Business category, Page 254

Napkins with printed slogans encouraging airline passengers to connect with fellow travelers must have seemed like a great idea to marketers. But some actual passengers were not so quick to embrace the idea of slipping personal information to a stranger. Paper napkins with Coca-Cola branding made an appearance on some...

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple has released an iPhone update to fix a software flaw that allowed people to eavesdrop on others while using FaceTime. The bug enabled interlopers to turn an iPhone into a live microphone while using Group FaceTime. Callers were able to activate another person’s microphone remotely even...

Is the craft beer business bubble about to burst? Those who make their living promoting, surveying and sampling products of the beer industry in Pennsylvania are convinced that, well, there is no need to worry whether craft beer makers will run out of craft beer drinkers any time soon. Breweries...

DETROIT — Cold temperatures can sap electric car batteries, temporarily reducing their range by more than 40 percent when interior heaters are used, a new study found. The study of five electric vehicles by AAA also found that high temperatures can cut into battery range, but not nearly as much...

NEW YORK — Southern banking giants BB&T and SunTrust announced they would merge in a $66 billion deal, the first big bank merger since the chaos of the 2008 financial crisis. The deal would create yet another financial titan in the United States. The combined company will be the sixth-largest...

Arconic named Chairman John Plant to serve as chief executive officer, ousting Chip Blankenship just a little more than a year after he took the helm at the embattled manufacturer. Plant, the company’s fourth CEO in less than two years, is expected to serve in the top post for a...

NEW YORK — Spotify is making a bigger bet on podcasts as it looks to bring a Netflix-like model of original programs to the audio world. The music-streaming pioneer gobbled up two podcasting companies, Gimlet and Anchor, on Wednesday. Although streaming is becoming an increasingly popular way to listen to...

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A decade ago, bourbon barons poured bottles of their precious amber liquid on the Kentucky Capitol steps to protest a looming tax hike. On Wednesday, industry officials stood with lawmakers to cheer another round of growth in the spirits sector. The cause for celebration was a new...

PASADENA, Calif. — The founder of Craigslist says he will donate $15 million to Columbia University and the Poynter Institute for separate efforts promoting ethics in journalism. The announcement on Wednesday establishes Craig Newmark in the forefront of philanthropists focused on journalism, a cause he’s supported with some $85 million...

United Airlines will woo high-fare passengers by retrofitting more than 100 planes to add more premium seats on key routes. The airline also plans to start using a new 50-seat jet with mostly premium seats on some key business-travel routes. United announced the moves Wednesday. They are part of an...

One of President Trump’s most persistent economic promises has been to rewrite the U.S. relationship with China. Yet as he approaches a potential deal, some of the very hawks who have cheered on Trump’s trade war already fear he may end up falling short. With less than a month before...

Gannett’s board of directors said Monday that it had rejected a $1.36 billion buyout bid from Digital First Media, questioning the would-be buyer’s motives and accusing it of trying to conceal the company’s “inability to finance and complete” the deal. “After careful review and consideration, conducted in consultation with its...

WASHINGTON — The World Bank may be poised for a shake-up with President Trump planning to nominate David Malpass, who has been a critic of the bank, to lead the institution focused on global poverty. Malpass’ selection was confirmed by a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity...

Digital-asset exchange Quadriga CX has a $200 million problem with no obvious solution — just the latest cautionary tale in the unregulated world of cryptocurrencies. The online startup can’t retrieve about $145 million in Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ether and other digital tokens held for its customers, according to court documents filed...

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has sent a letter to Florida-based Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc. demanding to know why it is charging $375,000 for a drug that treats a rare disease. In the letter, released Monday, Sanders asked Catalyst CEO Patrick McEnany how many patients “will suffer or die” due to the...

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is recalling over 660,000 heavy-duty trucks worldwide because a loose nut can cause a loss of steering control. The recall covers Ram 3500 pickups from 2013 through 2017, as well as 2500 pickups and 3500 Chassis cabs from 2014 through 2017. The company says it’s aware...

Technology companies helped lead stocks broadly higher on Wall Street Tuesday as strong earnings reports from several companies put investors in a buying mood. The rally, which briefly wavered around midday, extended the benchmark S&P 500 index’s winning streak to five days. Technology stocks, which have lagged the market in...

Small businesses looking for help with their taxes can participate in a free webinar at 11 a.m. Feb. 12. The webinar, titled “Tax Reform and Its Impact on Government Contractors,” is being offered by the Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The webinar will cover recent tax reform...

As Asian-Americans across the U.S. mark the Lunar New Year on Tuesday, they can celebrate by eating Mickey Mouse-shaped tofu, sporting a pair of Year of the Pig-inspired Nike shoes and by snacking on pricey cupcakes. The delicacies and traditions that once made a generation of Asian-Americans feel foreign are...

In a stock market where momentum reigns, what’s a bargain hunter to do? One answer is to look for stocks that possess both value and momentum. Today, I offer four such stocks for your consideration. Applied Materials Let’s start with Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT), up 20 percent this year through...

The year 2018 was not a stellar year for some retailers. It looks as if 2019 is not getting any more traction. Charlotte Russe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to close 94 stores, the company announced Monday. The chain plans to completely liquidate if it can’t find a...

Kennametal Inc. of Pittsburgh saw its net income increase about 33 percent for the quarter ending Dec. 31 compared with a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped by 15 cents, to 66 cents, compared with the same period in 2017, the industrial toolmaker said this week. Kennametal, with headquarters in...

PASADENA, Calif. — Someone is standing up to television’s Goliath, with a prominent competitor saying Monday that Netflix is deceiving the public about what is a hit and what isn’t. John Landgraf, the FX Networks chief executive who has frequently pointed out the glut of scripted TV, said Netflix is...

Altoona-based Sheetz is celebrating the opening of its 100th store in North Carolina. The store in High Point, N.C. opened on Jan. 31. At a grand opening event, the company gave $2,500 to Special Olympics North Carolina and the same amount to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Carolina. “Sheetz...

Slack Technologies Inc. said it has filed confidentially with regulators to list the company’s shares in the United States. The messaging platform company didn’t provide details of its plans in a statement Monday. Slack plans to forgo a traditional initial public offering and instead intends to sell its shares to...