>>Trading Week Winding Down
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning as a whirlwind trading week starts to wind down. Stocks closed sharply higher on Thursday after new labor market numbers gave investors a boost in confidence towards the economy. The latest weekly unemployment claims came in at 233-thousand, against projections of 240-thousand. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 683 points to 39-446. The S&P 500 rose by 119 points to 53-19. The Nasdaq gained 464 points to 16-660.
>>Mortgage Rates Fall To Lowest Level In More Than A Year
(Washington, DC) -- Mortgage rates are down. The 30-year-fixed-rate mortgage averaged less than six-point-five percent this week, according to Freddie Mac. That's down since last week's six-point-seven-three percent. It's also the lowest since May 2023. The news comes as home prices remain sky-high nationwide.
>>Costco Cracks Down On Membership Card Sharing
(Issaquah, WA) -- Costco is cracking down on membership sharing. Now, the wholesale retailer is introducing membership scanning devices to be used at the entrance door. Members will need to scan their card so employees can match the photo up with you. For those who have cards without photos, Costco says to come with a valid photo ID but encourages them to get their photo taken at the membership counter.
>>Crypto Exchange FTX And Sister Company Ordered To Pay Up
(New York, NY) -- Cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its sister company Alameda Research are being ordered to pay 12-point-seven-billion-dollars to their customers and fraud victims. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said FTX will pay that amount to compensate victims of Sam Bankman-Fried's [[ Freed's ]] "massive fraudulent scheme." Bankman-Fried was convicted last year on federal fraud and conspiracy charges and sentenced to 25-years in prison in March.
>>BMW Recalls More Than 100-Thousand Vehicles
(Woodcliff Lake, NJ) -- BMW is recalling more than 100-thousand vehicles over an overheating concern. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, excessive attempts at starting the car if it's having issues due to engine damage could get it to overheat. And if nearby materials get contaminated with oil, that could be especially dangerous. The full list of BMW models recalled is available on the NHTSA website.
>>Video Game Actors Remain On Strike
(Hollywood, CA) -- Hollywood's video game actors remain on strike. They say SAG-AFTRA, which represents some 160-thousand performers, is seeking the same protections against artificial intelligence that are given to on-camera celebrities. The union says studios are not cooperating on that issue. Today marks the second full week of striking.
