>>World's Largest Bank Hit By Cyberattack
(New York, NY) -- The world's largest bank has been hit by a cyberattack, forcing it to trade using a flash drive. The New York office of the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China was hit with a ransomware attack on Thursday, making it unable to clear U.S. Treasury trades. The bank had to use messengers carrying USB drives to complete its trades, and other banks and brokerages were also forced to reroute trades. One cybersecurity expert called it "a true shock to large banks around the world."
>>IRS Announces New Income Tax Brackets
(Washington, DC) -- The IRS has released its new income tax brackets for 2024. Income thresholds have been boosted for each bracket applying to tax year 2024, with the top rate of 37-percent applying to those with taxable income just over 609-thousand dollars, and married couples filing who jointly earn over 731-thousand dollars. Standard deductions will also rise in 2024, up about two-thousand dollars for married couples who file jointly, and about 800-dollars for single filers.
>>California Government Scientists Plan Strike
(Sacramento, CA) -- Scientists in California's state government, represented by the California Association of Professional Scientists, plan to strike for three days starting November 15th. The strike follows three years of unsuccessful wage negotiations, with CAPS seeking significant raises. After an impasse, mediation talks are ongoing, with the next meeting scheduled for November 28th. Specific strike details are pending, but it will be a rolling three-day action. The state is engaging in mediation to reach an agreement with CAPS. The move will mark California's first civil servant strike.
>>Mortgage Rates Fall In Biggest Weekly Drop Since Previous Year
(Washington, DC) -- Mortgage rates are down in the biggest weekly drop since last year. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage went down to seven-point-five percent this week, down from a quarter of a percentage point from the week before. That's according to data from Freddie Mac. It's the second straight week rates have gone down after rising for seven weeks in a row.
>>Report: People Of Color Getting Equal Time On TV
(Los Angeles, CA) -- People of color are starting to get equal time on TV for the first time ever. UCLA released its 2023 Hollywood TV diversity report this week, and it shows that in the 2021-22 season people of color were getting proportionate representation on broadcast and cable television. The report found the number of people of color in lead roles grew on broadcast and cable media, but declined slightly on digital media. Overall, the report found people of color were still largely limited to supporting roles.
>>Amazon Makes Online Grocery Available For Non-Prime Members
(Seattle, WA) -- Amazon is opening up the online grocery experience to more people. The online retail giant announced today customers will no longer need an Amazon Prime membership to order groceries from Amazon Fresh for delivery or free pickup. The expansion will be available everywhere Amazon Fresh is offered and will be available to Whole Foods shoppers soon. The company adds Amazon shoppers will also be able to order from local grocers and specialty shops through the Amazon website, including stores like Bristol Farms, Cardenas Markets, Pet Food Express, Weis Markets and Save Mart.
