MCLEAN, Va. (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell last week to its lowest level in nearly 10 months, giving prospective homebuyers a sorely needed boost in purchasing power that could help inject life into a stagnant housing market. The long-term rate fell to 6.58 percent from 6.63 percent the previous week, [...]
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 100,000 Drinkmate carbonation bottles are being recalled across the United States and Canada because they can explode during use, with several consumers reporting cuts and other impact injuries. According to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recall covers certain “Drinkmate 1L Carbonation Bottles” sold individually [...]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A political standoff in Texas over proposed House maps that could hand Republicans five new seats is poised to enter a new phase Friday, while heavily Democratic California plans to release its own new maps intended to erase all but a sprinkle of the state’s GOP House districts in the fight [...]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Berkshire Hathaway revealed four new investments last week in steelmaker Nucor, insurer UnitedHealth and two of the nation’s biggest homebuilders — Lennar and DR Horton — but it’s not clear if the investments are big enough to ensure that legendary investor Warren Buffett handled them. Buffett, who plans to retire as [...]
WASHINGTON — One major question will be front and center for Federal Reserve policymakers as they prepare for an annual conference in Jackson, Wyo., this week and a crucial policy meeting in September: Which is a bigger problem for the economy right now, stubborn inflation or slower hiring? Weak job gains since April have pushed [...]
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers spent at a healthy pace in July, particularly at the nation’s auto dealerships, as they shrug off President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are starting to take a toll on jobs and lead to some price increases. Retail sales rose 0.5 percent last month, a slowdown from a revised 0.9 percent [...]
When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold. Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular in Europe for years and are gaining traction in the United States for their affordability and [...]
The Supreme Court of Ohio has reversed the tax assessment and penalty levied against a Monroe County timber farm related to the operator’s purchase of an off-road Mercedes SUV used in the daily management of the farm. The state Board of Tax Appeals previously had affirmed the $9,461.58 use-tax assessment, which included unpaid tax, preassessment [...]
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said last week he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors for four months, temporarily filling a vacancy while continuing his search for a longer-term appointment. Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, [...]