Business Headlines
News and analysis from the Business section.
Business Headlines
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
This morning's top stories

‘It feels like the last week has been 17 years.’ Federal aid freeze sows uncertainty for businesses, researchers

Trump’s dramatic first efforts to mold the government to his image have confounded millions of people who rely on federal resources to do their day-to-day jobs.  Continue reading →

Fed likely to hold rates steady despite Trump call for cuts as it awaits tariff, immigration changes

President Trump may want lower interest rates, but the Federal Reserve will almost certainly keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at its two-day policy meeting that ends Wednesday.  Continue reading →

‘Complete chaos’: Trump’s funding freeze sends R.I. nonprofits scrambling

Rhode Island’s governor said state agencies were reviewing Trump’s order to understand the full potential impact. A federal judge temporarily paused the freeze, but some organizations were unable to access federal funds on Tuesday.  Continue reading →

Trump fires two Democratic commissioners of agency that enforces civil rights laws in the workplace

Both commissioners, who worked for the EEOC, said they are exploring options to challenge their dismissals, calling their removal before the end of their current terms unprecedented.  Continue reading →

More R.I. hospitals bring back mask mandates amid uptick in respiratory viruses

Care New England will require masks at Kent and Butler hospitals, following a similar directive from Brown University Health.  Continue reading →

Could a ‘nightlife manager’ help revitalize Providence’s after-dark economy?

The sector is a critical part of the city’s character, but revenue remains below pre-COVID levels and business owners say they need support. “So many of us in city government are so oriented around the traditional 9-to-5 and not the other 9-to-5,” Mayor Brett Smiley said.   Continue reading →

Elon Musk’s X partners with Visa to provide financial services

Stories you may have missed from the world of business.  Continue reading →

Eversource sells its Aquarion water business to Conn. authority for $2.4 billion

New England’s largest utility is getting out of the water business entirely.  Continue reading →

Trump threatens tariffs over immigration, drugs, and Greenland

President Trump has long wielded tariffs as a weapon to resolve trade concerns. But the president is now frequently using them to make gains on issues that have little to do with trade.  Continue reading →

Trump firings at labor board paralyze the agency

The firings of the general counsel and one of the board’s Democratic members in effect halt the activities of the agency, which is charged with protecting workers’ rights.  Continue reading →