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US jobless claims rise to 215,000

WASHINGTON — More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain low despite economic uncertainty caused by the Iran war. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims were up to 215,000, up from 210,000 the week before. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose by nearly 6,300 to 209,000. “Initial claims are still impressively low, near historic lows,” Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a commentary. “The uptick from last week to this week is trivial in a labor ...

Ticker: Australia launches $1.4B lawsuit against 3M

Australia is suing the U.S. company 3M for more than $1.4 billion due to contamination from “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam at defense bases. The government announced the lawsuit on Thursday, focusing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, at 28 sites. These “forever chemicals” don’t break down naturally. Australia filed the suit in the Federal Court of Australia. California sues 23andMe over unprotected data California’s attorney general is suing the genetic testing company formerly known as 23andMe, alleging it failed to protect sensitive user data ...

Why your coworker is listening to music at 432 hertz

NEW YORK — Yoselin Sanchez has been in chronic pain since she was born with cervical scoliosis. While little eases the discomfort, she’s found ways to distract herself from hurting. She practices yoga. She performs free flow dance. And while she works, she frequently listens to house music tuned to 432 hertz, a frequency lower than typical concert pitch. Music recorded in 432 hertz (cycles per second) is taking off on social media platforms and music streaming services, where users can find an increasing number of tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, everything from ...

Old Navy closing mall location

The Old Navy location in the Logan Valley Mall will be closing as of June 23, according to a Facebook post by store manager James Beatty, who has been manager of the store since September 2024. Beatty said he could not comment further on the closing. An Old Navy spokesperson told the Mirror that “We regularly and thoughtfully review our real estate portfolio to support the best path forward for our brand and Gap Inc., and as a result, our Old Navy location at Logan Valley in Altoona will close to the public on June 23. Local customers can continue to shop at our State College or ...

Survey: 2 in 3 Americans cutting back on spending

U.S. consumer confidence declined slightly this month as gas prices stayed high and inflation remained elevated, a sharp contrast to soaring stock prices hover near record levels. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index slipped 0.7 points to 93.1 in May, the first decline after three months of gains. The measure hasn’t fallen as much this year as other gauges of consumer attitudes, but it has been stuck at a low level since the pandemic. Before COVID-19, it regularly reached 130. This month, the Conference Board added special questions to its survey, which found rising ...

Drivers certify first ride-hailing union

Drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft celebrated Tuesday after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize their union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law. The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving technology. As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of ...