Business category, Page 88
Global economy will slow for 3rd straight year in 2024, World Bank predicts
WASHINGTON — Hobbled by high interest rates, persistent inflation, slumping trade and a diminished China, the global economy will slow for a third consecutive year in 2024. That is the picture sketched by the World Bank, which forecast Tuesday that the world economy will expand just 2.4% this year. That...
Government lawyer accuses Comprehensive Healthcare of shorting workers $20M
It wasn’t an isolated issue or the result of a good-faith mistake that employees at Comprehensive Healthcare’s 15 Western Pennsylvania facilities weren’t being paid for all the hours they worked. Instead, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Labor told a federal judge Monday, it was part of the company’s...
Pitt names Ken Gabriel as BioForge CEO
The University of Pittsburgh‘s expansive BioForge initiative has hired its inaugural chief executive officer. Kaigham (Ken) J. Gabriel was appointed to the job, Anantha Shekhar, Pitt senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and medical school dean, announced Monday. Gabriel who already has begun his duties also will serve as...
Rostraver used car dealership cited with nearly 800 business infractions
A Rostraver used car dealership is facing nearly 800 charges after, state police said, those running it failed to keep proper business records and post open hours, according to court papers. The charges were filed Monday against Anden Auto. They include one misdemeanor alleging failure to maintain records of sales...
Innovative Polish Hill company looks to future of robotics, technology
Need a robot that can crawl up a metal wall? How about one with suction cup legs that can go almost anywhere? It won’t be long until robots with those abilities and more become common. In fact, you can see them now in Pittsburgh’s Polish Hill neighborhood. HEBI Robotics is...
Boeing still hasn’t fixed this problem on Max jets, so it’s asking for an exemption to safety rules
DALLAS — Boeing is asking federal regulators to exempt a new model of its 737 Max airliner from a safety standard designed to prevent part of the engine housing from overheating and breaking off during flight. Federal officials said last year Boeing was working to fix the hazard on current...
Group representing TikTok, Meta, X sues Ohio over law limiting kids’ use of social media
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies sued Ohio on Friday over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps. The law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill Republican Gov. Mike DeWine...
U.S. employers add a strong 216,000 jobs in a sign of continued economic strength
WASHINGTON — The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American labor market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates. Friday’s government report showed that December’s job gain exceeded the 173,000 that were added in November. The unemployment rate...
LG Electronics partnering with West Virginia to advance renewable energy, telehealth businesses
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — LG Electronics is partnering with the state of West Virginia to develop technologies in renewable energy, telehealth and other industries in a planned $700 million investment over the next five years, Gov. Jim Justice announced. Businesses established in the venture through the South Korea company’s Santa Clara,...
Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic Technology is attempting the first U.S. moon landing since the Apollo missions a half-century ago
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — China and India scored moon landings, while Russia, Japan and Israel ended up in the lunar trash heap. Now two private companies are hustling to get the U.S. back in the game, more than five decades after the Apollo program ended. It’s part of a NASA-supported...
Microsoft’s new AI key is first big change to keyboards in decades
Computer keyboards are making room for an artificial intelligence chatbot button as Microsoft unveils its first major keyboard redesign in three decades. Starting this month, some new personal computers that run Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system will have a special “Copilot key” that launches the software giant’s AI chatbot. Getting...
Will 2024 be the year employers crack down on remote work? Not so fast
These days, it looks like the bloom is coming off the rose for remote work: Many employers are talking tougher. New research shows employees are actually less productive when they work from home full-time. And, with the tight job market starting to slacken, some predict 2024 will be the year...
New vehicle sales rise 12% as buyers shake off high prices, interest rates, and auto strikesVideo
DETROIT — Undeterred by high prices, rising interest rates, autoworker strikes and a computer-chip shortage that slowed assembly lines, American consumers still bought 15.6 million new vehicles last year, 12% more than in 2022, the biggest increase in more than a decade. Yet sales still haven’t returned to the 17...
Starbucks will let customers use their own cup at the drive-thru
Starbucks customers can now use their own personal cup in stores as well as for mobile orders and at the drive-thru. The initiative is part of the brand’s goal to reduce waste by 50% by 2030. Customers have been able to use their own cup when ordering in Starbucks cafes...
U.S. job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historical standards
WASHINGTON — America’s employers posted 8.8 million job openings in November, down slightly from October and the fewest since March 2021. But demand for workers remains strong by historical standards despite higher interest rates. Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that the number of job vacancies dipped from 8.9...
What to know about changes to this year’s FAFSA application for college students
NEW YORK — A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is available for the 2024-2025 school year, but only on a limited basis as the U.S. Department of Education works on a redesign meant to make it easier to apply. That means the Free...
GetGo looks to open gas station, cafe on Pittsburgh’s North Side
GetGo is looking to open a gas station and cafe on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The proposed location would be on Western Avenue near the West End Bridge in the city’s Chateau neighborhood. GetGo, a subsidiary of regional grocery store chain Giant Eagle, declined to discuss additional details, including the project’s...
Zillow files antitrust suit against real estate listing services
Seattle-based Zillow is suing real estate listing services across the United States, arguing the services are forcing out a Zillow subsidiary to maintain illegal monopolies. If you’ve used Zillow to schedule a home tour recently, you’ve likely accessed a widely used, Zillow-owned scheduling platform called ShowingTime. That platform is now...
Millennial Money: I saved $800 in 5 months by eating more plants
I tried going vegetarian once when I was in high school. My best friend was a vegetarian, and I was curious. I lasted only about four days. My downfall: a buffalo chicken sandwich. Since that ill-fated attempt, I’ve never tried to curb my meat consumption. It’s just too dang tasty....
Mickey Mouse will soon belong to you and me — with some caveats
LOS ANGELES — M-I-C-K-E-Y will soon belong to you and me. With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024. In a moment many...
Peoples Gas seeks state approval of rate hikes in 2024
Peoples Gas is proposing base rate increases for customers that could take effect in September if approved by Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission. If the entire increase is approved, residential customers who annually use 80,000 cubic feet of gas and are served by the company’s Peoples Natural Gas division will see...
Google settles privacy lawsuit over tracking people using ‘incognito mode’
SAN FRANCISCO — Google has agreed to settle a $5 billion privacy lawsuit alleging it spied on people who used the “incognito” mode in its Chrome browser — along with similar “private” modes in other browsers — to track their internet use. The class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 said Google...
Woman sues Hershey’s Co. over Reese’s pumpkins without faces
A Florida woman filed a federal lawsuit against The Hershey Company over claims some of its seasonal shaped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were advertised deceptively. Cynthia Kelly, of the Tampa area, is suing the company for $5 million in Florida’s Middle District Court. In the lawsuit, Kelly claims the company...
After 60 years, Ligonier barbers hang up their clippers
When cousins Ken Knupp and Walt Boyd closed the doors of their Ligonier Borough barbershop Wednesday, one thing was clear — they will miss their customers the most. After working as barbers for more than 60 years, the two decided to retire together from their longtime practice at Knupp’s Barbershop....
John Dorfman: Magnificent Seven? Consider my Regular Seven instead
Well, finally! The stock market’s advance is broadening out at last, after close to two years when most stocks didn’t do much while the so-called Magnificent Seven soared. The Magnificent Seven consists of Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Nvidia...
