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High gas prices present another hurdle in bringing workers back to the office

Amna Nadeem is excited about starting her job as a software engineer at Google. She interned with the company last fall — remotely. But beginning mid-April, the 22-year-old recent college graduate will be going into the office at least three days a week. So gas prices, which have inched up toward $6 per gallon in …

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Covid pandemic puts pressure on Pittsburgh region’s child care services

Like so many businesses over the past two years, the child care industry has been whipsawed by the covid pandemic and its impact on the economy. Some parents working from home or leaving their jobs have pulled their children from child care, which creates openings — if the centers can find sufficient staffing. But workers …

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Is It Time For Pennsylvania to Get Out of the Booze Business? | Pro/Con

Since the end of Prohibition, Pennsylvania has maintained control over sales of booze. And Republicans don’t like it. In a latest attempt to dismantle the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, State Rep. Natalie Mihalek has proposed a constitutional amendment to ban the state from selling alcohol. If it passes the state Senate and House, it will …

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More Money for Pa. Towns: Marcellus Shale Impact Fees Projected to Surge as Gas Prices Rise

Impact fees collected for 2021 from Pennsylvania’s shale gas wells are projected to bounce back from the previous year’s record low to the highest level in three years. A new report from the Independent Fiscal Office credits a surge in natural gas prices for driving impact fees to an estimated $233.8 million for 2021. The total …

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Reps. Keller, Comer Demand Answers on Exporting Energy to Europe During Domestic Energy Crisis

U.S. Reps. Fred Keller (R-PA) and James Comer (R-KY) led a group of Congressmembers in expressing concern over plans by the President Joe Biden Administration to export energy to Europe during a domestic energy crisis. In a letter sent to the President, Keller and Comer said they were concerned that U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) …

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Satisfaction with Government Regulation of Businesses at Record Low: Gallup

Dissatisfaction with government regulation of businesses has reached a record high among Americans, a new Gallup poll shows. The survey found 60 percent of Americans were dissatisfied with such regulations, a figure that includes 29 percent who want less regulation, 18 percent who want more regulation and 13 percent who are dissatisfied but said such measures should …

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BARR: Prioritizing Long-Term Economic Growth in the New Year

We live in rapidly changing times, especially for business. While we remain optimistic about our economic recovery, we continue to be plagued by pandemic-related challenges from government directives, workforce shortages, labor market issues, and supply-chain disruptions. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 and November’s record high annual inflation of 6.8 percent have also been a blow …

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