Business category, Page 286
Spotify takes a big jump into the podcasting game
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...
Report shows economic clout of Kentucky bourbon over decade
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...
Craigslist founder donates $15 million for journalism ethics
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 to pursue high-fare travelers with more premium seats
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...
Trade hawks quietly bristle as Trump’s China deadline approaches
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 board rejects hostile takeover bid. But that may be just the start.
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...
Trump to tap David Malpass, critic of World Bank, to lead it
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...
Crypto CEO dies holding only passwords that can unlock millions in customer coins
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...
Sanders to pharma firm: Why are you charging $375,000 for life-saving drug?
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...
Fiat Chrysler recalls over 660K trucks; steering could fail
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...
S&P 500 win streak marks 5th day on solid company earnings
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...
Feb. 12 webinar to cover tax changes for small businesses
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...
Lunar New Year allows U.S. companies to find prosperity too
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...
John Dorfman: 4 stocks that flaunt both value, momentum
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...
Charlotte Russe plans to close 94 stores, 4 in Pa.
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 net income, earnings up in quarter ending Dec. 31
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...
FX chief says Netflix exaggerates viewership numbers
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 marks opening of 100th North Carolina store
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...
Messaging platform provider Slack says it’s filed to go public
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...
Bud Light touches nerve with corn syrup Super Bowl ads
NEW YORK — Bud Light attacked rival brands in its Super Bowl ads, but it was the corn industry that felt stung. The spots trolled rival brands that use corn syrup. One showed a medieval caravan schlepping a huge barrel of corn syrup to castles owned by Miller and Coors....
Gannett turns down $1.36B buyout offer
MCLEAN, Va. — The publisher of USA Today and other newspapers is rejecting a $1.36 billion buyout from a hedge-fund backed media group with a history of taking over newspapers and slashing jobs. MNG Enterprises, better known as Digital First Media, made its unsolicited bid of $12 per share last...
GM plant closings will hit parts suppliers far and wide
TOLEDO, Ohio — The sting from a major restructuring at General Motors and its planned closings of five North American factories in the coming months is putting thousands of jobs at auto parts suppliers at stake, as well. While GM expects nearly all its U.S. blue-collar workers whose jobs are...
Relatives of woman killed in Uber crash file $10M claim
TEMPE, Ariz. — Two relatives of a woman killed when she was struck by an autonomous Uber vehicle have filed a $10 million claim against the Phoenix suburb where the incident occurred in March. The Arizona Republic reports the previously undisclosed claim filed last fall against Tempe seeks $5 million...
Iowa town relies on one-page Hotsheet to deliver local news
LE MARS, Iowa — It’s a common sight in most every public setting anymore. Look around and you’ll see people with their heads bent over their smartphones, fingers swiping at the screens and thumbs punching out messages. It shouldn’t be a revelation to anyone that information nowadays is just a...
A deluge of drones fly over Super Bowl stadium, despite ban
ATLANTA — The sky above the stadium that will host Sunday’s Super Bowl is being “inundated” with an alarming number of drones, raising the specter of injuries to tourists or others — or a possible collision with aircraft, the FBI said Friday. That’s despite an ongoing restriction that bans the...
