>>Consumer Sentiment Jumps 13% In January
(Ann Arbor, MI) -- Consumer sentiment surged in January. The University of Michigan's final reading for the month confirmed a 13 percent jump in sentiment as the outlook improved for both inflation and personal incomes. 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.
>>Economy Added 353,000 Jobs In January
(Washington, DC) -- Job growth is off to a strong start in 2024. The Labor Department says 353-thousand jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month. That's nearly double the increase economists expected. The unemployment rate held steady at three-point-seven-percent in January. Most of the job gains were in professional and business services, health care and retail trade.
>>Boeing Shareholders Sue Company After Mid-Air Blowout
(Washington, DC) -- Boeing shareholders are suing the company after a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight midair. The lawsuit alleges Boeing misled investors about potential "serious safety lapses." That's according to court filings. The class action suit is led by the Rhode Island Attorney General who said Boeing "betrayed the trust of Rhode Island pensioners" and called on the manufacturer to be held accountable.
>>Musk To Ask Shareholders To Move Tesla Incorporation from Delaware to Texas
(Austin, TX) -- Elon Musk says he will ask Tesla shareholders to vote on moving the company's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas. The move comes after a judge in Delaware invalidated Musk's 56- billion dollar pay package, saying the company's board of directors failed to show the compensation was fair. In response, Musk posted to X, "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware." He has since returned to his X account, posting an informal poll in which he asked about the state change. Eighty percent of respondents were in favor.
>>Engineering Firm Settles Lawsuit Related To Flint Water
Crisis (Flint, MI) -- An agreement has been reached between an engineering firm and residents of Flint, Michigan who filed a class action lawsuit against the company. Veolia North America has agreed to pay 25-million dollars to settle the case weeks before a trial was to begin. The company consulted city officials on the quality of the water after the switch was made to the Flint River. They recommended the city use corrosion control to prevent lead from getting into the water. However, plaintiffs said the company failed to warn of corroding water pipes which they claim extended the contamination. Veolia did not admit to any wrongdoing and said the blame for the Flint Water Crisis should be directed at government officials.
>>Delta American Express Raise Rates
(Atlanta, GA) -- It'll soon be more expensive to have a Delta SkyMiles American Express credit card. The company will be increasing fees this year, but also adding more benefits. The annual fees for the SkyMiles AmEx cards will go up from 99-dollars to 150-dollars annually for Gold cards, and from 250-dollars to 350-dollars annually for Platinum cards. Reserve card fees will go up from 550-dollars to 650-dollars annually. Benefits for Platinum and Reserve cards include a companion certificate allowing you to bring a companion on a trip with the purchase of a Delta ticket. The new fees will take effect after May 1st.
>>Amtrak Looks To Double Ridership By 2040
(Washington, DC) -- Amtrak aims to double ridership by 2040. The railroad company said it's investing in broader service, hoping to serve 66-million riders per year. The announcement comes as the Biden administration makes more investments in rail structure. Taxpayer-supported Amtrak also plans to add about 35-hundred jobs this year in construction and rail services.
