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Briefcase: Levin Furniture recognized

SMITHTON Levin Furniture & Mattress and John V. Schultz Furniture have been named Furniture Retailer of the Year for 2026 by the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association, recognizing the combined organization’s remarkable history, community impact, and continued growth across the region. Levin, which has a location in Altoona, traces its roots to 1920, when Sam and Jessie Levin founded the Sam Levin Furniture Company in a single storefront in Mount Pleasant. Twenty years later, John V. Schultz opened his namesake furniture store in Erie. Though the two companies ...

McDonald’s shows strong Q2 profit

McDonald’s posted a strong profit in its second quarter and named a new head of the U.S. market with sales at home under pressure as many Americans grow increasingly cautious about spending. Same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, edged up 0.8% in the U.S. That’s a sharp slowdown from the 2.5% increase a year ago, when the company had a big win with a meal tied to “A Minecraft Movie.” Global same-store sales rose 1.3%. CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday that the U.S. performance was partly hurt by inconsistent ...

Ticker: Weis reports slight boost in revenue in Q2

Weis Markets Inc. on Tuesday reported earnings of $22.9 million in its second quarter, compared to $25.28 million in 2025, a 9.6% decrease. On a per-share basis, the Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based company said it had net income of 92 cents. The food retailer posted revenue of $1.27 billion in the period, compared to $1.22 billion for the same period in 2025, a 4.6% increase. Prudential beats expectations in Q2 Prudential Financial Inc. on Tuesday reported second-quarter net income of $985 million. The Newark, New Jersey-based company said it had profit of $2.80 per share. Earnings, ...

Low Danube River water levels push countries to energy brink

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Numerous governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity and avert an energy crisis as record low water levels on the Danube River have forced power plants to the brink of shutting down. Persistent drought and successive extreme ...

Briefcase: Sheetz, Pirates team up for bobblehead promo

As the Pirates make their playoff push, Sheetz is giving Pirates fans a reason to cheer. Beginning at 5 a.m. Wednesday, fans can score an exclusive Sheetz Freakz x Pittsburgh Pirates Bobblehead, available only with the purchase of a $14.99 “Sh’tacked Lineup” bundle at participating Sheetz locations. The Sh’tacked lineup bundle includes a Lawnchair Burger, Biggz Fryz, iced punch lemonade and the bobblehead. Bobbleheads will not be sold separately. Each participating store will be limited to 100 bundles available for purchase. Altoona Sheetz locations taking part include: 5706 ...

Stocks rally near record as oil falls

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market rallied to the edge of its all-time high on Monday after easing oil prices helped calm Wall Street’s worries that inflation could get even worse. The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% and is just 0.1% below its record set earlier this summer. It was coming off a frenetic July, where it swung up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran, before ultimately ending the month just about where it started. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which measures a narrower slice of the U.S. stock market, climbed 693 points, or 1.3%, to an all-time high, ...