Business category, Page 264
Rise in health uninsured may be linked to immigrants’ fears
WASHINGTON — When the Census Bureau reported an increase in the number of people without health insurance in America, it sent political partisans reaching for talking points on the Obama-era health law and its travails. But the new numbers suggest that fears of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown may be...
UAW says its 49K members at GM plants will go on strike
DETROIT — Roughly 49,000 workers at General Motors plants in the United States plan to go on strike just before midnight Sunday, but talks between the United Auto Workers and the automaker will resume. About 200 plant-level union leaders voted unanimously in favor of a walkout during a meeting Sunday...
U.S. retail sales rise moderately as auto buying jumps
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose moderately in August, driven higher by a jump in auto buying and healthy online sales, evidence that consumers are still spending enough to support growth. The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales increased 0.4% last month, down from a strong 0.8% in July....
U.S., China exchange goodwill gesture ahead of trade talks
WASHINGTON — The United States and China traded conciliatory gestures, raising hopes they can de-escalate a standoff over trade that has shaken financial markets and cast gloom over the global economy. In Beijing, China’s Commerce Ministry said Thursday that Chinese importers are asking U.S. suppliers for prices of soybeans, pork...
U.S. consumer prices up slight 0.1% in August
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer prices slowed in August, rising by a slight 0.1%, reflecting a big drop in the cost of gasoline and other energy products. The tiny increase in the consumer price index followed a much bigger 0.3% rise in July which had been driven by a jump in...
Judge: StarKist to pay $100M fine in tuna price-fixing case
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered StarKist Co. to pay a $100 million fine in a canned tuna price-fixing conspiracy involving three companies. The Pittsburgh-based company had asked U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen to reduce the fine to $50 million, arguing a $100 million...
GM recalls over 3.4M pickups, SUVs to fix brake issues
DETROIT — Under pressure from the federal government, General Motors is recalling more than 3.4 million big pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States to fix a brake problem. The recall covers the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2014 through 2018 model...
Report: Uber sacks hundreds of workers from engineering and product units
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Francisco ride-hailing giant Uber has laid off 435 workers from its engineering and product units as it seeks to create “lean” teams, according to a new report. The company, which last month announced a $5 billion loss for this year’s second quarter, has shown the...
Apple unveils a cheaper iPhone and pricing for streaming TV
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple unveiled new iPhones that are largely unchanged from previous models and accompanied by an unexpected price cut for the cheapest model, underscoring the company’s efforts to counteract a sales slump of its flagship product. The company’s new models are so similar to last year’s lineup they...
New Hampshire’s Republican governor signs bill banning oil, gas drilling
RYE, N.H. — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill prohibiting offshore oil and gas drilling in the state’s coastal waters. Sununu, a Republican, has opposed President Donald Trump’s proposal to expand oil and gas development nationwide. In signing the bill Tuesday, Sununu said the administration has assured...
Charging Bull’s creator will oversee repairs after vandal’s attack
NEW YORK — The artist who created New York’s Charging Bull sculpture will oversee repairs to the gash left when a vandal attacked the bronze statue with an imitation banjo, the head of a business group said Tuesday. Artist Arturo Di Modica will travel from his studio in Sicily at...
With little change, iPhones may get upstaged by Apple streaming
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple is expected to unveil three new iPhone models that are so similar to last year’s lineup, they may be upstaged by details about the company’s upcoming video service. The company will show off its latest iPhones Tuesday at a products showcase in Cupertino, California. But the...
British Airways grounds nearly all flights as pilots strike
LONDON — British Airways says it has had to cancel almost all flights as a result of a pilots’ 48-hour strike over pay. In a statement Monday, the airline said it had “no way of predicting how many (pilots) would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to...
White Claw is so popular, it’s becoming hard to find
Party people, there’s a problem. White Claw, the hard seltzer that’s getting sipped on it seems by everyone, is running out of its drink. “We are working around the clock to increase supply given the rapid growth in consumer demand,” Sanjiv Gajiwala, White Claw’s senior vice president of marketing, told...
S&T Bank approved for merger with DNB First
Indiana-based S&T Bancorp Inc., the holding company for S&T Bank, has received the necessary regulatory approval for its pending acquisition of DNB Financial Corp., the holding company for DNB First, the companies said. The Pennsylvania Department of Banking & Securities approved the definitive merger agreement this week. The closing of...
Fed Chairman Powell says he doesn’t expect recession
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Friday that the Fed is not expecting a U.S. or global recession. But it is monitoring a number of uncertainties, including trade conflicts, and will “act as appropriate to sustain the expansion.” Powell gave an upbeat view of the U.S. economy during...
CVS, Walgreens urge against openly carrying guns in stores
NEW YORK — Drug chains CVS and Walgreens as well as grocery chain Wegmans Food Market have joined the chorus of retailers requesting that customers refrain from openly carrying firearms in their stores even where state laws allow it. The announcements on Thursday follow similar moves by Walmart, the nation’s...
Trump administration pushes plan to privatize Fannie, Freddie
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has proposed its plan for ending government control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two giant mortgage finance companies that nearly collapsed in the financial crisis 11 years ago and were bailed out at a total cost to taxpayers of $187 billion. The administration’s...
MGM Resorts, Buffalo Wild Wings launch mobile football game
LAS VEGAS — A casino company and a nationwide sports bar are launching a mobile football game designed to let customers pick favorite NFL teams, choose weekly fantasy performers and make proposition picks. MGM Resorts International and Buffalo Wild Wings said their partnership, called Roar Digital, will offer a sports...
Unity firm gets state-backed loan for plant expansion
Product Evaluation Systems Inc. tests aerospace materials for strength and durability — two qualities that also are good for business. The state hopes that a new low-interest loan will improve the Unity company’s strength and durability. The $1.05 million loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, announced by Gov. Tom...
YouTube to pay $170M fine after violating kids’ privacy lawVideo
WASHINGTON — Google will pay $170 million to settle allegations its YouTube video service collected personal data on children without their parents’ consent. The company agreed to work with video creators to label material aimed at kids and said it will limit data collection when users view such videos, regardless...
Judge orders Anheuser-Busch to halt ‘corn syrup’ labels
MILWAUKEE — A federal judge has ordered Anheuser-Busch to stop using packaging that implies MillerCoors’ light beers contain corn syrup. U.S. District Judge William Conley granted a preliminary injunction sought by MillerCoors. Bud Light’s packaging says “No Corn Syrup” in bold letters. Conley says Anheuser-Busch can use the packaging it...
Starbucks shares fall as company cuts profit growth forecast
NEW YORK — Starbucks shares tumbled Wednesday after the company lowered its 2020 earnings forecast. In a presentation to Goldman Sachs’ Global Retaining Conference, the Seattle-based coffee giant said it expects adjusted earnings to grow less than 10% in its 2020 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Its prior outlook...
U.S. trade gap fell 2.7% in July including the gap with China
WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit declined in July, including the gap with China that has been the focus of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the gap between the goods and services the United States buys and what it sells abroad fell 2.7% to $54...
John Dorfman: Pfizer and Norfolk Southern flaunt fat profit margins
A fat profit margin can signify one of several things. A company may have a big margin for two reasons. It may have first-mover advantage in a new field. Or it may provide something that people strongly want, whether that be a smartphone or a tasty chicken sandwich. Either way,...
