inked a multi-year agreement for the Pittsburgh-based company to supply Emirates Global Aluminum with smelter grade alumina. The 8-year agreement, which begins in 2024, will allow EGA to procure as much as 15.6 million metric tons of alumina from Western Australia. The deal will represent a significant portion of...
Hill District Federal Credit Union gets $1.1 million from FNB
The Hill District Federal Credit Union received a $1.1 million investment from F.N.B. Corporation, the holding company of First National Bank, with the goal of boosting financial services to the neighborhood. Pittsburgh-based FNB is building its headquarters in Lower Hill. Construction on the FNB Financial Center began in September 2021...
What you need to know about a glass cliff and why it could put Twitter’s new CEO in danger
Less than two months into his $44 billion purchase of Twitter, Elon Musk declared that whoever took over as the company’s CEO “must like pain a lot.” Then he promised he’d step down as soon as he found a replacement “foolish enough” to want the job. That person, Musk announced...
3M fires company executive for inappropriate conduct weeks after promotion
WASHINGTON — 3M has fired prominent company executive Michael Vale due to “inappropriate personal conduct and violation of company policy,” the maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics announced on Monday. Vale was promoted to group president and chief business and country officer just last month. Vale worked at...
Federal Appeals Court says Elon Musk must abide by SEC settlement
NEW YORK — Elon Musk cannot back out of a settlement with securities regulators that was reached after his 2018 tweets claiming he had secured funding to take Tesla private caused the electric vehicle maker’s share price to jump and led to a temporary halt in trading, an appeals court...
Vending machines are the latest tool for fighting opioid overdoses
WASHINGTON — Vending machines that have long been stocked with snacks are getting repurposed to distribute life-saving supplies to help fight the opioid epidemic. A growing number of cities and local governments are making so-called “harm reduction” items, including the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, available for free via machines. Interest in...
Ed Harrell, former president of Tribune-Review Publishing, dies at 83
Known for his loud, distinctive laugh, Ed Harrell could easily be heard in a crowded room. Once, he was in New York on business and failed to tell his sister that he would be in town. His schedule was pretty booked. They found themselves in the same restaurant, unaware of...
Washington & Jefferson to start offering bachelor’s degree in nursing
Washington & Jefferson College plans to start offering a bachelor’s degree in nursing starting in the fall of 2024. W&J leaders say the move makes sense, with nurses in high demand and the school able to partner with nearby Washington Health System’s Washington Hospital. The college plans to enroll 24...
Wall Street slips as households get more nervous
NEW YORK — Stocks are slipping Friday as a listless week on Wall Street appears to be heading toward a quiet close, even as big worries continue to roil under the surface. The S&P 500 was edging 0.2% lower and on pace for a sixth straight week where it moved...
Airfares take a dip ahead of summer vacation season
Airfare is down a bit from this time last year for Americans eager to travel again. But it’s still more expensive to pack your bags and board a flight than before the covid-19 pandemic. The overall cost of travel is up 18% compared with April 2019 and up 2% versus...
Average long-term mortgage rate falls to 6.35% this week, lowest level in 5 weeks
LOS ANGELES — The average rate on a long-term U.S. home loan is down to the lowest level in five weeks, welcome news for house hunters facing a market constrained by persistently high prices and a near-historic low number of homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that...
Elon Musk says he’s found a woman to lead Twitter as new CEO
Elon Musk said Thursday he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as it’s now called — and it’s a woman. He did not name her but said she will be starting in about six weeks. Musk, who bought Twitter last fall and has been running it...
McDonald’s found liable for girl’s burns from chicken nuggets. Next up: Jury to determine how much company will pay
McDonald’s is to blame for not warning customers about the dangers of its overheated Chicken McNuggets, one of which fell on a little girl’s lap and left her with second-degree burns on her upper thigh in 2019, a Broward jury ruled Thursday. A second jury will be empaneled to decide...
