>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning following a day that saw a massive tech selloff resulting in a mostly lower close on Wall Street. The Nasdaq fell more than three-percent in a gut punch linked to Chinese startup DeepSeek and artificial intelligence. AI-related names plunged with Nvidia and Broadcom dropping 18 percent on concerns over competition from the low-cost Chinese app.
>>Earnings Reports Due
(Undated) -- Investors today will be keeping an eye out for a handful of big name earnings reports, including from Boeing, Starbucks, GM, JetBlue and Lockheed Martin. The Federal Reserve will also be opening a two-day meeting, with the central bank announcing its first interest rate decision of the year on Wednesday. Most analysts are expecting the Fed to keep rates where they are after announcing a quarter of a percentage point reduction last month. There's been talk of just two more rate cuts coming in 2025.
>>Senate Confirms Bessent As Treasury Secretary
(Washington, DC) -- Scott Bessent is confirmed as the next Treasury Secretary. Monday, the Senate voted 68-29 in approval of the ex-hedge fund manager. The founder of the Key Square Group was advanced by the Senate Finance Committee last week. The 62-year-old Bessent will oversee the IRS and influence the nation's fiscal policy.
>>Calls For Target Boycott
(Minneapolis, MN) -- Minneapolis City Council members are asking folks to boycott Target in the wake of the retailer's DEI rollback. Target announced last week it will end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals after President Donald Trump announced his executive order. Ninth Ward council member Jason Chavez expressed his disappointment with Target Corporation and called on shoppers to support small business instead of the Minneapolis-based big box retailer. Target is one of several large corporations following the White House's lead.
>>UMC Nurses Plan Two-Day Strike During Super Bowl Week
(New Orleans, LA) -- Nurses at University Medical Center in New Orleans are reportedly planning to go on strike during Super Bowl week. Nearly 600 nurses are expected to take part in the two-day strike that will start on Wednesday, February 5th. This will be the second strike by UMC nurses since they voted to unionize just over a year ago. They say they're striking because negotiations on their first union contract have stalled again.
>>Florida Ranked Best State To Retire
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Florida is the best place to retire in 2025. That's according to a new study by WalletHub. The Sunshine State was ranked number one for retirement nationwide due to its low taxes for retirees and the funding it receives for seniors from the Older Americans Act, which funds transportation and nutrition programs for older residents. Some of the other best states to retire include Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming, while Kentucky was named the worst.
