Business category, Page 101
Apple harvest time: Wild swings in weather, slow spring start impact production
The fruits of the Simon family’s labors are on display for all to see at the Simon’s Apple Orchard store in Mt. Pleasant Township. The sweet smell of freshly harvested apples permeates the air as bags of apples are made ready for sale. “It was decent. Not a full crop...
Alcoa names new CEO in abrupt transition
Alcoa Corp. has replaced CEO Roy C. Harvey with the company’s chief operating officer, William F. Oplinger. Oplinger will serve as president, CEO and a member of Alcoa’s board of directors, the North Shore-based company announced Monday. The abrupt move went into effect Sunday. Harvey had been CEO since the...
Deal will bring added passenger rail service between Pittsburgh, NYC
PennDOT and Norfolk Southern Railway finalized an official agreement Friday to bring an additional round trip for passenger train service between Pittsburgh and New York City. PennDOT officials said the state will invest more than $200 million for infrastructure and safety improvements that will help to accommodate the additional trains....
Auto workers expand strike to 38 locations in 20 states, targeting Stellantis and GM
The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts-distribution centers in 20 states. Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain...
With the future of AM unclear, a look back at the powerful role radio plays in baseball history
NEW YORK — Growing up in the Boston suburbs, Suzyn Waldman fell madly in love with two things: baseball and Broadway shows. During the 1950s and ’60s, the long arm of AM radio brought both into her home. “I can still hear Ned Martin of the Red Sox reciting poetry...
For rental properties and Airbnbs in Pittsburgh, inspections and permits soon could be required
Anyone who owns a rental property, including long-term rentals and Airbnbs, would be required to go through a permitting and inspection process under legislation advanced by Pittsburgh City Council. People would need to apply for a permit each year, according to the proposed legislation. They would be required to provide...
Pitt’s plan for a $250M biomanufacturing facility in Hazelwood moves forward
The University of Pittsburgh has received approval from the city’s Planning Commission to build a biomanufacturing facility in Hazelwood. The $250 million facility will serve as a cell and gene therapy innovation hub in the Hazelwood Green development along the Monongahela River. University officials have said about three-quarters of the...
U.S. Steel to test technology for capturing carbon emissions at Mon Valley Works
U.S. Steel plans to test new technology to capture emissions at its Mon Valley Works in Allegheny County. The Pittsburgh steelmaker is partnering with the National Energy Technology Laboratory to use an “advanced membrane technology” to capture carbon dioxide emissions from the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock. The unit is...
Kraft Heinz recalls some American cheese slices because wrappers could pose choking hazard
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it’s recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard. The company, which is based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, said one of its wrapping machines developed a...
Gambling brings home $457M for Pa. in August
Gambling in August climbed over the prior year, with much of the haul for Pennsylvania taxpayers coming from online games. But the August total was a slight drop compared to revenue in July, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Gaming raked in $457.15 million in August, a year-over-year increase...
John Dorfman: Short-selling contestants clean up betting on losses
In 20 years of running the annual Short Sellers Don’t Have Horns short-selling contest, I’ve never had a winner request anonymity. Until now. The winner, whom I will call Sam, is a 22-year-old stock analyst who recently earned a master’s degree in finance from a college in the Boston area....
Hundreds of flying taxis to be made in Ohio, home of the Wright brothers and astronaut legends
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced Monday between the state and Joby Aviation Inc. “When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future,” Republican...
Liz Weston: Why retirees may want to buy an immediate annuity now
An immediate annuity is an insurance product that provides guaranteed income: You give an insurer a chunk of money, and the company gives you a stream of payments that can last for life. The payments begin within 12 months of purchase. Now may be a good time for retirees to...
Auto workers strike will drive up car prices, but not right away — unless consumers panic
DALLAS — Car shoppers are heading for a new round of sticker shock if the strike by the United Auto Workers doesn’t end soon, particularly for popular vehicles that are already in short supply. The number of vehicles on dealer lots will shrink the longer the walkout goes on. Dealers...
Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along?
TEMPE, Ariz. — Bethany Patton steps up to the counter and places her pink mug into a shoebox-sized dishwasher. It spins. It whirs. Water splashes inside. After 90 seconds, the door opens and steam emerges. A barista grabs the mug, dries it and prepares Patton’s order — a 16-ounce Starbucks...
About 13,000 workers go on strike seeking better wages and benefits from Detroit’s 3 automakers
DETROIT — About 13,000 U.S. auto workers stopped making vehicles and went on strike Friday after their leaders couldn’t bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroit’s three automakers are willing to pay. Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General...
Largest U.S. newspaper chain is hiring Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter writers
LOS ANGELES — This week the United States’ biggest newspaper chain posted to its site two unusual job listings: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter. Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily papers, will employ these new hires through USA Today and The Tennessean, the company’s Nashville-based...
UAW chief says offers from Detroit companies are inadequate, says union is ready to go on strikeVideo
DETROIT — With just over 24 hours left before a strike deadline, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Wednesday that offers from the companies aren’t enough and the union is getting ready to strike. In an online address to union members, Fain said General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have...
What is USB-C, the charging socket that replaced Apple’s Lightning cable?
LONDON — Bye, Lightning cable. Hello, USB-C. Apple is ditching its in-house iPhone charging plug and falling in line with the rest of the tech industry by adopting a more widely used connection standard. A big part of the reason is a European Union common charging rule that’s coming soon...
iPhone 12 sales banned in France; agency says it emits too much radiation
PARIS — French regulators ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12, saying it emits electromagnetic radiation levels that are above European Union standards for exposure. The company disputed the findings and said the device complies with regulations. The French government agency that manages wireless communications frequencies issued the order...
Sharply higher gas prices pushed up inflation in August, yet underlying price measures cooled
WASHINGTON — A spike in gas prices pushed up inflation in August, yet most other costs rose at a more modest pace, evidence that price increases overall are still cooling. In a set of conflicting data released Wednesday, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.7% in August...
Looking for a refill? McDonald’s is saying goodbye to self-serve soda in the coming years
NEW YORK — Say goodbye to refilling that Coke. McDonald’s is getting rid of self-served soda. The Chicago-based fast food chain plans to eliminate self-service soda machines at its U.S. restaurants by 2032, McDonald’s confirmed this week. It’s unclear if locations outside the U.S. will follow suit. In an email...
U.S. claims Google pays more than $10 billion a year to maintain its search dominanceVideo
WASHINGTON — Google has exploited its dominance of the internet search market to lock out competitors and smother innovation, the Department of Justice said Tuesday at the opening of the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century. “This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google’s...
‘New normal’ and other annoying buzzwords sure to drive co-workers crazy
If you haven’t uttered them yourself, you’ve probably heard them spew from the mouths of co-workers or your boss. They are the most annoying business buzzwords for 2023. So what’s the most fingernail-on-blackboard phrase for workers? “New normal,” according to a survey conducted by Preply Business, a language learning platform...
Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging portsVideo
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones — a lineup that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system and a price hike for the fanciest model. The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, comes as the company tries to reverse a...
