WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought Thursday to tamp down any concerns that the Fed might soon withdraw some of its support for the U.S. economy and stressed that any such pullback would be signaled far in…
NEW ORLEANS - On the inaugural virtual Business Forum co-presented by Biz New Orleans (click here to watch), iconic publishing executive Steve Forbes said the beginning of a pandemic recovery in 2021 will provide plenty of opportunities for businesses and…
NEW ORLEANS - The Small Business Administration has announced the debut of Ascent, an interactive digital platform "packed with resources women business owners need to set, and achieve, their business goals." Ascent is designed for the “missing middle” — growth-oriented…
NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of business owners are about to get help. The Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department have revived the PPP five months after its first two rounds of funding ended. In the latest round, businesses…
NEW ORLEANS - In a week when Louisiana’s coronavirus numbers are near all-time highs - and vaccine distribution would ordinarily be top of mind - events in Washington stole all the attention. On Wednesday, when the nation’s lawmakers gathered to…
DETROIT (AP) — A new government report says gas mileage for new vehicles dropped and pollution increased in model year 2019 for the first time in five years. The mileage increase comes as Americans continue to buy SUVs and trucks,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit jumped to $68.1 billion in November as a surge in imports overwhelmed a smaller increase in exports. The November gap between what America buys from abroad compared to what it sells abroad rose…
DETROIT (AP) — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. fell 14.6% last year, but a second-half rebound from a coronavirus-related plunge in the spring kindled optimism for a recovery later this year. Automakers on Tuesday reported selling 14.57 million…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Spending on U.S. construction projects increased 0.9% in November as strength in home building offset weakness in other parts of the construction industry. The November gain followed a bigger 1.6% rise in October and left construction spending…
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A health care venture conceived by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to attack soaring costs is dissolving. Haven, which was formed in 2018 by the three U.S. corporate giants, will end operations by the end of February,…
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thanks to the government paying nearly 40% of their income, U.S. farmers are expected to end 2020 with higher profit than 2019 and the best net income in seven years, the Department of Agriculture said…
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose in morning trading Wednesday as the effort to develop and distribute vaccines to fight the virus pandemic ramps up. The early gains put the market back on positive footing following a modest pullback…
NEW YORK (AP) - We streamed, we Zoomed, we ordered groceries and houseplants online, we created virtual villages while navigating laptop shortages to work and learn from home. In many ways, 2020′s pandemic-induced isolation threw our dependence on technology into…
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks rose in early trading Tuesday, as investors continue to close out positions for the New Year and after President Donald Trump signed into law the $900 billion coronavirus economic stimulus package. Wall Street set fresh…
NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales increased a modest 3% during a longer holiday season this year, as homebound shoppers spent more on furnishing and food but less on clothing and jewelry, according to figures released Saturday by a firm…
NEW ORLEANS - A second wave of federal coronavirus relief totaling $900 billion could begin flowing to millions of Americans as soon as the year’s end, nearly nine months after Congress passed the original pandemic relief package known as the CARES…
NEW ORLEANS - By March 23, Apple had lost $435 billion in market value in about five weeks and many of its retail outlets were shut as the virus pandemic walloped the global economy and stock markets. Meanwhile, a report issued…
NEW YORK (AP) — Clothing stores and specialty retailers are offering big discounts and heavily promoting curbside pickup in hopes of rescuing a lackluster holiday shopping season in which surging coronavirus cases have kept many shoppers at home. For some,…
NEW YORK (AP) — Mastercard and Visa said Thursday they would block their customers from using the credit cards to make purchases on Pornhub following accusations the pornographic website showed videos of rape and underage sex. They reacted following an investigation…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices edged up 0.2% in November as a rise in the cost of energy and a number of other goods offset a drop in food costs. The gain in the consumer price index followed a…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. productivity increased at a solid 4.6% pace in the July-September quarter, slightly below the initial estimate, while labor costs fell at a slower pace. The third quarter increase in productivity was below the first estimate a…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Washington Republicans are convening Tuesday to sort out their end-of-session business on government spending and COVID-19 relief, as they take advantage of an additional week's time and a moment that's teed up for potential gridlock-breaking action.…
NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t stopped Americans from keeping up with their credit card payments, thanks in large part to government relief programs passed by Congress earlier this year. For some, however, the ability to keep buying…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit widened 1.7% in October to $63.1 billion. The politically sensitive gap in the trade of goods with China and Mexico grew. The gap between the goods and services the United States sold and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending his decision to close down a number of emergency Federal Reserve loan programs at a time when coronavirus cases are surging. Democrats were unconvinced, however, saying that Mnuchin’s actions are politically…
NEW YORK (AP) — “No New ‘Movies’ Till Influenza Ends” blared a New York Times headline on Oct. 10, 1918, while the deadly second wave of the Spanish Flu was unfolding. A century later, during another pandemic, movies — quotes no longer…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cannabis stocks are flying high after voters in New Jersey, Arizona and three other states cleared the way for expanding legal sales of marijuana. Shares in some of the biggest cannabis companies, including Aurora Cannabis, Canopy…
Spice maker McCormick & Co. is buying the parent of Cholula Hot Sauce from private-equity firm L Catteron for $800 million, expanding its reach in the hot sauce category. That deal included French’s mustard and Frank’s…
NEW YORK (AP) - “Wonder Woman 1984” isn’t skipping theaters or moving to 2021, but it is altering course. The last big blockbuster holdout of 2020 is still opening in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day but it will also be…
NEW YORK (AP) - Walt Disney Co. reported fiscal fourth-quarter loss on Thursday thanks largely to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its earnings were dragged by costs from restructuring related to its streaming services and lost revenue from its…
