[naviga:h3]Target reports strong sales growth [/naviga:h3]

NEW YORK — Target reported strong sales growth both at stores and online, helped by remodeled locations and new delivery services as well as a stronger economy. Like Nordstrom, Walmart and Home Depot, it also raised its outlook as retailers benefit from shoppers spending more freely.

Target saw sales at stores open at least a year, a key measure of a retailer’s health, rise 6.5 percent, the strongest growth in 13 years. Traffic in stores and online rose 6.4 percent, the strongest showing since 2008 when it first started releasing that information.

Online sales soared 41 percent, surging past the 28 percent jump in the previous quarter.

Target CEO Brian Cornell told analysts that Target’s performance was due to more than just the economic climate and was reflected in broad market share gains across several merchandise categories.

Target is spending more than $7 billion through 2020 to update stores and it’s seeking to penetrate urban areas with smaller locations. It’s also is trying to improve the experience in its stores by retraining employees and paying them better.

[naviga:h3]R.I. governor rips coal policy[/naviga:h3]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo says a move by President Donald Trump’s administration to prop up the declining coal industry puts people’s health and the environment at risk.

The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to overhaul Obama-era pollution rules. States could relax pollution rules for power plants.

The Democratic governor says that would result in increased greenhouse gas emissions and loopholes would allow older plants to continue operating without effective pollution controls. She says she’s concerned because Rhode Island is downwind of these facilities and she’ll fight to protect public health.

Trump says they’re putting coal miners back to work and getting rid of ridiculous rules.