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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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54-40 Brewing to open second location in Washougal – with a full kitchen

March 18, 2024, 6:02am Business

54-40 Brewing Co. will open a new location — with a full-service restaurant and taproom — at the Evergreen Marketplace in Washougal later this year. Read story

Native groups sit on a treasure trove of lithium. Now mines threaten their water, culture and wealth

March 17, 2024, 6:02am Business

Irene Leonor Flores de Callata, 68, treks along a bone-dry riverbed, guiding a herd of llamas and sheep through stretching desert. Read story

FILE - A bicyclist passes the New York Stock Exchange on March 5, 2024, in New York. Stocks are rising Monday, March 18, 2024 ahead of a busy week for central banks around the world that could dictate where interest rates go.The S&amp;P 500 was Tk% higher in early trading, coming off its first back-to-back weekly loss since October.

Stock market today: Wall Street rises ahead of a big week for central banks

FILE - A bicyclist passes the New York Stock Exchange on March 5, 2024, in New York. Stocks are rising Monday, March 18, 2024 ahead of a busy week for central banks around the world that could dictate where interest rates go.The S&amp;P 500 was Tk% higher in early trading, coming off its first back-to-back weekly loss since October.

March 18, 2024, 1:20pm Business

Stocks rose ahead of a busy week for central banks around the world that could dictate where interest rates go next. Read story

FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent's data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.

Supreme Court seems favorable to Biden administration over efforts to combat social media posts

FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent's data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.

March 18, 2024, 1:20pm Business

The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to side with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security in a case that could set standards for free speech in the digital age. Read story

BowFlex Inc. in east Vancouver.

Bowflex stock now trading over counter after being delisted on New York Stock Exchange

BowFlex Inc. in east Vancouver.

March 18, 2024, 12:25pm Business

After being delisted March 5 by the New York Stock Exchange, Vancouver fitness-equipment manufacturer BowFlex is trading its stock on the over-the-counter market. Read story

(The Columbian files)

Powerful Realtor group settles lawsuits over sales commissions

(The Columbian files)

March 18, 2024, 8:25am Business

American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal related to the bedrock of the industry — the 6% sales commission. Read story

Environmental concerns grow over Drax air quality permit for Longview plant

March 18, 2024, 8:23am Business

Environmental and public health concerns over the proposed Drax wood pellet factory are prompting the Southwest Clean Air Agency to hold a public hearing before approving the company’s air discharge permit. Read story

With the Better FAFSA still in limbo, here’s what to do as college decisions loom

March 18, 2024, 8:14am Business

When the U.S. Department of Education rolled out the “Better FAFSA” at the end of last year, the intent was to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid a simpler process for the millions of college students hoping for financial help for the 2024-25 school year. Read story

FILE - Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during his appearance before the House Financial Services Committee on Capitol Hill, March 6, 2024, in Washington. The Federal Reserve is set this week to leave interest rates unchanged for a fifth straight time.

Federal Reserve is likely to preach patience as consumers and markets look ahead to rate cuts

FILE - Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during his appearance before the House Financial Services Committee on Capitol Hill, March 6, 2024, in Washington. The Federal Reserve is set this week to leave interest rates unchanged for a fifth straight time.

March 18, 2024, 8:11am Business

Across the United States, many people are eagerly anticipating the Federal Reserve’s first cut to its benchmark interest rate this year: Prospective home buyers hope for lower mortgage rates. Wall Street traders envision higher stock prices. Consumers are looking for a break on credit card debt at record-high interest rates. Read story

Powell’s silence frustrates markets as post-COVID economy shifts

March 18, 2024, 8:10am Business

For Rick Plympton, there’s no going back to the pre-COVID-19 economy. The chief executive officer of precision-lens maker Optimax Systems Inc. sees “shifting sands” in many aspects of his business. Read story