>>Possible Fed Rate Cuts Remain Unclear
(Cleveland, OH) -- A top official is throwing cold water on the chance of an interest rate cut anytime soon. Cleveland's Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said she's unlikely to support a cut at the Fed's May meeting. She doesn't expect to have enough data by that time to determine whether inflation is headed back down to its two-percent target for sure. More on where things are headed will likely be revealed today when Fed Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the Stanford Business, Government, and Society Forum in Stanford, California.
>>Tesla Sales Fall As EV Competition Rises
(Austin, TX) -- Tesla sales are falling with rising competition in the electric vehicle manufacturing sector. That comes even with the Austin-based company lowering prices. Tesla said it delivered nearly 387-thousand vehicles from January through March 2024. That's down from the same period last year, when the Elon Musk-led company delivered more than 484-thousand. The company attributes the decline partly to factories shutting down with shipping difficulties in the Red Sea, along with a German factory losing power from an arson attack.
>>NYC's Congestion Pricing Plan Heads To Court
(Newark, NJ) -- A federal judge will hear arguments today over New York City's plan to charge a 15-dollar toll for cars driving into Manhattan. The first-in-the-nation so-called "congestion pricing" plan is supported by the city's transit authority and the federal government as a way to reduce traffic and pollution in the city. New Jersey is opposed to the law, arguing it won't do much except place a burden on thousands of commuters from the Garden State.
>>Disneyland Is Dumping Gas-Powered Autopia Cars
(Anaheim, CA) -- Disneyland is sending Autopia's gas-powered cars to the junk heap. The miniature cars of the future were originally designed in the 1950s for the theme park's Tomorrow Land. But in today's world, the attraction's exhaust fumes are a constant reminder of yesterday. Disneyland plans to electrify the attraction within the next few years as part of a park-wide push for sustainability.
>>Taylor Swift Joins Forbes Billionaires List
(New York, NY) -- Taylor Swift is on Forbes' World's Billionaires list. The singer-songwriter ranked at number two-thousand-545 on this year's list with a one-point-one billion-dollar net worth. According to Forbes, Swift is "the first musician to make the ranks solely based on her songs and performances." It also says her fortune includes more than 500-million-dollars in estimated wealth from touring, royalties, and her music catalog on top of about 125-million in real estate.
>>Younger Workers Are Flocking To Skilled Trades
(New York, NY) -- Enrollment in vocational training programs is surging, while enrollment in community colleges and four-year institutions is falling. According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, the number of students enrolled in vocational community colleges rose 16-percent last year, construction trades rose 23-percent, and programs covering HVAC and vehicle maintenance increased by seven-percent. Meanwhile, the median pay for new construction hires rose five-percent to 48-thousand dollars last year. A Jobber survey of high school and college-age people found that 75-percent said they would be interested in vocational schools offering paid, on-the-job training.
