Business

3 Business Rite Aid and CVS Health both capped sales of emergency contraception pills this week to ensure access after the fall of Roe vs. Wade. Megan VerHelst , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Replies CAMP HILL, PA — Days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade, the 50-year-old federal case that protected a woman's right to have an abortion, retailer Rite Aid imposed a purchase limit on emergency contraception as sales spiked following the court's decision. Due to increased demand, the Pennsylvania-based drugstore chain capped the purchase of emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and Aftera — more commonly referred to as the morning-after pill — at three per person, a spokesperson confirmed to Patch. Rite Aid wasn't the only retailer to impose a purchase limit this week. CVS Health also implemented temporary restrictions to "ensure equitable access" to emergency contraceptives, CVS Health spokesperson … [Read more...] about Rite Aid Limits Purchases Of ‘Morning-After’ Pill As Sales Spike

17 Crime & Safety Cornell Jamar Scott-Milbourne, 26, of Delaware County, was sentenced to time served plus probation for promoting prostitution at a hotel. Jon Campisi , Patch Staff Posted Replies PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA — A Delaware County man has been sentenced in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in connection with his pleading guilty to charges involving running a prostitution operation out of a Plymouth Meeting hotel. Cornell Jamar Scott-Milbourne, 26, of Ridley Township, Delaware County, received a sentence late last week of 10 months and 23 days already served to 23 months in jail, plus two years' probation, following a proceeding before Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Rogers, according to a story in the Mercury newspaper. The sentencing came after Scott-Milbourne pleaded guilty to charges of promoting prostitution and living off of the service of prostitutes. An updated court docket … [Read more...] about Man Gets Sentenced For Running Prostitution Business At Montco Hotel

A big opioid settlement and a COVID-19 vaccine slowdown dragged on third-quarter earnings for Walgreens, but the drugstore chain still topped expectations. Net income slid to $289 million in the quarter that ended May 31, the company said Thursday. That’s down from about $1.2 billion the previous year. Walgreens booked a $683 million charge from a settlement announced last month with the state of Florida to resolve claims tied to dispensing prescription opioids. Its U.S. pharmacies also slowed compared with last year, when a COVID-19 vaccination push was bringing more people to its stores. Walgreens administered 4.7 million COVID-19 vaccinations in the quarter, compared with more than 17 million last year. The quarter shows how much Walgreens' performance has relied on demand for vaccines and COVID-19 testing, which brought more customers into the chain's stores and led to other product purchases, GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders said in an email. "Now that … [Read more...] about Walgreens earnings slide as number of vaccinations wane

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates eased back this week after shooting up nearly three-quarters of a point in recent weeks. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate fell to 5.70% this week from 5.81% last week. One year ago, however, the average 30-year rate was 2.98%. The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular among those refinancing their homes, fell to 4.83% from 4.92% last week. A year ago, the rate was 2.26%. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate this month by three-quarters of a point, the biggest single hike since 1994. The Fed’s unusually large rate hike came after government data showed U.S. inflation rose in May to a four-decade high of 8.6%. The Fed’s benchmark short-term rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, will now be pegged to a range of 1.5% to 1.75% — and Fed policymakers forecast a doubling of that range by year’s end. Higher borrowing rates have pumped the brakes on … [Read more...] about Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates ease to 5.7%

After being prodded higher by inflation fears, mortgage rates were dragged down this week by recession concerns. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average dropped to 5.7% with an average 0.9 point. (A point is a fee paid to a lender equal to 1% of the loan amount. It is in addition to the interest rate.) It was 5.81% a week ago and 2.98% a year ago. Freddie Mac, the federally chartered mortgage investor, aggregates rates from around 80 lenders across the country to come up with weekly national averages. The survey is based on home purchase mortgages. Rates for refinances may be different. It uses rates for high-quality borrowers with strong credit scores and large down payments. Because of the criteria, these rates are not available to every borrower. The 15-year fixed-rate average also moved lower, falling to 4.83% with an average 0.9 point. It was 4.92% a week ago and 2.26% a year ago. The five-year adjustable rate average … [Read more...] about Mortgage rates held in check as recession fears mount

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming. The court’s ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change. Its proposal to regulate power plant emissions is expected by the end of the year. The decision also could have a broader effect on other agencies' regulatory efforts beyond climate change and air pollution. President Joe Biden aims to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and to have an … [Read more...] about Supreme Court limits EPA in curbing power plant emissions