News/Business
Gains for energy companies and banks boost stock indexes
By MARLEY JAY
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rose Monday as banks continued to climb along with interest rates, and energy companies rallied again with oil prices. Better-than-expected auto sales and a strong report on U.S. factories also boosted stocks.Energy companies...
Couple opens boat rental business on Nashawannuck Pond in Easthampton
By Nyssa Kruse
EASTHAMPTON — When Melanie Salvaggio and Katie MacCallum moved to Easthampton last year, they were disappointed to learn the city was no longer accepting bids to operate a boat rental business on Nashawannuck Pond.Then, in 2017, the couple got a...
Microsoft, Trump administration clash over email searches
By MARK SHERMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the surface, the investigation was routine.Federal agents persuaded a judge to issue a warrant for a Microsoft email account they suspected was used for drug trafficking.But U.S.-based Microsoft kept the emails on a server in...
Making News
Michael Skillicorn joins Grow Food NorthamptonNORTHAMPTON — Local food and farm-focused nonprofit Grow Food Northampton recently hired Michael Skillicorn as director of programs. He will manage the organization’s food access programs, and supervise...
AREA PROPERTY DEED TRANSFERS
For week ending June 23, 2017AmherstChristopher S. Darland Attorney-In-Fact, Ursula Darland, to Jon W. Holcombe, 3 Amity Place, Amherst, $279,000.Ernest D. Washington to Corey Washington, Craig Washington, 17 Pondview Drive, Amherst, $1.Edward W....
Warren Buffett to buy 700 million shares in Bank of America
By KEN SWEET
NEW YORK — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said Friday it will amass a 700-million-share stake in Bank of America, making Buffett the largest shareholder in two of the nation’s largest banks.Berkshire said that it will convert warrants it...
Walmart seeks new products amid online battle with Amazon
By KELLY P. KISSEL
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Hundreds of inventors have flocked to Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville to find out if the country needs a few more secret sauces, prettier mouse pads or “instant hair gel” packets for the on-the-go clubber.The 500 businesses...
US stock market makes biggest gain in 2 months
By ALEX VEIGA
The U.S. stock market notched its biggest gain in two months Wednesday, bouncing back from losses a day earlier.Banks and other financial companies led the rally as investors bet on interest rates climbing further. Banks can make more money on lending...
Supplies chain Staples sold for $6.9B
NEW YORK (AP) — Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is buying office supplies chain Staples for $6.9 billion.The companies said Wednesday that shareholders of Framingham, Massachusetts-based Staples will get $10.25 per share.Staples’ stock closed...
Big takeovers worry shoppers
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
NEW YORK — Some shoppers are fretting about big companies they don’t like taking over their favorite brands.The latest: Amazon’s move to purchase Whole Foods has spurred worries about a decline in quality and ethical standards, or that the store will...
Takata files for bankruptcy, overwhelmed by air bag recalls
By TOM KRISHER and MARCY GORDON
UNDATED — Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. has filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the U.S., overwhelmed by lawsuits and recall costs related to its production of defective air bag inflators that are linked to the death of at least 16...
GCC students help Thornes build brand
By JOSHUA SOLOMON
GREENFIELD — Here’s a prime example of how to turn a marketing class project into a job.This spring, Sierra Myers, a Northampton native, created a new Instagram account for Thornes Marketplace as part of a group project for a Greenfield Community...
Revenues rise slightly in Plainridge Park’s second full year
By PHILIP MARCELO
BOSTON — Massachusetts’ first — and so far only — casino has enjoyed a modest revenue bump in its second full year in operation.Plainridge Park has generated roughly $157 million in gross gambling revenues since last June, or slightly higher than the...
US indexes inch higher as energy stocks claw from the hole
By STAN CHOE
NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes nudged higher Friday after energy companies clawed back some of their sharp losses from earlier in the week.After meandering up and down through the day, the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 3.80 points, or 0.2 percent, to end...
Uber’s founder resigns CEO post
By TOM KRISHER and DEE-ANN DURBIN
DETROIT — Under Travis Kalanick’s leadership, Uber’s “Animal House”-style business plan was to grow as quickly as possible, steamrolling regulators while flouting the rules of workplace conduct.Behavior at the male-dominated company didn’t seem to...
Amazon-Whole Foods deal hammers grocery stores; Dow ticks up
By MARLEY JAY
NEW YORK — Amazon’s $13.4 billion deal for Whole Foods sent grocery stores, big retailers, and food makers and distributors plunging Friday. Energy companies rose while other stocks were little changed.It’s rare for a single deal to have a big effect...
Skidding tech and retail companies take US stocks lower
By MARLEY JAY
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks fell Thursday as technology firms and small companies skidded. Investors bought high-dividend stocks, which pulled the market away from steeper losses.Stocks dropped in early trading as investors reacted to rising interest...
Trump to nominate net neutrality advocate to FCC
By Jim Puzzanghera
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump intends to nominate Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel to return to the Federal Communications Commission.Her term lapsed at the end of last year because of political maneuvering.The White House announced the coming...
The Fed hike will affect US consumers and overseas economies
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER and ALEX VEIGA
WASHINGTON — Fed policymakers raised their benchmark rate to a range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent on Wednesday and indicated that they foresee one additional hike this year, assuming that the economy remains on solid footing.Credit card holders will...
From the ground up: Five Star Building in Easthampton opens office in Boston area
By CAITLIN ASHWORTH
EASTHAMPTON — When he started his one-man construction company out of high school, Kevin Perrier specialized in remodeling kitchens and building porches to pay the bills.Seventeen years later, the 35-year-old manages a multimillion dollar construction...
