Breaking News

Local Business

Ticker: Dollar weakens sharply against Japanese yen

The U.S. dollar has weakened sharply against the Japanese yen after U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s finance minister confirmed both sides had intervened in markets. Before late last week, the dollar was trading above 163 yen, touching 40-year highs. It fell below 160 yen after regulators were suspected of stepping in. On Monday after the official announcement of the intervention the dollar dropped to about 155.20 yen before rebounding slightly. That’s a big change for the exchange rate. Trump said the U.S. got “financial benefit” out of the intervention, calling it a ...

Added Hangover: Wildfires bring more troubles to France’s wine industry

SADIRAC, France — From his vineyards in Bordeaux wine country, Edouard Le Grix de la Salle can sometimes smell the burning forests far away. The smoke brings a whiff of hardship for the region’s economic fortunes. Wildfires that have burned an area four times the size of Paris and ...

Local plumbing provider celebrates major milestone

After completing plumbing courses at the Altoona Area Vocational Technical School, Patsy Caporuscio went to work for a local plumbing company. His employer at the time did not offer 24-hour service. “He (Patsy) was leaving work one day at 4 p.m. when the phone rang. The boss said it can wait until tomorrow. He said we are done until tomorrow,” said Tanya Colbert, Caporuscio’s daughter-in-law and office manager for 13 years. So Patsy decided to start his own business out of the basement of his 20th Avenue home. Established in 1976, Caporuscio Plumbing & Heating, now at 307 S. ...

Workplace: A brief look at hires, promotions, awards and honors

New hires and promotions Joe Kelly has been appointed as president of 1st Summit Bank, expanding his leadership role at the community bank as it continues to position itself for future growth. Kelly, who currently serves as the Chief Credit Officer, will continue in that role while assuming his responsibilities as president. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization with a focus on supporting employees, strengthening relationships throughout the communities the bank serves and ensuring continued operational success. Awards and honors Patty Shaw, CEO of ...

Regulators OK robotaxis without steering wheels

Federal regulators are clearing the way for robotaxis to operate without steering wheels or eventually even brake pedals as the rules start to catch up to the evolving technology. Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the ...

US stocks rise to finish July

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Friday to finish a wildJuly for Wall Street as Amazon leaped, Apple sank and rising oil prices worsened worries about inflation staying high. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% after veering between gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 276 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1% after briefly losing all of an early 1.3% jump. It’s a fitting finish to July for the U.S. stock market, which lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran and worries grew about whether Big Tech’s ...