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YSU-led export study highlights Ohio’s global trade

Staff report Youngstown State University is positioning itself as a statewide leader in applied international trade research through a comprehensive export trend analysis that examines seven years of Ohio trade data and connects it directly to workforce development, business growth and student learning. The study analyzed Ohio exports from 2018 through 2024 using data from the Ohio Department of Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The effort was led by Mousa Kassis, director of YSU’s Small Business Development Center Export Assistance Network and the YSU Ohio Export Internship ...

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TAYLOR HONORED: Trumbull County Tourism recently recognized Jordan Taylor of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers for his long-standing service on the organization’s board of directors, including multiple leadership roles that helped advance tourism across the county. Taylor most recently served as treasurer and has been an active voice for sports tourism, community partnerships and regional collaboration. His guidance has supported Trumbull County Tourism’s efforts to highlight local attractions, drive visitor spending and strengthen the county’s profile as a welcoming, affordable ...

Most US adults aren’t making year-end charitable contributions

NEW YORK (AP) — Most Americans aren’t making end-of-year charitable giving plans, according to the results of a new AP-NORC poll, despite the many fundraising appeals made by nonprofits that rely on donation surges in the calendar’s final month to reach budget targets. The survey, which was conducted in early December by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about half of U.S. adults say they’ve already made their charitable contributions for 2025. Just 18% say they’ve donated and will donate again before the year is over. Only 6% report ...

Instacart ends a program where users could see different prices for the same item at the same store

NEW YORK (AP) — Instacart said Monday that it’s ending a program where some customers saw different prices for the same product ordered at the same time from the same store when using the delivery company’s service. The program was meant to help grocers and other retailers learn more about what kinds of prices customers would pay for items, similar to how stores offer different prices for the same products at different locations. But it raised alarms after a report from Consumer Reports and two progressive advocacy groups, Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union, said ...

Consumers drive strongest economic expansion in 2 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the most rapid expansion in two years, driven by consumers who continue to spend in the face of ongoing inflation. U.S. gross domestic product from July through September — the economy’s total output of goods and services — rose from its 3.8% growth rate in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department said Tuesday in a report delayed by the government shutdown. Economists surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast growth of just 3% in the period. As has been the case for ...

China sanctions 20 US defense companies, 10 executives over arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing imposed sanctions Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. The companies include Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., L3Harris Maritime Services and Boeing in St. Louis, while defense firm Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey is one of the executives sanctioned, who can no longer do business in ...