>>Trading Winding Down For The Week
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after Wall Street saw stocks close lower yesterday. That came after the major averages had their best day since November on Wednesday. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 68 points to 43-153. The S&P 500 lost 12 points to 59-37. The Nasdaq dropped 172 points to 19-338. Next week will be an abbreviated trading week, with markets closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
>>UnitedHealth CEO Says Health Care Problems Need To Be Addressed
(Minnetonka, MN) -- UnitedHealth Group's CEO says problems with the country's health care system need to be addressed. In the first earnings call since the deadly shooting of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thomson on a Manhattan sidewalk, CEO Andrew Witty acknowledged Thursday that there are flaws driving up the costs of health care for people across the country. He blamed both the private sector and government for creating a confusing and costly landscape. The company reported record 2024 revenues.
>>TikTok Awaits Word On Fate
(Washington, DC) -- The countdown is on. The Supreme Court will release at least one opinion today regarding the upcoming TikTok ban. The announcement was posted to the court's website homepage Thursday, saying "The Court may announce opinions on the homepage beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time. The Court will not take the Bench." The notice is highly unusual, as the justices usually give several days notice before announcing their opinions, and typically read them aloud in the courtroom. The TikTok app is set to be banned in the U.S. on Sunday after lawmakers raised concerns about its Chinese parent company.
>>Some Flights Diverted After SpaceX Rocket Breaks Up
(Undated) -- The breakup of the SpaceX Starship after launch affected some airline flights. Several flights near the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean were forced to hold or divert Thursday evening because of the rocket's falling debris. The Starship rocket broke up in the atmosphere about nine minutes after launching from Texas. At least eight flights were reportedly impacted, including two American Airlines flights to New York's JFK, a Delta flight to Atlanta, and a JetBlue flight to JFK.
>>When It Comes To Inflation, NYC Metro Has Worst Problem
(New York, NY) -- A new analysis says the New York City metro area has the biggest problem with inflation in the U.S. WalletHub compared the Consumer Price Indices for major metro areas - and their changes from this year to last year - and this month to last month. They say the New York Metro region - which stretches into parts of Pennsylvania - has the nation's biggest inflation problem. Atlanta, Honolulu, St. Louis, and LA round out the "worst five." Houston, Phoenix, and Minneapolis they say, have the smallest inflation problems.
>>AMEX To Pay 230 Million Dollars To Settle Probe
(Washington, DC) -- American Express is agreeing to shell out 230-million-dollars to settle a federal probe into their marketing practices. The company is being investigated for allegedly committing fraud and using deceptive marketing practices. On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced American Express agreed to pay 108-million to resolve allegations of fraud, and 138-million for engaging in deceptive sales practices that gave customers incorrect tax advice. AMEX released a statement confirming the settlement and saying the company "cooperated extensively" with authorities.
>>General Motors Banned From Selling Customer Data
(Washington, DC) -- General Motors and subsidiary OnStar are banned from selling customer geolocation data and driving behavior data for the next five years. The Federal Trade Commission announced the penalty Thursday after a New York Times investigation found the automaker was selling details about customers' driving habits to insurance companies and third-party data brokers. Customers say they had no idea why their insurance premiums started going up.
>>Nintendo Reveals Switch 2
(Redmond, WA) -- Nintendo will release the follow up to its popular Switch video game system this year. The company released a teaser trailer Thursday giving fans their first look at the Switch 2. It features a similar design as the original system, but with a bigger screen. Nintendo will announce more details about the Switch 2 on April 2nd. Starting today, fans can sign up for free tickets to try out the new system in April at events in New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas.
