Business category, Page 96
Uno Pizzeria in Waterfront has closed
Uno Pizzeria and Grill, one of the original tenants at The Waterfront in Homestead, has baked its last pie. A note on the Facebook page of the Boston-based chain said it is permanently closed. The Waterfront management office confirmed the restaurant has gone dark. Calls to the restaurant were unanswered...
California Gov. Newsom has surprise meeting with China’s leader Xi amid warm welcome in Beijing
BANGKOK — California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a surprise meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders in a display of friendliness that stands in sharp contrast to the dialogue between the U.S. and China in recent years. The governor...
States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harm children’s mental health
Dozens of states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for allegedly harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. A lawsuit filed by 33 states claims Meta...
Westinghouse to base its nuclear battery operations in EtnaVideo
Nuclear power pioneer Westinghouse is expanding its footprint in Western Pennsylvania and renewing its commitment to nuclear innovation with a new facility in Etna. Westinghouse signed a lease for an 87,420-square-foot building at 51 Bridge St. The Cranberry-based company plans to make the most critical component of its eVinci nuclear...
Officials celebrate Pa.’s 2 hydrogen hubs, but many details remain shrouded in secrecyVideo
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania officials are celebrating the Biden administration’s announcement that it will invest $1.6 billion to build hydrogen hubs partially located in the state...
United Concordia strikes deal for $3 billion dental contract with DOD
A dental subsidiary of Highmark Health inked a 5-year deal with the Department of Defense. United Concordia Companies, Inc. has been awarded a more than $3 billion contract to administer the Tricare Dental Program, which covers about 1.8 million active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members and their...
Feds award nearly $25M to Pittsburgh high-tech energy projects
Two projects seeking to advance high-tech energy efforts in the Pittsburgh area were recently awarded nearly $25 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Duquesne Light is receiving $19.7 million to enhance grid flexibility and improve the power system’s resilience against extreme weather events caused by climate change, while Carnegie...
$43M CCAC facility to focus on robotics, other advancing technologies
Justin Starr spent years working in Pittsburgh’s robotics industry and saw first-hand the disconnect between the skills students often leave colleges with and those his industry desperately sought. “We always had great success on the engineering end, but when it came to getting technicians to do things like actually build...
Tech startup for sexual assault survivors moves to Lawrenceville
A health care tech startup that provides at-home early evidence kits for sexual assault survivors has moved its headquarters to Pittsburgh. Leda Health has officially moved from the Brooklyn borough of New York City to Lawrenceville. The Butler Street location is under construction, with the goal to be completed Nov....
Panera Bread sued after Pa. student dies from ‘charged lemonade’
Panera Bread has been sued after the death of a University of Pennsylvania student. The student — who had a heart condition — had reportedly drank one of the chain’s “charged lemonades” prior to passing away. NBC News reports how the lawsuit was filed Monday in the Philadelphia Court of...
Chevron buys Hess for $53 billion, 2nd megadeal in the oil patch this month as energy prices soar
Chevron is buying Hess Corp. for $53 billion and it’s not even the biggest acquisition in the energy sector this month as major producers seize the initiative while oil prices surge. Crude prices rose sharply in early 2022 with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are hovering around $90 per barrel...
Allegheny County Council proposal would ban single-use plastic bags
Allegheny County Council is set to consider a ban on single-use plastic bags that largely mimics a similar measure recently implemented in Pittsburgh. The measure is set to be introduced to County Council on Tuesday. Council members Anita Prizio, Olivia Bennett, Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis and Paul Klein are sponsoring the legislation....
Rollout of Pittsburgh’s plastic bag ban leaves some customers, businesses confused
Pittsburgh officials say they are working to address areas of confusion as the city’s plastic bag ban takes effect. The ban, meant to reduce litter and waste, went into effect earlier this month. It prohibits most single-use plastic bags, but allows exceptions for unpackaged prepared foods, produce bags, meat packaging,...
Bus driver shortage leaves schools, public transit agencies scrambling
A shortage of drivers is pinching school bus companies and public transit agencies that are left scrambling to transport students and workers, fill vacancies and keep their current stable of employees from burning out. “It’s just hard to get drivers. We just can’t figure it out,” said James Varner, manager...
Company bosses and workers grapple with the fallout of speaking up about the Israel-Hamas war
NEW YORK — Starbucks accused a union representing thousands of its baristas of damaging the brand and endangering co-workers with a pro-Palestinian tweet. The CEO of a prominent tech conference is facing boycotts after he publicly suggested Israel was committing war crimes. Company bosses have vowed never to hire members...
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate surges to 7.63% — highest level since 2000
LOS ANGELES — The cost of financing a home surged again this week with the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate at its highest level since December 2000. The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 7.63% from 7.57% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A...
Home sales fell again in September as surging mortgage rates, rising prices discouraged homebuyers
LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell for the fourth month in a row in September, held back by surging mortgage rates and a thin supply of properties on the market. Existing home sales fell 2% last month from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of...
Nokia plans to cut up to 14,000 jobs after sales, profits plunge in weak market
HELSINKI — Telecom gear maker Nokia said Thursday that it is planning to cut up to 14,000 jobs worldwide, or 16% of its workforce, as part of a push to reduce costs following a plunge in third-quarter sales and profit. The Finnish wireless and fixed-network equipment provider said the planned...
Sold Taylor Swift concert tickets online? You may have to pay taxes
Over the summer, Swifties were willing to shell out notoriously high prices to get a seat at the Taylor Swift “Eras Tour.” Now, Uncle Sam wants to collect on those who resold their tickets on online marketplaces. This year, the Internal Revenue Service is requiring third-party businesses, like Ticketmaster, StubHub...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike reaches 1 year with little progress made
A year into a tumultuous strike, negotiations between journalists and workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and management remain at a standstill. Journalists are tired and frustrated, management isn’t budging, and no date is set for a looming decision on a labor ruling that could change the course of the lengthy...
Rite Aid to close 9 stores in Southwestern Pa.
Rite Aid Corp., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday, lost little time in announcing its plans to shutter nine stores in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Stores on the closing list are ones on Stevenson Boulevard in New Kensington; Route 22 in Murrysville; Route 30 in Hempfield; Library Road in Bethel Park;...
Musk’s X tests $1 fee for new users in the Philippines and New Zealand in bid to target spam
LONDON — Elon Musk’s social media platform X has begun charging a $1 fee to new users in the Philippines and New Zealand, in a test designed to cut down on the spam and fake accounts flourishing on the site formerly known as Twitter. The company said late Tuesday that...
Sharpsburg pet shop closes, but rescue operations continue
After five years in Sharpsburg, the pet shop Sara’s Pets and Plants has closed its doors. But the nonprofit rescue associated with the store will continue its mission to aid exotic animals and place them in loving homes. Owner Sara Smith said the cost of operating the for-profit shop became...
PNC Bank’s financial rating remains stable, market agency says
PNC Financial Services Group remains “stable,” following a recent announcement of layoffs and other cuts to expenses, according to credit analyst group Fitch Ratings. An issuer default rating is an assessment of how vulnerable an institution is to defaulting on financial obligations. Fitch Ratings held the bank’s long-term and short-term...
IRS plans limited rollout of free e-file tax return system with invitations to select taxpayers
WASHINGTON — The IRS plans to invite select taxpayers across 13 states to try out the agency’s pilot electronic free file tax return system beginning in January. The agency estimates that hundreds of thousands of taxpayers will participate in the limited rollout of the program for the 2024 filing season....
