Business category, Page 221
Pennsylvania to freelance workers: Checks will be in the mail, but don’t know when
State officials want to assure about 500,000 jobless Pennsylvanians who are independent contractors, freelancers and tech workers that they will continue to get their unemployment benefits under the new $900 billion covid relief package, but they don’t when the checks will be in the mail. Labor and Industry Acting Secretary...
November existing home sales fall 2.5% following record summer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The market for existing homes cooled slightly in November, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, after climbing through the late spring, summer and early fall despite the pandemic. Existing home sales fell 2.5% between October and November on a seasonally adjusted basis to 6.69 million annualized...
Google rejects DOJ antitrust claims in court filing
Google is pushing back in court this week on antitrust claims brought against it by the Justice Department two months ago. In a legal filing with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Google denied or partially rejected almost 200 specific complaints against it. On only one count,...
Rich Americans who fear higher taxes hurry to move money now
Rich Americans are rushing to make large transactions before the end of the month, trying to get ahead of any moves next year by President-elect Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress to raise taxes or close loopholes. Some advisers say they’re busier than ever in the last weeks of 2020,...
Stocks around the world slump as coronavirus mutation hits economy
NEW YORK — Stocks are falling Monday as worries about a new, potentially more infectious strain of the coronavirus have borders shutting around the world and adding more threats for the economy. The S&P 500 was 1% lower in early trading, putting it on track to fall for a second...
Nestlé recalls some Lean Cuisine meals because they may contain plastic pieces
Nestlé Prepared Foods is recalling Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken meals because they may be contaminated with pieces of hard, white plastic. According to an announcement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, “The problem was discovered on December 18, 2020, by the firm, after receiving five...
China criticizes U.S. corporate auditing penalties
BEIJING — China’s government on Monday called on Washington not to enforce a measure that might expel Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges if they fail American government audits. The law, signed Friday by President Donald Trump, is a response to complaints Chinese companies were failing to comply with stricter...
Average US price of gas up 4 cents a gallon to $2.26
CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline jumped 4 cents a gallon over the past two weeks to $2.26. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that a rise in crude oil prices spurred the increase. The price at the pump is 35 cents...
New look, taste for Westmoreland-born Old Overholt, the country’s oldest whiskey brand
After 210 years of continuous production, America’s oldest whiskey brand — Westmoreland County-born Old Overholt — is undergoing a transformation. It’s part of a planned, long-range evolution to raise the iconic rye spirit from its customary, lower-shelf position alongside chums with names like Evan and Ezra to a top-shelf pantheon...
Senate investigators fault FAA over Boeing jet, safety
Boeing improperly influenced a test designed to see how quickly pilots could respond to malfunctions on the Boeing 737 Max, and Federal Aviation Administration officials may have obstructed a review of two deadly crashes involving the plane, Senate investigators say. In a report released Friday, the Senate Commerce Committee also...
U.S. stocks slip from records as wait continues for Congress
NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes pulled back from their record levels Friday as the wait drags on to see if Congress can reach a deal to send more cash to struggling workers and businesses. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, a day after it and other major indexes returned to...
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate declines to 6.6% in November
WILKES-BARRE — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down 0.8 points over the month to 6.6% in November — falling below the U.S. rate of 6.7% in November for the first time since May 2015. The commonwealth’s unemployment rate was 2 points above its November 2019 level while the national rate was...
Robinhood agrees to pay $65 million to settle SEC charges
Robinhood Financial agreed to pay $65 million to settle government charges that it failed to disclose the full details of its dealings with high-speed traders and didn’t get the best prices for customers trading on its app, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday. Robinhood and other retail brokerage firms...
38 states, including Pennsylvania, file anti-trust lawsuit against Google
DENVER — A group of 38 states filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Google on Thursday, alleging that the search giant has an illegal monopoly over the online search market that hurts consumers and advertisers. The lawsuit, announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, was filed in federal court in Washington,...
U.S. jobless claims rise to 885,000 amid resurgence of virus
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose again last week to 885,000 as a resurgence of coronavirus cases threatens the economy’s recovery from its springtime collapse. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of applications increased from 862,000 the previous week. It showed that nine...
Texas AG announces multistate lawsuit against Google
DALLAS — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday announced a multistate lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online advertising industry. Paxton said Google is using its “monopolistic power” to control pricing of online advertisements, fixing the market in its favor and eliminating competition....
East Huntingdon 3D printing company gets high-tech upgrade through Army partnership
A small 3D printing company in East Huntingdon got some high-tech upgrades this year thanks to the U.S. Army. Tronix3D equipped its machines with cloud-connected sensors, allowing the company to collect and share precise data about its manufacturing processes. The company was one of the first to test the new...
Bitcoin surges past $20,000, erasing 3 years of deep losses
The price of bitcoin rose above $20,000 for the first time Wednesday, as the speculative digital currency topped its previous peak reached shortly after it became tradable on Wall Street three years ago this month. Like other instruments used to store value in times of uncertainty, bitcoin has benefited from...
Fed keeps rate near zero but sees brighter economy in 2021
The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it will keep buying government bonds until the economy makes “substantial” progress — a step intended to reassure financial markets and keep long-term borrowing rates low indefinitely. The Fed also reiterated after its latest policy meeting that expects keep its short-term benchmark interest rate...
S&P 500 nears record following stimulus progress, Fed moves
NEW YORK — The S&P 500 ticked up to the edge of its record Wednesday after the Federal Reserve pledged to keep buying bonds until the economy makes substantial progress from its virus-wracked state. In a mixed and muted day of trading, the S&P 500 rose 6.55 points, or 0.2%,...
Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, biggest drop in 7 months
NEW YORK — Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, the biggest drop in seven months, and a sign Americans held back on spending during the start of the holiday shopping season. The U.S. Commerce Department also revised October’s number, saying on Wednesday that retail sales actually fell 0.1% that month,...
How to spot fake shopping sites and avoid being scammed
NEW YORK — Ben Black bought what he thought was a well-priced drone online. But the drone never showed up, the site stopped responding to his emails and he never got his $100 back. He was scammed. “I’m I got caught in it,” says Black, who lives in Westminster,...
Stocks climb on Wall Street, breaking a 4-day losing streak
NEW YORK — Stocks notched broad gains Tuesday on Wall Street as renewed optimism that Washington will deliver more aid to the struggling economy put investors in a buying mood. The S&P 500 climbed 1.3%, snapping a four-day losing streak. Technology companies powered much of the rally, which helped push...
Landmark Unity farmhouse opens as home furnishings storeVideo
A landmark of Westmoreland County’s farming tradition is entering a new chapter as a home furnishings store. Just in time for Christmas shopping and, unfortunately, new pandemic-related restrictions on retailers, Frye Farm Place had a soft opening last week on Frye Farm Road in Unity. Operated by Unity residents Dave...
Trib Total Media announces $1 million Shop Local Marketing Grant program
It’s the season of giving, and Trib Total Media wants to show its gratitude to locally owned businesses. The Trib announced Monday it will give new matching grants to local small businesses recovering from the covid-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn. With the Shop Local Marketing Grant 2021, Trib Total...
