Business category, Page 24
Trump administration pulls back on plans to rewrite Biden-era asbestos ban
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is dropping plans to allow continued use of the last type of asbestos legally allowed in U.S. manufacturing after an outcry from asbestos opponents. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a court filing Monday that it will now defend the Biden administration’s ban of chrysotile...
EQT buys Olympus for $1.8B, consolidates grip on Southwestern Pa. natural gas
Pittsburgh-based natural gas producer EQT Corp. has acquired local competitor Olympus Energy for $1.8 billion. The deal, which officially closed last week, consolidates EQT’s control over regional natural gas deposits at a time of rising demand. “This strategic transaction strengthens our position as the leading natural gas producer in the...
Turkey-raising ceases at Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township, market remains open
There are fewer mouths to feed this summer at Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township. About 3,000 fewer, as owners Tim, Beverly and Rick Pounds announced Tuesday their long-lamented decision to cease raising fresh turkeys annually on the family farm that has been in operation since 1935. Beverly Pounds and...
Here are some Amazon Prime Day deals for the week
Break out those credit cards — Amazon Prime Day has returned. The longest Prime Day to date, sales begin Tuesday and last through 11:59 p.m. Friday. This year marks the 11th Prime Day, and historically, Amazon has dropped deals on popular products like Apple AirPods, Dyson cordless vacuums, the Laneige...
A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters
President Donald Trump sent letters to 14 countries Monday outlining higher tariffs they’ll face if they don’t make trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1. In the letters, which were posted on Truth Social, Trump warned countries that they would face even higher tariffs if they retaliated by increasing...
Trump sets 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, and new import taxes on 12 other nations
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on Aug. 1. Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed...
What to know about a potential deal to keep TikTok running in U.S.
Less than a month after extending a deadline to ban TikTok for the third time, President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday night that, “We pretty much have a deal,” on TikTok — but he did not offer details. The details and timing of a potential deal are not clear....
EPA delays pollution limits, drawing jeers from environmentalists, cheers from U.S. Steel
The Trump administration is delaying mandates that would have forced steelmakers U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs to cut toxic emissions, drawing industry praise and environmentalist dismay. A July 1 order from the Environmental Protection Agency postpones until April 2027 stricter emissions standards for the country’s integrated steel mills, all of which...
U.S. tariffs on European goods threaten to shake up the world’s largest 2-way trade relationship
FRANKFURT, Germany — America’s largest trade partner, the European Union, is among the entities awaiting word Monday on whether U.S. President Donald Trump will impose punishing tariffs on their goods, a move economists have warned would have repercussions for companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. Trump imposed...
Westmoreland developments: Ice cream shop, barbecue takeout, Playa Bowls franchise open doors
“Exhausted parent” is not necessarily the clientele The Parlor by Steel City Whip is looking to attract. But if one should stop by the Hempfield ice cream and Dole Soft Serve shop, Dan Busatto has just the right flavor for them. The bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream complemented by chocolate chunks...
Sewickley Tavern still on the market
Sewickley Tavern remains for sale more than six months after it went on the market. Howard Hanna Real Estate agent Michael Levenson said the property at 409 Beaver St. was put on the market between mid-November and early December. The listed price for the “turn-key restaurant” is $2.3 million, according...
Upper Burrell tech center to coordinate expanded international technology pilot program
Pittsburgh-based Arconic Technology Center is bringing enhanced international technology to its metal manufacturing company. Arconic and Icelandic metal analysis company DTE are expanding their collaboration, which began last October. An Arconic facility in North America will serve as a pilot location for DTE’s molten metal composition analysis system. That location,...
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate falls to 6.67%, the lowest level since early April
NEW YORK — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell for the fifth straight week to its lowest level since early April, an encouraging sign for potential buyers who have wrestled with rising home prices. The long-term rate fell to 6.67% from 6.77% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie...
U.S. labor market continues to surprise as the unemployment rate falls
U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday. Hiring rose modestly from a revised 144,000 in May...
Construction continues at future retail space, condominiums and engineering HQ in Sewickley
Construction continues at the future Orbital Engineering headquarters in Sewickley. Crews have been working for months to create a multi-use facility at the former R.D. Cole Funeral Home on Beaver Street. The funeral home was demolished earlier this year. It had ceased services in September and reopened late that month...
Nearly 368,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon recalled over possible listeria contamination
Nearly 368,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon products are being recalled over possible contamination with listeria bacteria that can cause food poisoning, federal health officials said Wednesday. No illnesses have been confirmed to date, U.S. agriculture department officials said. Kraft Heinz Food Company of Newberry, South Carolina, announced the...
Analysis shows Trump’s tariffs would cost U.S. employers $82.3 billion
WASHINGTON — An analysis finds a critical group of U.S. employers would face a direct cost of $82.3 billion from President Donald Trump’s current tariff plans, a sum that could potentially be managed through price hikes, layoffs, hiring freezes or lower profit margins. The analysis by the JPMorganChase Institute is...
Can supermarkets like Giant Eagle fill void left by ailing pharmacy industry?
As chain pharmacies decline, grocery stores are picking up the slack. Rite Aid’s descent into bankruptcy — and the dash to carve up its assets — is the latest example. Rival drugstores CVS and Walgreens have snapped up millions of potential customers by way of their prescription files, but supermarkets...
Trump announces trade deal with Vietnam that will let U.S. goods into the country duty-free
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Vietnam Wednesday that would allow U.S. goods to enter the country duty-free. Vietnamese exports to the United States, by contrast, would face a 20% levy. On his Truth Social platform, Trump declared the pact “a Great Deal of Cooperation between...
Tesla sales plunge again as anti-Musk boycott shows staying power and rivals pounce on the weakness
NEW YORK — Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk’s political views continue to keep buyers away. The 13% plunge in global sales over a year earlier suggests the damage to Tesla’s brand from Musk’s embrace of U.S. President Donald...
Del Monte, the 139-year-old canned fruits and vegetables company, seeks bankruptcy protection
Del Monte Foods, the 139-year-old company best known for its canned fruits and vegetables, is filing for bankruptcy protection as U.S. consumers increasingly bypass its products for healthier or cheaper options. Del Monte has secured $912.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing that will allow it to operate normally as the sale...
Microsoft’s largest layoff in years hits Xbox, sales and other divisions
REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft is firing thousands of workers, its second mass layoff in months and its largest in more than two years. The tech giant began sending out layoff notices Wednesday that hit the company’s Xbox video game business and other divisions. The company declined to say how many...
Monroeville’s Miracle Mile shopping center up for sale
The Miracle Mile Shopping Center in Monroeville is for sale. No price is listed by CBRE, the real estate agency handling the sale, but the plaza along Route 22 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange is described in the listing as a dominant regional shopping destination. The sale was announced on...
Fireworks stores see big business ahead of July Fourth weekend
Fourth of July is like Christmas to William Olbeter. “Ever since I was a little kid, I fell in love with fireworks, and I’ve always wanted to do my own shows,” said Olbeter, of New Kensington. The 54-year-old puts on a fireworks show annually for his family and neighbors. Each...
Wall Street split as Tesla, tech drop while most other stocks climb
NEW YORK — A mixed day of trading left the U.S. stock market split Tuesday as Wall Street’s momentum slowed after setting record highs in each of the last two days. The S&P 500 dipped 0.1% for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 400...
