>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed sharply higher on Friday. That came after the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by eleven-hundred points earlier in the week. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC he was encouraged by the latest inflation numbers and rates could be cut next year despite the Federal Reserve being cautious. At the closing bell, the Dow gained 498 points to 42-840. The S&P 500 rose 63 points to 59-30. The Nasdaq gained 199 to 19-572.
>>Biden Signs Short-Term Funding Bill, Averting Government Shutdown
(Washington, DC) -- President Biden has signed a short-term funding bill averting a government shutdown just ahead of the holidays. In a statement released over the weekend, Biden said the Congressionally-approved agreement "represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted." He did call it good news however, as - in his words - "it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity."
>>Trump: Time To Start Thinking About TikTok
(Phoenix, AZ) -- President-elect Donald Trump is hinting at a future for TikTok in the U.S. He says after seeing the success his campaign enjoyed on the popular short-form video app, he feels like it's time to "start thinking about TikTok." Trump spoke Sunday at AmericaFest, hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action in Phoenix, Arizona. His comments come just weeks before TikTok faces a deadline to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, or be banned in America as Congress argues it poses a national security risk.
>>Economic Reports On The Horizon As 2024 Winds Down
(Undated) -- Coming up in the business week ahead, trading will be abbreviated on Wall Street thanks to the Christmas holiday. As for major economic reports on the horizon, today brings word on consumer confidence, with new home sales data to follow on Tuesday. Weekly jobless claims are due Thursday, with most analysts predicting a slight jump from 220-thousand to around 225-thousand. Things will be quiet until the following Monday with the release of pending home sales. The year comes to a close on December 31st with not much on the calendar except for the S&P Case-Shiller home price index.
>>Amazon, Starbucks Strikes Continue
(New York, NY) -- It's another day of the Teamsters union strike against Amazon -- just ahead of Christmas. Amazon says it's not as big as it's being sold as, because only around one percent of its workforce are union members. Drivers say they want better working conditions and pay, and for Amazon to recognize them as employees. Amazon says the strike has not disrupted its operations. Meanwhile, Starbucks union workers are striking in several cities with a pledge to keep the movement going through Christmas Eve unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
>>Nuna Baby Recalls Over 600K Car Seats
(Undated) -- Nuna Baby Essentials is recalling over 600-thousand car seats over a harness issue. The company says the recall affects RAVA models made from July 16, 2016 to October 25, 2023. Debris could get stuck where the front harness adjuster button is and cause the mechanism to fail, resulting in a loose harness. According to Nuna, a loose harness can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
>>Apple Reportedly Working On Smart Doorbell
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell. According to Bloomberg, the doorbell would use Apple's Face ID tech to scan people as they approach and automatically unlock for residents. It likely won't be available before the end of 2025 at the earliest.
>>Young Adults Are Keeping Themselves On Their Holiday Gift Lists
(Undated) -- It's officially gifting season, but young adults are doing more self-shopping. Almost half of Gen-Z and millennials are purchasing their own gifts this holiday season, according to the consulting firm Deloitte. The most popular seasonal splurges include clothing, accessories, electronics, travel, live events and health and wellness. Gen-Z and millennials are expected to be the drivers in a holiday sales surge this year, with Gen-Z's holiday budget rising 37-percent and millennials budget rising 16-percent, according to the accounting firm PwC. Other influences of the self-gifting trend are social media influencer and self-care marketing.
