>>Southwest Airlines Agrees To Holiday Travel Meltdown Settlement
(Dallas, TX) -- Southwest Airlines is agreeing to a record-setting civil penalty over last year's holiday travel nightmare. The Department of Transportation said the airline has agreed to pay a 140-million-dollar fine. That's 30-times more than any other fine for violating consumer protection laws. During the year-end holiday travel period last year, Southwest canceled almost 17-thousand flights leaving two-million travelers stranded. The settlement also requires Southwest to create a fund that will be used to pay or provide travel vouchers to passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled due to a factor in the airline's control.
>>Apple Halting Sales Of Apple Watch Series Nine And Ultra Two
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple will be stopping its sale of the its Series Nine and Ultra Two watch. Patent disputes over the device's blood oxygen monitor will be keeping the watch off the shelves starting December 21st. The United State International Trade Commission recently ruled that the tech giant had illegally incorporated the blood oxygen technology from medical tech company Masimo. Apple Stock has taken a hit today following the announcement.
>>Teamsters Authorize Strike Against AB
(St. Louis, MO) -- The Teamsters have authorized a nationwide strike against Anheuser-Busch. Union leaders announced over the weekend that its members will strike when the current contract expires in late February if the company fails to come to the negotiating table before then. The union says there have been a couple of issues agreed to by the two sides but there have been no more talks in the past month and no negotiations are scheduled. Increased wages, job protection and retirement benefits are a few of the issues still up for discussion.
>>Homebuilder Sentiment Rises As Mortgage Rates Fall
(Washington, DC) -- Homebuilder confidence is improving as mortgage rates fall. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose three points in December reversing a four-month decline. The survey noted builders reported an "uptick" in traffic among prospective buyers who previously felt priced out of the market. The group's chief economist said the decline in mortgage rates should help spur buyer demand for new homes heading into 2024.
