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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
U.S. stocks drop as Nvidia slides and the fog of Trump’s trade war thickens
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks fell Wednesday after Nvidia warned new restrictions on exports to China will chisel billions of dollars off its results, while companies around the world said President Donald Trump’s trade war is clouding forecasts for how they and the economy will do this year. The S&P...
Powell says Federal Reserve can wait on any interest rate moves
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve can stay patient and wait to see how tariffs and other economic policies of the Trump administration play out before making any changes to interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday. “For the time being, we are well positioned to wait for greater clarity” on...
Retail sales rise 1.4% in March as shoppers stock up on big ticket items ahead of tariffs
NEW YORK — U.S. shoppers increased their shopping last month, fueled by a spending spree on big ticket items from gadgets to cars before President Donald Trump’s expansive new tariffs started kicking in. Retail sales rose 1.4% in March, after rising 0.2% in February, according to the Commerce Department. Retail...
China’s economy grows at 5.4% annual pace in January-March quarter
BANGKOK — China’s economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese exports, the government said Wednesday. Analysts are forecasting that the world’s second largest economy will slow significantly in coming months, however, as...
Wall Street drifts in a rare quiet day following weeks of tariff turmoil
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are drifting Tuesday in a rare quiet day for financial markets worldwide, for now at least. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in early trading, though it’s been prone to huge swings not just day to day but also hour to hour. It’s regularly careened...
Japan’s chief trade negotiator to visit Washington for tariff talks this week
TOKYO — Japan’s chief trade negotiator will visit the United States this week for talks aimed at convincing U.S. President Donald Trump to remove tariff measures against the East Asian country, officials said Tuesday. Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa will be in Washington from Wednesday to Friday for talks with...
South Korea to boost support of semiconductor industry in the face of Trump’s tariffs
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said Tuesday it will expand its financial support package for its crucial semiconductor industry to about $23 billion in part of efforts to address uncertainties posed by the Trump administration’s tariff hikes. The package represents roughly a 26% increase from the nearly $18 billion...
Ranchers cautiously optimistic Trump’s tariffs will boost demand for cattle
OMAHA, Neb. — Rancher Brett Kenzy hopes President Donald Trump’s tariffs will make imported beef expensive enough that Americans will turn to cattle raised at home for all their hamburgers and steaks. That might raise prices enough to give Kenzy and others the incentive they need to expand their herds...
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand in historic antitrust trial
WASHINGTON — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the witness stand on the first day of a historic antitrust trial to defend his company against allegations it illegally monopolized the social media market. The trial could force the tech giant to break off Instagram and WhatsApp, startups Meta bought more...
Stocks rally worldwide after Trump eases some of his tariffs on electronics, for now
NEW YORK — Stocks rose worldwide Monday after President Donald Trump relaxed some of his tariffs, for now at least, and as stress from within the U.S. bond market seems to be easing. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8%, though trading was still shaky, and it briefly gave back all of...
Pfizer ends development of potential pill obesity treatment
Pfizer is ending the development of its potential once-daily pill treatment for obesity after venturing into the biggest and most expensive level of clinical testing. The drugmaker said Tuesday that it would stop studying danuglipron after a participant in one of its trials experienced a possible drug-induced liver injury that...
Bond market upheaval could impact borrowing costs for Western Pa. schools, municipalities
It’s all about timing. School districts and municipal authorities that already floated bonds for major construction projects are counting their blessings for not being caught up in the bond market’s current chaos. But those with pending projects not yet supported by money from bonds are watching the market closely, eyeing...
Delay in ‘silica rule’ leaves some miners’ advocates worried
After the announcement by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration of a four-month delay in enforcement of the “silica rule,” some in the region are worried about what that delay signals for miners’ safety. The rule, issued last April, gave mine operators a year to upgrade respiratory protection programs...
Trump administration says it will exclude some electronics from reciprocal tariffs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Trump administration late Friday said they would exclude electronics like smartphones and laptops from reciprocal tariffs, a move that could help keep the prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’t usually made in the U.S. It would also benefit big tech companies like Apple and...
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s glassmaking tradition dates from late 18th century
The closure of the Pyrex cookware plant in Charleroi brings to an end 132 years of manufacturing at that facility, but the regional footprint of the glassmaking industry is far more widespread and earlier in origin. In 1797, James O’Hara and Isaac Craig opened their Pittsburgh Glassworks at the foot...
Trump reaches deals with 5 law firms, allowing them to avoid prospect of punishing executive orders
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced deals Friday with five law firms that will allow them to avoid the prospect of a punishing executive order and require them to together provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of free legal services for causes his administration supports. The resolutions reflect the...
Oakmont-based Chelsea Building Products breaks ground on new plant in Sewickley Township
Construction is underway for a new manufacturing facility that officials said could bring as many as 150 new jobs to Westmoreland County. Officials this week held a groundbreaking for a 228,000 square-foot building at Commerce Crossing, the county’s newest industrial park, in Sewickley Township. Chelsea Building Products paid $1.8 million...
U.S. stocks climb but U.S. dollar sinks as Wall Street closes chaotic, historic week
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are climbing Friday in another manic day on Wall Street, while the falling value of the U.S. dollar and other swings in financial markets suggest fear is still high about escalations in President Donald Trump’s trade war with China. The S&P 500 was 1.5% higher...
132-year-old Charleroi glass plant ends production, set to close
Elaine Smith had to hear the Corning whistle one last time. Smith, 70, of Monessen retired in 2020 after a 45-year career at the Pyrex glass plant, which has been a staple in Charleroi for more than a century. She said she was ready for tears to flow Friday for...
China hits back at U.S. and will raise tariffs on American goods from 84% to 125%
BEIJING — China announced Friday that it will raise tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies that has rattled markets and raised fears of a global slowdown. While U.S. President Donald Trump paused import...
Inflation fell last month as gas prices dropped sharply, a sign prices cooled before tariffs 
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation declined last month as the cost of gas, airline fares, and hotel rooms fell, a sign that price growth was cooling even as President Donald Trump ramped up his tariff threats. Consumer prices rose just 2.4% in March from a year earlier, the Labor Department said...
Contract doesn’t need ‘the moon and the stars,’ just better pay, ATI workers say
A few dozen ATI workers rallied outside the company’s Vandergrift plant Thursday as the deadline nears to reach a union contract, arguing the specialty metal manufacturer’s recent success should trickle down to the rank-and-file. “We’re not asking for the moon and the stars,” said Keith Beavers, a maintenance technician and...
Stocks dive as euphoria on Wall Street reverts to fear about U.S.-China trade war
NEW YORK — Stocks dove Thursday and surrendered a chunk of their historic gains from the day before as President Donald Trump’s trade war continues to threaten the economy. The S&P 500 tumbled 3.5%, slicing into Wednesday’s surge of 9.5% following Trump’s decision to pause many of his tariffs worldwide....
Egg prices increase to record high despite Trump’s predictions and bird flu outbreak slowing
U.S. egg prices increased again last month to reach a new record-high of $6.23 per dozen despite President Donald Trump’s predictions, a drop in wholesale prices and no egg farms having bird flu outbreaks. The increase reported Thursday in the Consumer Price Index means consumers and businesses that rely on...
EU pauses tariff retaliation for 90 days to match Trump move, holding out hope for talks
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s executive commission said Thursday it will put trade retaliation measures on hold for 90 days to match President Donald Trump’s pause on his sweeping new tariffs and leave room for a negotiated solution. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the commission, which...


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