Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Amazon To Expand Data Centers In Northeastern Oregon, Reaping More Tax Breaks
Amazon’s ever-expanding footprint in Seattle — and the polarizing growing pains that accompany it — contrasts what’s currently happening in northeastern Oregon.
What Does It Take To Get A New Apple Variety To Market? A Lot. And Cosmic Crisp Shows It
After more than 20 years of development by the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research Commission, the Cosmic Crisp is ready to come to hit store shelves. The goal of new variety is to be attractive to consumers, easy to grow and easy to store over a long period of time.
Idaho Lawmakers Consider Changes To Property Tax And Allocation Ahead Of 2020 Legislative Session
A panel of lawmakers is examining property tax options amid complaints that taxes are going up with rising property values, while also hearing on Monday concerns from cities and counties that they’re operating on tight budgets.
Prepping For ‘The Big One’: Coastal Hospitals Get Creative With Disaster Planning
The state of Oregon is pushing the community hospitals along the Oregon Coast to improve their earthquake resilience. This comes after a state report predicted none of them would be able to sustain operations after the feared Big One — a magnitude 9 offshore Cascadia earthquake and tsunami.
Those On Social Security Will Get Less Than 2 Percent Cost-Of-Living Increase In 2020
The increase amounts to $24 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration. Following a significant boost this year, the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2020 reverts to its pattern of moderate gains.
President Trump Announces Phase One Of Trade Deal With China
As part of the deal, the next round of 30% tariffs will not be imposed. More agriculture trade between the two countries is expected.
U.S. Employers Add 136,000 Jobs; Unemployment Dips To 3.5 Percent
An index of manufacturing activity released on Tuesday showed the factory sector contracting for the second consecutive month. Factories shed 2,000 jobs in September.
Critical Columbia River Lock To Reopen For Barge Traffic As Northwest Wheat Harvest Finishes Up
A critical navigation lock on the lower Columbia River is expected to reopen this weekend, between 10 PM Friday and 10 AM Saturday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
1.3 Million More Workers May Be Eligible For Overtime Pay. But There’s A Catch
A long-awaited update to federal overtime rules means about 1.3 million workers will be entitled to extra pay when they work more than 40 hours a week. But critics say it doesn’t go far enough.
Shopping Cart Economics: How Prices Changed At A Walmart In 1 Year
Since August 2018, NPR has been tracking about 80 items sold at a Georgia Walmart with an eye toward products caught in the trade war. On average, prices rose 3%. Tariffs are one of many factors.
Oil Prices Jump Following Drone Attack On Saudi Oil Facilities
It’s the largest one-day surge in crude prices in years. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes, but the U.S. says Iran played a key role. Iran denies involvement.
Bonneville Dam Lock Closure Stops Inland Grain Exports To Global Markets
The Northwest’s soft white wheat harvest is in full swing, but that grain is going nowhere fast. That’s because of an emergency repair to a lock at Bonneville Dam on the Lower Columbia River.
