>>Consumer Sentiment Jumps 13% In January
(Ann Arbor, MI) -- Consumer sentiment is soaring for the second straight month. The University of Michigan's early reading for January jumped 13 percent to hit its highest level since July 2021. The survey noted increasing confidence among all age and income groups that inflation has turned a corner. Sentiment has now risen nearly 60 percent above its all-time low in June of 2022.
>>Existing Home Sales Slump In December
(Washington, DC) -- Sales of existing homes fell one percent in December to close out their worst year since 1995. The National Association of Realtors says sales declined to an annual rate of fewer than three-point-eight million units last month. The group's chief economist noted he expects sales to rebound this year as mortgage rates decline and more homes appeart on the market. The median price of a home sold during 2023 was just over 390-thousand dollars which is a record high..
>>Congress Passes Stopgap Bill, Heads To Biden
(Washington, DC) -- Congress is passing a stopgap funding bill to prevent a partial government shutdown. The short-term spending bill sent to the desk of President Biden will keep the government funded through March, buying lawmakers more time to craft longer-term spending bills.
>>L.A. Times Guild To Hold Walkout Protest
(Los Angeles, CA) -- The Los Angeles Times Guild is set to hold a walkout today. It comes in protest of what they are calling unfair labor practices and layoffs. The union says the paper is asking them to gut seniority protections for more layoff options. The union is hoping to have more say in the next executive director and to have a clear head count or salary reduction number. The L.A. Times is the second notable newspaper to have employees walkout after the Washington Post did so last month over similar issues.
>>Macy's Announces Layoffs, Closures
(New York, NY) -- Macy's is laying off over 23-hundred employees and closing five stores. The iconic retailer says it's deploying a new strategy "to meet the needs of an ever changing" marketplace, and had to make the difficult decision to reduce its workforce by about three-percent in an effort to become a more streamlined company. Macy's says it began notifying employees on Thursday that layoffs would begin next week. The stores that are closing are in California, Florida, Hawaii and Virginia.
>>Poll: Just Over Half Of Americans Thrived In 2023
(Washington, DC) -- A new poll shows just over half of Americans were "thriving" in 2023. A Gallup survey found that over 52-percent of Americans evaluated their lives positively enough last year to be thriving. That's a decline from previous years, where between 52 and 55-percent of Americans were shown to be thriving. The only years the amount of thriving Americans were lower was during the Great Recession, between 2008, and in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
>>Costco, Sam's Club At Center Of Salmonella Outbreak
(Portland, OR) -- Cases of salmonella infections nationwide connected to charcuterie [[ shar-KOO-duh-ree ]] meats are on the rise. The CDC reports 47 cases have been confirmed in 22 states since they began tracking the outbreak earlier this month. There are two products involved. Fratelli Baretta brand Antipsato Gran Beretta sold at Costco and Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler sold at Sam's Club. If you have those products you should throw them away and call your health care provider if you develop symptoms.
