Business category, Page 49
‘A piece of tattoo history’: Greensburg shop owner earns patent for machine design
Greensburg tattoo shop owner Nick Christofano has inked himself into the industry history books. After 28 years in the business, Christofano received a patent late last year for a tattoo machine he designed. “Tattooing has been such a huge part of my life. I’ve been doing it nearly 30 years,”...
Netflix’s bet on live events helped reel in 19 million more subscribers in holiday-season quarterVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday-season quarter to help propel its earnings beyond analysts’ projections, capping the video streaming service’s best year yet in a sign that its expansion into live programming is paying off. The numbers released Tuesday covered a October-December period highlighted...
Westmoreland-based water authority hikes rates, blames increase on inflation, upgrade needs
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers will be charged an additional 9.5% for water and sewer services starting in April. The authority board approved a $129 million budget that included the second rate hike in the past two years. The latest, officials said, is attributed to costs for energy, construction...
Auberle assisting young people with job placement through YouthBuild program
Auberle in McKeesport will provide youth more opportunities for employment and to build wealth when its YouthBuild program launches in February. The initiative will allow Auberle to serve more than 65 unemployed or underemployed individuals from across Allegheny County from the ages of 16 to 24. Participants will be able...
Starbucks’ policy change flushes out a debate over public restroom access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom policies that has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to use the bathroom and when. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. New York...
Bird flu outbreak causes egg shortages, price increases in Western Pa.
There’s been a shortage and price increase of eggs available at grocery stores nationwide, and Western Pennsylvania is not immune. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, is the culprit. It’s a virus that Dr. Lee Harrison, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine and epidemiology...
Trump highlights partnership investing $500 billion in AIVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the...
Canada relieved Trump doesn’t impose tariffs on the major American trading partner on 1st day
TORONTO — Canadian leaders expressed relief Monday that broad tariffs were not applied to Canadian products on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency and that he did not mention America’s major trading partner during his inaugural speech. Trump had threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other...
Trump is holding off on tariffs but betting Day 1 moves can cut energy prices and tame inflation
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is holding off on tariffs during his first day and placing a big bet that his executive actions can cut energy prices and tame inflation. But it’s unclear whether his orders will be enough to move the U.S. economy as he promised. “The inflation crisis was...
Trump says he ‘most likely’ will grant an extension toward TikTok ban
The clock is ticking toward a U.S. ban on TikTok, but users seeking clarity on what that will mean did not get much Saturday from the company that runs the popular video-sharing platform or the tech giants that offer the TikTok app in their digital marketplaces. However, President-elect Donald Trump...
Former First Energy executives indicted in Ohio bribery scheme
A former CEO and one of his top executives with an Ohio energy company at the center of a $60 million bribery scheme have been indicted on racketeering charges, federal prosecutors announced Friday. The former FirstEnergy Corp. executives — ex-CEO Chuck Jones and Senior Vice President Michael Dowling — were...
U.S. lawsuit accuses Pepsi of price discrimination that favored Walmart over smaller stores
The Federal Trade Commission sued PepsiCo on Friday, alleging that it has engaged in illegal price discrimination by giving unfair price advantages to one big-box retailer at the expense of other vendors and consumers. The benefiting customer wasn’t named in an FTC statement about the lawsuit. But a source familiar...
What other apps can you turn to with TikTok ban just days away?
With a possible TikTok ban just days away, many U.S. users are looking for alternative social media platforms to help them keep up with pop culture or provide the type of entertaining videos that popularized the short-form video app. The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning...
How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content
TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the the...
Nintendo says its new Switch 2 console will be released in 2025
LOS ANGELES — Gaming giant Nintendo revealed its newest console Thursday in a highly anticipated announcement gamers had been waiting for since rumors of its release first spread years ago. But the initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3% on Friday....
Springdale boiler house to be demolished conventionally instead of imploded, property owner says
The boiler house at Springdale’s former power plant will be torn down conventionally instead of imploded as the property owner originally planned. Scott Reschly, vice president of operations for Charah Solutions, said crews intend to demolish the boiler house at the former Cheswick Generating Station between mid-February and early March....
More Americans file for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain historically low and the job market broadly healthy. Applications for jobless benefits rose by 14,000 for the week ending January 11, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from the previous week’s 203,000. The previous week’s figure...
U.S. retail sales rose modestly last month amid solid holiday shopping, boosting economy
Americans stepped up their spending at retail stores and restaurants last month in a clear sign that consumers are still able and willing to shop. Retail sales rose 0.4% in December from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Thursday, though down from November’s upwardly revised 0.8% gain. The figures...
How much is TikTok worth and who could buy it?
NEW YORK — The supremely popular TikTok could be banned on Jan. 19 under a federal law that forces the video sharing platform to divest itself from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operations. Several parties have expressed interest in buying the platform, but ByteDance has...
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket on 1st test flight and reaches orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth. Named after the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, soaring from the same pad...
U.S. recovers $31 million in Social Security payments to dead people
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government clawed back more than $31 million in Social Security payments that improperly went to dead people, a recovery that one official said Wednesday was “just the tip of the iceberg.” The money was reclaimed as part of a five-month pilot program after Congress gave the...
What’s so great about Wegmans? We went to the Erie store to askVideo
Wegmans is coming. Wegmans is coming. Wegmans executives said they are eyeing late 2027 as the target date to open their recently announced Cranberry location and hinted there could be more stores coming to the Pittsburgh area. So, why the hoopla? A TribLive journalist drove to the Erie store this...
FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods
U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the...
U.S. inflation likely remained elevated last month, threatening interest rate cuts
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation probably worsened last month on the back of higher prices for gas, eggs, and used cars, a trend that could lessen the chance that the Federal Reserve will cut its key interest rate much this year. On Wednesday the Labor Department is expected to report that...
SEC sues Elon Musk, saying he didn’t disclose Twitter ownership on time before buying it
The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued billionaire Elon Musk, saying he failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner in early 2022, before buying the social media site. As a result, the SEC alleges, Musk was able to underpay “by at least $150 million” for...
