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Fed minutes: Lower inflation needed for officials to support rate cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Federal Reserve officials want to see inflation fall further before they would support additional interest rate cuts this year, particularly if the job market continues to stabilize, minutes of last month’s meeting show. The “vast majority” of the 19 participants on the Fed’s rate-setting committee said that there were signs the job market has stabilized, after the unemployment rate rose in late 2025, the minutes said. And most of the officials agreed that the Fed’s key rate is close to a level that neither stimulates nor restrains the economy. The ...

Vallourec to work with green tech company

Vallourec, a multinational steel manufacturer with its main U.S. plant in Youngstown and Girard, announced Tuesday the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Baker Hughes, an energy technology company. With headquarters in Houston and London, Baker Hughes focuses on advancing hydrogen storage solutions for the green hydrogen market. The collaboration is intended to build a closer, long-term cooperation to better serve customers across the industrial green hydrogen value chain — including green ammonia, sustainable fuels and green steel manufacturing — as well as the clean ...

Bayer agrees to $7.25B settlement over Roundup cancer lawsuits

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer. The proposed settlement comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear arguments in April on Bayer’s assertion that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of Roundup without a cancer warning should invalidate claims filed in state courts. That case would not be affected by the proposed ...

7 17 to merge with Geauga Credit Union

Staff report 7 17 Credit Union will welcome 6,500 new members in the spring when it merges with Geauga Credit Union. In a news release issued Thursday, the Warren-based financial institution said it has received regulatory approval from the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. It represents the largest merger in 7 17 history as it absorbs $108 million in assets from Geauga, which has branches in Burton and Middlefield. The merger expands 7 17’s reach in Northeast Ohio to Geauga and Ashtabula counties. With new branches planned to open in Streetsboro and Stow this spring, ...

Key gauge of inflation drops to five-year low

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases of the past five years. Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and not too far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% in January from a year ago, down from 2.6% the previous month and the smallest increase since March ...

Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after backlash over Super Bowl ad

The Associated Press Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety. The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired during the Super Bowl featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society. But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint decision” for the cancellation. Ring and Flock said last year they were ...