Business category, Page 89
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...
The late-night email to Tim Cook that set the Apple Watch saga in motion
At about 1 a.m. California time in 2013, a scientist emailed Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook with an irresistible pitch. “I strongly believe that we can develop the new wave of technology that will make Apple the No. 1 brand in the medical, fitness and wellness market,” he...
The New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over the use of its stories to train chatbots
NEW YORK — The New York Times has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft seeking to end the practice of using its stories to train chatbots, saying that copyright infringements at the paper alone could be worth billions. The paper joins a growing list of individuals and publishers...
Apple seeks a way in court to keep 2 of its best watches on shelves during bitter patent dispute
Apple filed an emergency motion seeking court permission to begin selling two of its most popular watches again until a final decision on its broader appeal in a bitter patent dispute is decided. The company cut off sales right before the Christmas holiday and in a motion filed Tuesday, Apple...
Americans ramped up spending over holidays despite some financial anxiety, higher costs
NEW YORK — Holiday sales rose this year and spending remained resilient during the shopping season even with Americans wrestling with higher prices in some areas and other financial worries, according to the latest measure. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.1%, a slower pace...
What stores are open and closed on Christmas Day in 2023? Hours for Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more
NEW YORK — With Christmas right around the corner, you might want to check the list of what stores are open (and closed) twice. From retail to grocery chains, many companies across the U.S. close early on Christmas Eve and shut their doors entirely on Christmas Day — while others...
Here are some ways you can reduce financial stress during the holidays
NEW YORK — The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time, but they can also be financially stressful. With gifts, social gatherings and plane tickets home, the costs can start piling up. Household expenses continue to rise and many Americans are expressing concern about their financial futures, according to...
U.S. Steel sale will create new jobs, spark investment in Mon Valley, analyst says
John C. Tumazos thinks unions and Pennsylvania politicians have gotten the U.S. Steel sale all wrong. The Wilkinsburg-bred metals industry analyst said Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based steel icon will not trigger mass layoffs in Southwestern Pennsylvania or encourage the new owners to idle mills. Instead, the...
Still haven’t bought holiday gifts? Retailers have a sale for you
NEW YORK — Retailers are stepping up sales and other enticements in the final days before Christmas to lure shoppers who’ve been waiting for the best deals, or who didn’t have the time or the urge to wrap up gift-buying early. Incentives to spend last minute are an extension of...
Hydrogen tax credit plan unveiled as Biden administration tries to jump start industry
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration released its highly anticipated proposal for doling out billions of dollars in tax credits to hydrogen producers Friday, in a massive effort to build out an industry that some hope can be a cleaner alternative to fossil fueled power. The U.S. credit is the most...
Fed’s favored inflation gauge tumbles in November as price pressures continue to ease
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation fell last month in another sign that price pressures easing in the face of the central bank’s interest rate hikes. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that U.S. consumer prices slid 0.1% last month from October and rose 2.6% from...
Were your holiday deliveries stolen? What to know about porch piracy and what you can do about it
NEW YORK — You found the perfect holiday gift online. You ordered it. A notification arrived on your phone, showing the package had arrived. But when you open your doors, the parcel is nowhere to be found. If this has happened to you, then count yourself among the unlucky group...
Apple loses latest bid to avert patent dispute that has halted online U.S. sales of 2 watch models
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Thursday stopped online sales of two popular models of its internet-connected watch in the U.S. after losing its latest attempt to untangle a patent dispute that’s blocking it from using some of the technology on the device. Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra...
Homebuilders step up construction of single-family homes as 30-year mortgage rate eases below 7%
LOS ANGELES — Homebuilders are stepping up construction of single-family homes following a steady decline in mortgage rates and broad expectations among economists that home loan borrowing costs will ease further next year. Builders broke ground on single-family homes in November at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of about 1.14...
U.S. unemployment claims rise slightly, remain at low levels despite higher interest rates
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week but still remained at historically low levels despite high interest rates intended to slow hiring and cool the economy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims were up by 2,000 to 205,000 the week that...
Giant Eagle to move headquarters to Cranberry
Giant Eagle plans to move its headquarters from the RIDC Park in O’Hara to Cranberry. Officials said Wednesday the company signed a long-term lease on a four-story, 100,000-square-foot building at 700 Cranberry Woods Drive in the Cranberry Woods Business Park. It declined to renew its lease at 701 Alpha Drive...
