>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed on Friday to cap a big week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged higher to close at a new record above 42-thousand following the Federal Reserve's half-point interest rate cut. All three major indexes posted weekly gains of more than one percent. At the closing bell, the Dow gained 38 points to 42-063. The S&P 500 lost 11 points to 57-02. The Nasdaq fell 65 points to 17-948.
>>Johnson Announces Vote On Bill To Avoid Govt Shutdown
(Washington, DC) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson says his chamber is planning to vote this week on a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open through December 20th. The government is set to begin a shutdown at the beginning of next month if no action is taken. Johnson said in a letter to colleagues that legislation will be a "very narrow, bare-bones" continuing resolution that addresses only absolutely necessary extensions.
>>FTC Takes Action Against Pharmacies Inflating Insulin Prices
(Washington, DC) -- The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers are being accused of artificially inflating insulin prices. The FCC says CVS Health's Caremark Rx, Cigna's Express Scripts and United Health Group's OptumRx created a system that puts importance on high rebates from drug manufacturers, leading to high list prices for insulin. The companies excluded available insulin products with lower prices that would have been more affordable for patients in favor of higher-priced versions of the drug.
>>Motel 6 Sold To Indian Hotel Operator
(Undated) -- Motel chain Motel 6 is being bought out by the parent company of Oyo [[ O-YO ]], a hotel contractor based in India. Blackstone investment firm, which owns Motel 6's parent company G6 Hospitality, announced Friday the all-cash deal is worth 525-million-dollars. The contract will be finalized by the end of the year. Oyo has been increasing its scope in the U.S. over the past few years.
>>Low Brake Fluid Warning Malfunction Prompts Recall
(Detroit, MI) -- Close to a half-million GM pickup trucks and SUVs are being recalled due to issues with the low brake fluid warning system. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Friday that a software malfunction might prevent vehicles from displaying a warning light if brake fluid is low. The recall includes several different 2023 or 2024 models, such as the Chevrolet Silverado 15-hundred, GMC Sierra 15-hundred, Chevy Tahoe, and Suburban. Also on the recall list are the GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV models.
>>"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" Narrowly Beats "Transformers One"
(Los Angeles, CA) -- "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is just barely holding on the top spot at the box office. The sequel to the cult-classic horror-comedy is projected to take in 26-million dollars in its third weekend at number one. After making less than ten-million dollars from preview screenings and opening day, "Transformers One" looks to fall short of industry projections with an estimated 25-million-dollar debut. Meanwhile, "Speak No Evil" will land at third in its sophomore outing with an estimated five-point-nine-million dollars. Halle Berry-led horror film "Never Let Go" looks to debut in fourth place with four-point-five-million. And finally "Deadpool & Wolverine" is still holding on to a spot in the top five. It's expected to take fifth with three-point-eight million.
