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Consumers increased borrowing by smallest amount since 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers increased their borrowing at the slowest pace in April than they have in almost six years. Credit card spending growth slowed, while borrowing gains for school and autos also cooled. The Federal Reserve reports that total consumer borrowing rose $8.2 billion, or 2.6 percent, to $3.8 trillion. It was the smallest percentage increase since borrowing declined 3.5 percent in August 2011. The category that includes student and auto loans increased $6.7 billion, or 2.9 percent — also the smallest increase in that category since August 2011. Credit ...

Ford increasing summer production of SUVs

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. will operate its Kentucky SUV plant for an extra week this summer to meet demand for the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC. Ford’s North American plants normally have a two-week shutdown in July, but the Louisville Assembly Plant will take only one week. It will build more than 8,500 vehicles during that extra week. U.S. sales of the Escape were up 3 percent through May, while MKC sales were up 10 percent. Overall industry sales are down 2 percent, according to Autodata Corp. Ford says the rest of its North American assembly plants will have a two-week ...

Amazon offers Prime discount to those on government benefits

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is making a play for low-income shoppers. The online leader is offering a discount on its pay-by-month Prime membership for people who receive government assistance. The move, announced Tuesday, is seen by some analysts as an attempt to go after rival Walmart’s lower-income shoppers. The world’s largest retailer has revamped its shipping program and improved other services to drive online sales growth as it tries to narrow the gap with Amazon. People who have a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer card, used for programs such as the Supplemental ...

Uber dismisses over 20 employees after law firm’s probe

DETROIT (AP) — Uber has fired more than 20 employees after a law firm investigated complaints of sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination and other violations of company policies. The recent firings included both managers and lower-level workers, some of whom retaliated against employees after they complained about bad conduct at the ride-hailing firm, said Bobbie Wilson, a Perkins Coie partner involved in the investigation. Uber Technologies Inc. retained the firm after former engineer Susan Fowler posted a blog in February about sex harassment at the company. Fowler wrote that ...

First Choice America employees honored, awards announced

WEIRTON — First Choice America Credit Union’s annual Employee Appreciation event took place earlier this spring as 15 employees were honored with service awards at the Williams Golf and Country Club in Weirton. “As chairman of the Board, I wish to thank and congratulate each employee ...

Google’s Chrome browser to block some ads starting in ’18

NEW YORK (AP) — Websites that run annoying ads such as pop-ups may find all ads blocked by Google’s Chrome browser starting next year. The digital-ad giant’s announcement comes as hundreds of millions of internet users have already installed ad blockers on their desktop computers and phones to combat ads that track them and make browsing sites difficult. These blockers threaten websites that rely on digital ads for revenue. Google’s version will allow ads as long as websites follow industry-created guidelines and minimize certain types of ads that consumers really hate. That ...