American Eagle’s new ad with Sydney Sweeney faces backlash
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., a clothing and apparel retailer headquartered in South Side, has gone viral over the past few days for a controversial denim campaign starring actress Sydney Sweeney. The campaign’s tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” sparked backlash. Some have accused the clothing company of making nods to...
Trump signs order imposing new tariffs on a number of trading partners that go into effect in 7 days
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would have new tariffs on a wide swath of U.S. trading partners to go into effect in seven days — the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and alliances. The order was...
Is a grocery store on tap for downtown New Kensington?
The new owner of Central City Plaza in downtown New Kensington hopes to fill vacant space there by the end of this year and to get a grocery store operational next year. “We’re pretty confident we can better manage the property, and we saw a lot of potential in the...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits inch up for the 1st time in 7 weeks, but layoffs remain low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits inched up modestly last week as business continue to retain staff despite economic uncertainty around U.S. trade policy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 26 ticked up by 1,000 to 218,000, less than...
A key U.S. inflation gauge rose last month as Trump’s tariffs lifted goods prices
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge ticked higher last month in a sign that President Donald Trump’s broad-based tariffs are starting to lift prices for many goods. Prices rose 2.6% in June compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from an annual pace of...
Recall issued over Celsius energy drinks mistakenly containing vodka
MODESTO, Calif. — Energy drinks that mistakenly contain vodka are being recalled in half a dozen states. High Noon is recalling two production lots of High Noon Beach Variety packs because some packs include cans containing vodka that were mislabeled as Celsius Astro Vibe Energy Drink, according to a U.S....
JCPenney stores in Westmoreland and Robinson malls to be sold but will remain open
Two JCPenney stores in Western Pennsylvania will be sold to a private equity firm near Boston about five years after the retailer filed for bankruptcy, but those stores will remain open. JCPenney’s locations in Westmoreland Mall and the Mall at Robinson will be among 119 stores sold to Onyx Partners...
Nippon rounds out U.S. Steel board with ‘world-class’ American businessmen from outside steel industry
Nippon Steel has appointed three more members to U.S. Steel’s board of directors as the Japanese firm molds its new acquisition. The directors announced Wednesday are all U.S. citizens, giving the board four American and three Japanese seats. As a condition of approving Nippon’s takeover of U.S. Steel in June,...
Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve left its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth time this year, brushing off repeated calls from President Donald Trump for a cut. The Fed’s decision Wednesday leaves its key short-term rate at about 4.3%, where it has stood after the central bank reduced...
Sephora opens Strip District Terminal store
A new standalone Sephora store is now open in the Strip District Terminal. Sephora carries more than 300 makeup, skincare, hair and fragrance brands, according to the store announcement. The beauty giant’s latest Pittsburgh area location opened last week at 1649 Smallman St. Other standalone Sephora locations in the region...
Pittsburgh Mills owners ordered to pay $1.8M in fines over parking lot, landscape citations
After months of mounting criticism over its crumbling parking lots and overgrown landscaping, the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills has been slapped with more than $1.8 million in fines stemming from dozens of maintenance violations. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down the penalties during a July 17 hearing after an...
U.S. economy rebounds a surprisingly strong 3% in the 2nd quarter
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3% annual pace from April through June, bouncing back at least temporarily from a first-quarter drop that reflected disruptions from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. America gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded after falling...
Trump announces 25% tariff on India starting Friday, unspecified penalties for buying Russian energy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’ll impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that India “is our friend” but its “Tariffs are far too high” on U.S....
Starbucks looks to protein drinks and other new products to turn around lagging U.S. sales
Starbucks said Tuesday it’s confident that improved store operations and new products — including a cold foam protein drink — will soon help turn around the company’s lagging U.S. sales. In the meantime, slow U.S. demand continues to be a drag on the company’s results. Starbucks reported that its revenue...
Plans to cut red tape for Pittsburgh vendors moves ahead
An effort to slash red tape for street vendors throughout Pittsburgh got the green light Tuesday from the city’s Planning Commission. City Council will make a final decision on the measure — which would expand where vendors can operate and eliminate a cumbersome site-by-site evaluation requirement in most places —...
Union Pacific, Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through a massive merger
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific wants to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, potentially triggering a final wave of rail mergers across the country. The proposed merger, announced Tuesday, would marry Union Pacific’s vast rail network in the...
John Dorfman: Don’t give up hope, value investors
The numbers are stark. In the 12 months through June, growth stocks returned 19.9%, while value stocks managed only 9.6%. Alas for value investors, the two previous years tell the same story. In 2023 the scorecard showed a return of 30% for growth and 22.2% for value. In 2024 the...
Pittsburgh ‘uniquely positioned’ to lead in physical AI, organizers of upcoming summit say
Pittsburgh will again find itself in the AI economy spotlight in September when it hosts the two-day AI Horizons summit in the East End’s Bakery Square. The summit, in its second year, will focus this year on physical AI — in which artificial intelligence is integrated into physical systems like...
U.S. job openings fell to 7.4 million last month as job market continues to cool
WASHINGTON — Employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies last month, a sign that the American job market continues to cool. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job openings in June were down from 7.7 million in May. Layoffs were little changed. But the number of people quitting their jobs —...
P&G to increase prices in part due to tariffs as shoppers remain cautious and delay purchases
NEW YORK — Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble offered an annual earnings outlook that was below analysts’ projections and said it would raise prices on about a quarter of its products in the U.S. in part due to higher costs from President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The assessment delivered Tuesday...
Who wants to be a millionaire? 1 in 10 Americans already is but the status loses its luster
NEW YORK — As a child, Heidi Barley watched her family pay for groceries with food stamps. As a college student, she dropped out because she couldn’t afford tuition. In her twenties, already scraping by, she was forced to take a pay cut that shrunk her salary to just $34,000...
Union Pacific and Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through merger
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers across the country. The proposed merger, announced Tuesday, would marry Union Pacific’s rail network in...
Tea app takes messaging system offline after 2nd security issue reported
Tea, a dating discussion app that recently suffered a high-profile cybersecurity breach, announced late Monday that some direct messages were also accessed in the incident. The app — designed to let women safely discuss men they date — rocketed to the top of the U.S. Apple App Store last week...
EPA set to unravel U.S. authority to regulate greenhouse gases
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is set to announce its plans to abolish the U.S. government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, threatening to strike a deep blow at Washington’s ability to fight climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency will unveil a proposal as early as Tuesday to scrap a landmark...
Skin Solutions Dermatology and Cosmetics debuts walk-in clinic in O’Hara
Getting a prompt dermatologist appointment can be challenging, but a new dermatology practice in O’Hara is taking steps to make appointments a thing of the past — at least on Tuesdays. Skin Solutions Dermatology and Cosmetics offers a same-day, walk-in clinic from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday. Implementing...
