>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday kept Wall Street closed on Monday. The last time traders weighed in was Friday when strong earnings from major banks coupled with better-than-expected economic data gave stocks a boost. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 334 points to 43-487. The S&P 500 added 59 points to 59-96. The Nasdaq gained 291 points to 19-630.
>>Trump Freezes Hiring, Orders Federal Employees Back To Office
(Washington, DC) -- President Trump is freezing all government hiring and ordering federal workers back to the office full time. The hiring freeze was included in a raft of executive orders Trump signed on day one, barring all agencies from filling vacancies and ordering to make more efficient use of what they have. The freeze doesn't apply to the military, immigration enforcement, national security or public safety. In another memo, Trump said that agencies need to end remote work policies as soon as possible.
>>Teamsters Authorize Strike Against Costco
(Undated) -- The Teamsters union is preparing to go on strike against Costco if the two sides fail to reach a new contract agreement. Over 80-percent of its members voted to authorize a strike starting February 1st, the day after their current contract expires. The union says the two sides have so far failed to reach agreements over wages, benefits, paid family leave and sick time, among other issues. Around 18-thousand workers are ready to go on strike at 56 Costco locations across five states.
>>California Governor Newsom Going After Price Gougers Following Wildfires
(Los Angeles, CA) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom says his administration is going after price-gougers taking advantage of residents displaced by the Southern California wildfires. In a town hall Sunday, Newsom told residents to notify authorities if they encounter landlords charging high rents in the aftermath of the fires. He added that his office has taken action to ban price gouging, but now it's about enforcing those measures and holding people accountable. Newsom also noted that he'd issued an executive order halting evictions of renters sheltering displaced people.
>>This Week's Noteworthy Reports
(Undated) -- Coming up in business news this week, fourth-quarter results from streaming giant Netflix are set to be released. Other big names reporting today include United Airlines and Capital One. Meanwhile, data on leading economic indicators is due Wednesday. Weekly jobless claims come out the following day. Most analysts are forecasting just a small decline. Existing home sales and consumer sentiment wrap things up on Friday.
