>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after Wall Street saw a lower close on Tuesday. Stocks fell with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 slipping from record levels as investors weighed the latest corporate earnings. At the closing bell, the Dow fell 324 points to 42-740. The S&P 500 lost 44 points to 58-15. The Nasdaq dropped 187 points to 18-315.
>>SBA Out Of Disaster Loan Funds
(Washington, DC) -- The Small Business Administration is out of money for its disaster loan program after hurricanes Helene and Milton. The agency said Tuesday it's pausing new low interest loan offers unless Congress allocates more funding. President Biden and other Democrats have called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to call Congress back into session to get that done, but Johnson says the matter can wait until Congress returns next month after the election. In the meantime, the agency is telling people to continue to apply for assistance so they'll be positioned once money is available.
>>Walgreens To Close 1,200 Stores By 2027
(Deerfield, IL) -- Walgreens will be closing 12-hundred stores across the country by 2027. The drugstore chain announced the cost-cutting move Tuesday while reporting fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations. CEO Tim Wentworth said the closures will give Walgreens a "healthier store base" and enable the company to respond to shifts in consumer behavior. Most of the cost cuts are aimed at the retail pharmacy segment. Walgreens plans to close about 500 underperforming stores in fiscal 2025 alone.
>>Apple Introduces iPad Mini
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple is introducing a new iPad mini. It's available to order now and will be in stores next week on October 23rd. It'll support Apple Intelligence, the tech giant's new suite of AI features that will begin its rollout this month. Apple saw its strongest growth in its iPad segment in the fiscal third quarter, growing about 24-percent year over year.
>>Delta Airlines To Revamp Cabins Across Fleet
(Atlanta, GA) -- Delta Air Lines will be revamping the interiors of its cabins for its entire fleet. This comes as the airline prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. New mood lighting, seating, and memory foam cushion will spruce up cabins and give travelers a new custom experience. Delta says the new lighting and designs are to create an atmosphere that feels fresh, elevated, and timeless while easing some of the frustration and congestion many experience while traveling.
>>Americans Feel More Secure In Jobs, Still Worried About Credit Cards
(New York, NY) -- Americans are worrying more about rising credit card debt. That's according to the New York Fed's 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations. Fears about missing a minimum debt payment during the next three months increased for the fourth consecutive month to over 14-percent. Investors seem to agree that even with the U.S. economy improving, a lot of people are still not feeling good about their finances.
>>Holiday Sales To Set New 2024 Record
(New York, NY) -- Holiday sales are slated to set a new record in 2024. The National Retail Federation announced that they could go up by as much as three-and-a-half percent from last year, reaching about 980-billion-dollars. This comes after inflation begins to cool. Last month's interest cuts easing borrowing costs could have also had an impact on the higher expected holiday spending.
