>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after a volatile day on Wall Street ended with stocks closing higher Thursday. Investors were reacting to several earnings reports including those from Meta Platforms, Tesla and Microsoft. Wall Street also looked at fourth-quarter GDP growth that missed expectations, coming in at just two-point-three percent. Weekly jobless claims fell more than expected in yesterday's report, with 207-thousand new requests received for the week ended January 25th. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 168 points to 44-882. The S&P 500 rose 31 points to 60-71. The Nasdaq gained 49 points to 19-681.
>>Trump Says Tariffs Are Coming Saturday
(Washington, DC) -- President Trump says 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico are coming Saturday, but he hasn't decided if oil imports will be included. Speaking at the White House Thursday, Trump said it would depend on the price of oil. The President said we don't need the products Mexico and Canada have and we have all the oil needed. Canada supplied half of oil imports to the U.S. in 2023, while Mexico made up eleven percent.
>>Tesla Will Roll Out Its Robotaxi Service In California
(San Francisco, CA) -- Elon Musk has announced plans for Tesla's robotaxi service, set to launch in parts of California by the end of 2025, with an earlier rollout in Texas this summer. The initiative aims to compete with Waymo, which has been active in cities like San Francisco since 2021. Tesla's self-driving approach differs by using cameras and simpler sensors rather than expensive technology pricey sensors and detailed maps. However, safety concerns over Tesla's technology have emerged, especially after serious accidents, leading to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The specific cities for the initial robotaxi deployment have not been revealed.
>>Softbank Considers Investing $25 Billion in OpenAI
(Menlo Park, CA) -- Softbank is reportedly in talks to invest as much as 25 billion dollars into OpenAI. The Japanese multinational investment holding company with U.S. headquarters in Menlo Park would become OpenAI's largest backer at that level of participation. In November, OpenAI allowed employees to sell one-point-five billion dollars worth of privately held shares in a tender offer to Softbank.
>>McDonald's Introduces Angel Reese Special
(New York, NY) -- McDonald's is partnering with WNBA superstar Angel Reese, announcing she'll have her own meal special with the fast-food chain. This, after Reese had what many will agree was an impressive 2024, breaking multiple WNBA records with the Chicago Sky. The meal is a BBQ bacon quarter pounder with cheese and a new barbecue sauce, plus fries and a drink. Customers can order the Angel Reese Special beginning February 10th.
