Town Hall News

By Deborah Mary Sophia (Reuters) -Foot Locker Inc’s shares closed down 27% on Friday as the footwear retailer cut its annual sales and profit forecasts amid a sharp drop in demand and a hit from heavy discounts aimed at clearing excess inventories. The company also missed analysts’ estimates for first-quarter results and named former Kohl’s Corp executive Mike Baughn as its new finance chief, effective June 12. U.S. consumers have […]

By Bill Trott (Reuters) -Jim Brown, one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League who quit the game at the height of his career to act in Hollywood movies and add his voice to the civil rights movement, has died. He was 87. Brown died on Thursday night, his wife Monique Brown said on Instagram. “To the world he was an activist, actor, and […]

(Reuters) – A panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday recommended holding off on an accelerated approval of Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc’s oral drug for a type of fatty liver disease until more study data is available. The panel of outside experts voted 15-to-1 against the approval for obeticholic acid (OCA) based on surrogate biomarker data suggesting it was likely to benefit patients with NASH (non-alcoholic […]

By Nelson Acosta and Dave Sherwood HAVANA (Reuters) – Russian officials and business leaders have signed multiple deals with Cuban counterparts at a forum in Havana this week, agreeing to work together to boost sugar and rum output, assure wheat and crude oil supply to the communist-run island, and overhaul crumbling tourist facilities. The longtime political allies – both subject to U.S. sanctions – are seeking to cement economic ties […]

By Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Friday, as investors worried that U.S. politicians will fail to agree on a new debt ceiling and trigger a default that would hurt the economy and reduce fuel demand. Brent futures settled 28 cents, or 0.8%, lower at $75.58 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude for July expiry fell 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $71.69. The less active U.S. […]

By Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil prices reversed course to fall on Friday after U.S. House Republicans and President Joe Biden’s administration paused talks about raising the government’s debt ceiling, threatening a default that could cut energy demand. Brent futures settled 28 cents, or 0.8%, lower at $75.58 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude for July expiry fell 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $71.69. The less active U.S. […]

By Tim McLaughlin and Sarah N. Lynch WORCESTER (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the Air National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets to remain in jail as he awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy made the decision after lawyers for Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, asked for him to be released to house arrest pending trial. Teixeira, arrested on April 13, is […]

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Tens of thousands marched through Belgrade on Friday in an anti-government protest following two mass shootings that killed 18 people, blaming the deaths on a culture of violence that critics say authorities have allowed to fester unchecked. On May 3 a teenage boy killed nine pupils and a security guard in the first school mass shooting in Serbia, and a day later a 21-year-old man killed eight […]

By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks closed out the trading week on a soft note on Friday as early gains dissipated after U.S. debt ceiling negotiations in Washington were paused, denting optimism a deal could be reached in coming days to dodge a default. Stocks had rallied over the past two sessions on growing confidence a deal to raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit could be reached […]