>>Monthly Jobs Report Shows Employment Up By 236K
(Washington, DC) -- The monthly jobs report shows the U.S. economy added 236-thousand jobs in March. That brings the unemployement rate down to three-point-five percent, below analyst expectations of three-point-six percent. The Labor Department report says employment continued to trend upward in hospitality, government, professional and business services.
>>California Cancels Salmon Seasons Over Depleted Stocks
(San Francisco, CA) -- California's salmon stocks are so depleted that fisheries managers are canceling this year's season and next year's. On Thursday, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the semi-federal body that oversees West Coast fisheries, recommended shutting down the state's salmon season until the spring of 2024. Fewer than 168-thousand adult fall Chinook salmon are expected to return this year to the Sacramento River. That's the fewest in 15 years. In the northern end of the state, just over 103-thousand salmon are expected to return to the Klamath River, the second-lowest forecast in more than 25 years.
>>Stocks Close Higher
(New York, NY) -- Wall Street closed Thursday with stocks slightly higher. This comes after weekly jobless claims came in higher than expected. It's also with other signals that job growth is slowing in the U.S. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained two points to 33-485. The S&P 500 rose by 14 points to 41-05. The Nasdaq gained 91 points to 12-087.
>>U.S. Stock Market Closed For Good Friday
(New York, NY) -- The U.S. stock market will be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday, but most other financial institutions, including banks, will be open. The U.S. bond market will open as usual at 8 a.m. Eastern Time, but will close at noon. Since the stock market will be closed it won't react immediately to the March jobs report, which will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Economists, on average, expect to see the economy adding 240-thousand nonfarm jobs last month.
>>IRS: No Reason For Average Taxpayer To Worry About Audits
(Washington, DC) -- The new IRS commissioner says there's no reason for the average taxpayer to worry about an increase in audits. Danny Werfel unveiled the agency's plan to use 80-billion-dollars in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act over the next decade. The Democrats' legislation aims to support the IRS with stricter rules on tax fraud as well as boosting good service to taxpayers. He said the agency is taking a new wave of audits "off the table" for those who get W-2s, social security payments, or have a small business.
>>IRS To Hire Nearly 30,000 New Staff Over Next 2 Years
(Washington, DC) -- The Internal Revenue Service is hiring a lot more help. The IRS said on Thursday it will add up to nearly 30-thousand new staffers and put new technology to work over the next two years. The additions are part of an 80-billion dollar investment plan to improve tax enforcement and customer service. More than eight-thousand of those new hires will be enforcement staff. The tax agency will continue beefing up customer service after adding five-thousand new taxpayer services staff to answer phones, reopen taxpayer assistance centers, and process tax returns.
>>Disney Names First Brand Chief To Focus On Core Properties
(Burbank, CA) -- The Walt Disney Company is moving to refocus its image. On Thursday, the entertainment giant named its first-ever chief brand officer. He is Disney veteran Asad Ayaz, who will be charged with creating a singular vision of the company for marketing campaigns. Ayaz's appointment reflects CEO Bob Iger's aim to reorganize Disney's structure to put content production, streaming, and marketing in the hands of creators. Iger has said he plans on cutting back Disney's general entertainment content while keeping a focus on streaming.
>>Report: Tesla Employees Share Videos Recorded By Customer Vehicles (Fremont, CA) -- A new report claims Tesla employees have been sharing private videos recorded by their customers' vehicles. The Tesla website says the cameras built into its electric vehicles are "designed from the ground up to protect your privacy," but a report from "Reuters" claims that between 2019 and 2022, groups of Tesla employees shared videos and images picked up by their customer's cars. The footage reportedly showed customers doing intimate things and the customers' children. One video appeared to show a car from a James Bond movie that was purchased by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which would be in his garage.
>>Honda Recalls Older CR-Vs Sold In Northern States
(Tokyo) -- Honda is recalling over 560-thousand older-model crossover SUVs sold in cold-weather states. The Japanese carmaker says an accumulation of road salt can cause part of the vehicles' suspension to corrode and possibly detach, which could lead to a crash. Honda says the recalled vehicles are model-year 2007-to-2011 CR-Vs sold in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states. Owner notification letters will be mailed next month. Staff/mwl Copyright © 2023 TTWN Media Networks Inc.
