Through the Great Streets Akron Initiative, the city has awarded grants to help local businesses either support general operations and business development or for exterior improvements, according to city officials.

The data, which was delayed from October by the government shutdown, comes as the economy takes center stage for voters and the Trump administration.

The cost of living in November was up 2.7% from a year ago, according to a report Thursday from the Labor Department. That's a smaller annual increase than for the 12 months ending in September.

A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds 70% of Americans say things have become too unaffordable and have a dim outlook on the economy and President Trump's handling of it.

Hiring cooled this fall, according to delayed figures released by the Labor Department Tuesday. Employers added 64,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%.

Inflation, rising food prices and the high cost of living have been top of mind for consumers all year. But then Olive Garden offers an unlimited pasta meal, or a chain steakhouse restaurant sells a steak dinner with two sides for less than 30 bucks. So, how are chains able to keep prices as low as they do in this economy?

Ford says it is "following the customer" in discontinuing its large electric pickup, which was well-received but never profitable. Ford will keep the Lightning name alive as a plug-in hybrid.

iRobot, the U.S. firm that had robots vacuuming homes, will be taken over by its China-based supplier. It's assuring owners that devices will keep working as usual.

With experts predicting a cold and snowy winter, rural shelters like Homeward Bound in Wooster are preparing to get homeless people out the cold and into long-term housing.

As Democrats campaigning on affordability pick up wins, Trump's messaging about a strong economy is at odds with widespread voter sentiment that he's not doing enough to tackle rising costs.