Business category, Page 269
Seniors more likely to work longer in big metropolitan areas
CHICAGO — Seniors in major metropolitan areas, especially in the Northeast and around Washington, D.C., are more likely to continue working past age 65 than those in other areas around the country, according to an analysis of Census data by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “Those are...
Strong job market hampers FEMA hiring in flood-hit states
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is facing an unexpected challenge in meeting the needs of the many people affected by this spring’s widespread flooding and violent storms: a strong economy. Tasked with responding to natural disasters that seem ever more frequent and destructive, the agency finds itself...
Trump’s trade wars may be pressuring both economy and Fed
WASHINGTON — A sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring for May intensified fears that the economy has weakened and that many employers have grown nervous, in part from President Trump’s escalating trade wars. Yet the stock market soared and bond yields fell because investors found a reason to cheer: The tepid...
FDA: ‘Influencers’ promoted vaping without suitable warnings
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators moved to discipline vaping companies for inappropriately promoting their flavored nicotine formulas through so-called influencers on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. The Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters Friday to four companies that used paid social media influencers to pitch nicotine solutions to...
Tariffs have already wiped out tax bill savings for average Americans
President Trump’s trade wars have already wiped out all but $100 of the average American household’s windfall from Trump’s 2017 tax law. And that’s just the beginning. That last $100 in tax-cut gains also could soon disappear — and then some — because of additional tariffs Trump has announced or...
Broadway insiders are quietly betting on streaming musicals
NEW YORK — This would seem like a strange moment to worry about Broadway’s future. The oldest entertainment business in the United States is thriving. Thanks to shows such as “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Be More Chill,” “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” young people are flocking to Broadway’s...
Ram pickups recalled because air bags may not work in crash
DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is recalling nearly 343,000 Ram pickup trucks worldwide because the air bags may not inflate in a crash. The recall covers the Ram 1500 mainly from the 2019 model year, although the company has a small number of 2020 models. Fiat Chrysler says a software error...
Once a book selling giant, Barnes & Noble sold to hedge fund
NEW YORK — The beleaguered bookseller Barnes & Noble is being acquired by a hedge fund for $476 million. The national chain that many blamed for the demise of independent bookstores has been ravaged by Amazon.com and other online competitors. Independent bookstores have also persisted in the face of digital...
S&T Bank and DNB First announce merger
Indiana-based S&T Bancorp Inc., the holding company for S&T Bank, and DNB Financial Corp., the holding company for DNB First, announced a definitive merger agreement on Wednesday. Based on S&T’s Tuesday price of $38.75 per share, the transaction will have an aggregate value of $206 million and will expand S&T’s...
Google’s streaming game service Stadia to launch in November
NEW YORK — Google will start its Stadia streaming service to challenge the video game industry in November — but initially only as part of a $130 bundle that includes hardware and a pass for a friend. Google announced the game service in March with few details. On Thursday, Google...
Regulators give phone companies new tools to fight robocalls
NEW YORK — Federal regulators are giving phone companies the right to block unwanted calls without getting customers’ permission first. Thursday’s vote by the Federal Communications Commission could make call-blocking widespread and help consumers dodge annoying robocalls. The agency expects phone companies to offer these tools for free. But it...
Poll: Some younger workers not happy with graying workforce
A rising share of older Americans is forgoing the concept of a traditional retirement at the age of 65, a trend that some younger workers aren’t particularly thrilled to see. A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that workers under the age of 50...
U.S. added 27,000 private-sector jobs in May, lowest number since 2010
Private employers added fewer workers in May than any month in the past nine years, falling far short of analyst estimates and sending a troubling signal about the state of the U.S. labor market. Stock markets gave up some gains in premarket trading Wednesday in response to the report from...
Amazon says it will be delivering by drones ‘in months’
LAS VEGAS — Amazon says it expects to be delivering orders to shoppers’ homes by drones in the coming months. The online shopping giant did not give exact timing or say which locations the self-driving drones will be making deliveries. Amazon has been working on drone delivery for years. Back...
YouTube gets more aggressive in banning supremacist, hoax videos
YouTube said Wednesday it will remove false videos alleging that major events like the Holocaust didn’t happen, as well as a broad array of content by white supremacists and others in a move to more aggressively crack down on hate speech. The Google-owned video site, along with its Silicon Valley...
Sephora closes U.S. stores for diversity training
NEW YORK — Sephora is closing its U.S. stores for an hour Wednesday morning to host “inclusion workshops” for its 16,000 employees, just over a month after R&B star SZA said she had security called on her while shopping at a store in California. The beauty retailer said the training...
Ikea’s newest dressers are designed to prevent ‘tip-over’ deaths
Scandinavian retailer Ikea has introduced a line of tip-resistant dressers in response to an industry problem that it says has killed eight children and injured dozens of others over the past two decades. The Glesvär collection unveiled Tuesday in Sweden comes with a range of “stability features” aimed at getting...
It seems implausible, but American Eagle is thriving at the mall
On a recent afternoon, college student Michele Jacobs walked into an American Eagle Outfitters store in Manhattan to buy some pieces from its Aerie lingerie line. And while she left with two bralettes, she also bought a jean skirt and a couple pair of shorts. “I feel like it’s really...
Uber under tax investigation by IRS, foreign authorities
Uber Technologies Inc. is under investigation from U.S. tax authorities and said that its potential tax charges in a number of key markets could change. The recently-listed ride-hailing company said in a filing Tuesday that the IRS is examining the tax years for 2013 and 2014. Uber also added that...
Family Dollar adding alcohol to 1,000 stores
In the first quarter, budget store Family Dollar quietly added adult beverages to the shelves at 45 of its stores. Now, it’s planning on expanding that to 1,000 select stores nationwide, the company reports. In a news release, Dollar Tree — the parent company — announced it was executing a...
John Dorfman: Harold Hamm buys yet more Continental Resources stock
Harold Hamm, 73, is a multibillionaire, a major Republican donor and a pioneer in shale drilling in the Bakken formation (located in North Dakota, Montana and adjacent parts of Canada). Hamm has a big appetite for the stock of Continental Resources Inc. (CLR), the oil-and-gas company he runs. He snapped...
Report: FTC to lead possible Facebook antitrust probe
SAN FRANCISCO — The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Federal Trade Commission will lead any antitrust investigation into Facebook as part of an arrangement that would give the Justice Department oversight of Google. The FTC and the Justice Department both oversee antitrust issues in the U.S. and must...
Carnival in U.S. court over pollution from its cruise ships
MIAMI — Carnival Corp. is in Miami federal court for a hearing on what to do about allegations that it has continued polluting the oceans from some of its cruise ships despite agreeing years ago to stop. The world’s largest cruise line is accused by federal prosecutors of violating terms...
Apple previews new software as it diversifies beyond iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple will preview upcoming changes to its phone and computer software Monday as it diversifies to offset eroding sales of its bedrock product, the iPhone. Many of the software updates are expected to be tailored for digital services such as video streaming that Apple is rolling out...
Trump’s tariffs: What are they? How do they work?Video
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has once again turned to tariffs to try to get his way with a U.S. trading partner. This time, the target is Mexico: Trump plans to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 and to ratchet them up to 25% by Oct. 1...
