Businesses in China view tariff pause with uncertainty
BANGKOK (AP) — While President Donald Trump has talked of victory after reaching a recent deal with China to reduce the tariffs levied on each other’s goods, businesses in China are reacting to the temporary deal with caution. The United States and China have cut the tariffs levied on each other in April, with the [...]
Spending at restaurants, home and garden centers help boost retail sales, which increased 0.1 percent last month
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers spent slightly more at retail stores last month after ramping up their shopping in March. Sales at retail stores and restaurants rose 0.1 percent in April from March, according to a new report from the Commerce Department. That is lower than the previous month’s 1.7 percent gain, which reflected a surge [...]
Bill would make firearm safety devices exempt from sales, use taxes
In an effort to promote gun safety and responsible gun ownership, a bipartisan lawmaker duo in the Ohio House of Representatives has sponsored a bill to make the sale of firearm safety devices exempt from state sales and use taxes. Reps. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, and Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester, characterized House Bill 120 as a [...]
Dick’s Sporting Goods to purchase footwear chain Foot Locker for $2.4 billion
Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying footwear chain Foot Locker for about $2.4 billion, the second buyout of a major footwear company in as many weeks. Dick’s last week said that it expects to operate Foot Locker as a standalone unit and keep the Foot Locker brands, which include Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS and [...]
Walmart says 1Q profit slips, price increases on horizon
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s first quarter profit slipped and it said it must raise prices due to higher costs from tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump. The nation’s largest retailer posted strong quarterly sales last week and said it expects sales growth of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent in the second quarter. Similar to [...]
Wholesale prices drop 0.5% in April
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices dropped in April for the first time in more than a year, according to a new federal government report. The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — fell 0.5 percent last month from March, the first drop since October 2023 and the biggest in five [...]
U.S.-China deal eases burden on cheap packages
WASHINGTON (AP) — Online shoppers in the United States will see a price break on their purchases valued at less than $800 and shipped from China after the Trump administration reached a truce with Beijing over tariffs. An executive order from President Donald Trump said the tariffs on low-value parcels originating from China and coming [...]
New Groveport program designed to provide civics lessons for residents
Come this fall as central Ohio students return to school, Groveport city officials plan to welcome a class of 20 residents to the city’s inaugural Citizens Academy. Envisioned as a hyper-local civics lesson, the program was devised to give residents of the southeast Franklin County city a better understanding of government operations at its most [...]
Several economic factors impacting farmers’ profits
WAVERLY, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota farmer Dan Glessing isn’t ready to get too upset over President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Glessing and many other farmers say they are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the Republican president’s trade policies with China and other international markets. “Am I concerned about tariffs? Yeah. I mean, there’s uncertainty that [...]