Business category, Page 20
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...
Tulsi Gabbard says U.K. scraps demand for Apple to give backdoor access to data
LONDON — Britain abandoned its demand that Apple provide so-called backdoor access to any encrypted user data stored in the cloud, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Monday. Gabbard indicated London and Washington had resolved their high-stakes dispute over electronic privacy, writing on X that she and President...
Air Canada reaches deal with flight attendant union to end strike, operations to gradually restart
TORONTO — Air Canada said Tuesday it will gradually restart operations after reaching an agreement with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike. The union first announced the agreement early Tuesday after Air Canada and the union resumed talks late Monday for the first time since the...
Fake Labubu dolls surface under the name ‘Lafufu’
Do you collect Labubus? An urgent safety warning was just issued Monday warning about knockoff products called Lafufus — as they pose a serious risk of choking and death to young children. The popular creatures were created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. He created “The Monsters” in 2015, first...
Lawyer for accused PNC Bank swindler says client has started to repay $27M
A New York tech company founder who PNC claims defrauded it of over $27 million has started to chip away at his balance, but the bank has doubts a full payoff is possible without court intervention. “We still don’t have a very clear picture of whether this is a truly...
Thinking about a heat pump? Some things to know about choosing what’s best for you
Federal incentives for home energy improvements are running out at the end of the year, so it’s decision time for anyone who has been thinking about a heat pump. The right decision can depend on where you live, how much you have to spend and how deeply you want to...
Community leaders hoping to breathe new life into former Rite Aid buildings
More than 70 Rite Aid pharmacies have shuttered or are preparing to close across the Pittsburgh area as the company undergoes bankruptcy and restructuring. Customers’ prescriptions have been transferred to other pharmacies, but the empty stores will leave a large group of properties — in prime commercial locations across Western...
Clairton Coke Works, site of deadly explosions, stirs both pride and pain
Brian Doyle remembers the explosion that hurled him to the coke plant’s floor — but little else from that day. It was a Wednesday — July 14, 2010 — and Doyle, a steamfitters union member and contractor for Power Piping, was inside the Clairton Coke Works getting ready to repair...
Government forces Air Canada and flight attendants back to work and into arbitration
TORONTO — Canada’s government forced Air Canada and its striking flight attendants back to work and into arbitration Saturday after a work stoppage stranded more than 100,000 travelers around the world during the peak summer travel season. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said now is not the time to take...
Tiny chemical safety board, battling to keep funding, launches probe of Clairton explosion
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s probe into the deadly explosion at the Clairton Coke Works could take a year or more and will include worker interviews, careful examination of daily operations and a cinematic recreation of the blast. The aim is to trace events leading up to the...
U.S. Steel early findings pinpoint gas valve failure as cause of fatal Clairton Coke Works blast
U.S. Steel on Friday pinned blame for the deadly explosion Monday at the Clairton Coke Works on a valve failure that led to coke oven gas igniting, according to the company’s preliminary findings. “Preliminary indications lead us to believe that the explosion happened when flushing a gas valve in preparation...
A look at consumer prices 6 months into the 2nd Trump administration
It’s been a little over six months since President Donald Trump assumed office for his second term. In that time, the economic landscape has shifted quite drastically: The new administration has implemented broad tariffs on U.S. trade partners, the stock market has both plummeted and soared to historic heights, hiring...
Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in U.S.
When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold. Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular in Europe for years and are gaining traction in the U.S....
PNC sues NYC entrepreneur, claims $27M loss in bad-checks scheme
PNC Bank on Thursday sued a New York tech-company founder, accusing him of defrauding it of $27 million in a check-kiting scheme that involved the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars. Dan Herbatschek, a mathematician who founded Ramsey Theory Capital, is named as the lead defendant in the lawsuit,...
