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Briefcase: Penn Highlands sets forum

JOHNSTOWN Pennsylvania Highlands Community College invites regional employers to the Workforce Rise & Shine Breakfast on Aug. 4 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Ramada by Wyndham State College Director’s Room, 1450 S. Atherton St., State College. This one-hour forum is designed for businesses and employers, HR leaders, decision-makers and more across Centre County and west-central Pa. Over breakfast, the college’s workforce team will walk attendees through training options, credentialing pathways, upskilling and funding programs built to fit each company’s needs and budget. Space is ...

US civil rights agency moves to end demographic reports

How many women hold executive-level positions at top U.S. companies? What is the racial and ethnic breakdown of those roles? What is the gender and racial breakdown of the lowest-paid roles at those companies? The Trump administration is making it harder for the public to know, moving to toss aside a 60-year-old requirement for tens of thousands of private sector employers to submit workforce demographic reports each year to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. The EEOC’s Republican majority voted ...

Ticker: Gates Foundation met with Epstein 30 times

An external review of the Gates Foundation’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein has found that staff met more than two dozen times with the disgraced financier. Discussions centered on a public health fund that never materialized and a grant to the International Peace Institute. Those meetings happened even as staff relayed concerns to Gates about the reputational risk of working with Epstein, a convicted sex offender at the time they were introduced. Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused in connection with Epstein’s crimes and has repeatedly denied any knowledge of ...

Gas prices back up to average of $4 a gallon

NEW YORK — U.S. gas prices jumped back to $4 a gallon on average Monday, as Washington’s latest fighting with Iran renews strain on the flow of fuel worldwide. According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now just above the $4 mark. That’s about 13 cents more expensive than it was a week ago, and far higher than where prices at the pump stood at this time last year, when American drivers could full up for about $3.14 a gallon on average. The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran plunged the world into an global energy crisis, notably as the ...

Briefcase: Backpack giveaway returns

For the 14th consecutive year, more than 140,000 students and families across the U.S. will receive a much-needed gift heading into back-to-school season. Round Room LLC, one of the country’s largest Verizon authorized retailers, is continuing its commitment to the communities it serves by giving away more than $3 million worth of free backpacks at its stores. “School Rocks Backpack Giveaway” takes place on Sunday at 1 p.m. at participating TCC and Wireless Zone stores. Local participating stores include: 5580 Goods Lane Suite 1067 in Altoona, 300 Walmart Drive, Suite 140 in ...

Paramount, Warner must halt merger

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Monday ordered Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court. Twelve states, led by California, sued to block Paramount’s pending buyout of Warner last week — alleging that such a combination would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly moviegoers and cable customers across the U.S. The states’ top prosecutors called on Warner and Paramount to not close ...