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More thrifting and fewer returns

NEW YORK (AP) — The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn’t fit, or didn’t hit quite right. Holiday spending using cash or cards through last Sunday has topped last year’s haul, according to data released this week by Visa’s Consulting & Analytics division and Mastercard SpendingPulse. But growing unease over the U.S. economy and higher prices in part due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs have altered the behavior of ...

7 17 Credit Union announces merger with Canton group

7 17 Credit Union’s western expansion plan began Friday with the merger of Teamsters Local 92 Federal Credit Union in Canton, the Warren-headquartered financial institution announced in a news release. The Teamsters branch will close, and 7 17 will serve its 500 members at its North Canton branch this month. In August, 7 17 began supporting Teamsters Local 92 FCU by providing additional expertise and resources as a larger credit union. As the collaboration progressed, 7 17 was invited to serve as a merger partner because of its expertise and capabilities given the increasing ...

New jobless claims jump 2,000-plus

Ohio jobless claims jumped by more than 2,000 applicants for the week of Dec. 21 through Dec. 27, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday. Ohioans filed 10,463 initial unemployment claims last week, which was 2,212 more than the previous week. The agency said that approximately 2,000 of those have been flagged for additional verification. Ohioans filed 55,173 continued unemployment claims last week, which was 1,851 more than the previous week. The total number of claims filed from Dec. 21 through Dec. 27 was 65,636. Ohio’s unemployment rate in September ...

Stocks edge lower while gold and silver rise

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell slightly on Wall Street Tuesday as trading for 2025 nudges closer to the finish line. With just one trading day left before the year ends, most big investors have closed out their positions and volume has been thin. Every major index is headed for a double-digit gain for the year. The S&P 500 fell 9.50 points, or 0.1%, to 6,894.24. Even with three straight days of small losses, the S&P 500 is on track for an annual gain of more than 17%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 94.87 points, or 0.2%, to 48,367.06. The Nasdaq composite fell 55.27 points, ...

Lee Enterprises stabilizes finances with $50M investment

Lee Enterprises announced a compromise Tuesday with billionaire investor David Hoffmann, who offered to take over the nation’s third-largest newspaper chain this year, to help stabilize the company’s finances with a $50 million investment and set Lee up for the future. Hoffmann, whose family investment firm already owns more than 40 other publications, will become Lee’s chairman as he continues to pursue his goal of becoming the country’s largest newspaper publisher. He has said in recent interviews that he believes newspapers can continue to play an important role in covering ...

Stocks slip on Wall Street as 2025 winds down

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped in quiet trading on Wall Street Monday to kick off another holiday-shortened week. The losses have little impact on the broader annual gains for major indexes as they close out their final days of the year. There are two trading days left before the year ends. Markets in the U.S. will be closed Thursday for New Year’s Day. The S&P 500 fell 24.20 points, or 0.3%, to 6,905.74. The benchmark index is still up more than 17% for the year and it remains on track for its eighth monthly gain in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 249.04 points, ...