>>Trading Week Winding Down
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning as the trading week starts to wind down on Wall Street. Stocks closed higher yesterday after President Trump ordered reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners. Trump also suggested that more tariffs are on the way, including ones on auto imports. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 342 points to 44-711. The S&P 500 gained 63 points to 61-15. The Nasdaq gained 295 points to 19-945.
>>TikTok Returns To Apple, Google App Stores
(Undated) -- TikTok is back. The social media app returned to the Apple and Google app stores Thursday evening, after being removed almost a month ago in response to a national security law that went into effect. The app's return follows a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi informing Apple it wouldn't be fined for hosting the app.
>>Wholesale Prices Rise 0.4% In January
(Undated) -- Another key report shows inflation is increasing. The Producer Price Index found wholesale prices went up point-four-percent in January and increased more than expected. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the report on Thursday, which tracks how much producers receive for their goods. Core PPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose point-three-percent, in line with expectations. This comes after the BLS reported an increase in the consumer price index a day earlier, disappointing the Federal Reserve as the central bank looks to keep inflation down. The three-percent annual inflation rate means an interest rate cut likely won't come until the second half of this year.
>>Americans' Credit Card Debt Reaches New Record High
(New York, NY) -- Americans' credit card debt has reached a record high of one-point-21 trillion. That's according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Thursday. The increase is part of a broader rise in household debt, which now totals over 18 trillion dollars over credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, and student loans. In the last quarter of 2024, overall debt grew by 93-billion-dollars, with about half of that increase attributed to new credit card debt.
>>Blue Origin Lays Off Over A Thousand Employees
(Cape Canaveral, FL) -- Job cuts are coming to Blue Origin. The Jeff Bezos-founded space company laid off over a thousand employees on Thursday. That amounts to about ten percent of its workforce. CEO Dave Limp says the company grew fast, became too bureaucratic and lost its focus. He says, going forward, the focus will be more on efficiency.
>>Honda And Nissan Merger Called Off
(Undated) -- Honda and Nissan are calling off their plans to team up. Both automakers announced Thursday that their proposed multi-billion dollar merger is not happening, pointing at ongoing discussions regarding business structure. The companies also highlighted the auto market changing rapidly as another reason for the deal being scrapped. Instead, Honda and Nissan said they'll still work together on the "intelligence of electrified vehicles." The proposed merger was announced back in December.
>>2025 Could See Record Valentine's Day Spending
(Undated) -- One estimate predicts people will spent a record 27-point-five billion dollars this Valentine's Day. That would beat out the 27-point-four billion record set in 2020, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics. The top places people will spend their money are online, followed by department stores and florists. A little more than half of consumers say they'll celebrate Valentine's Day this year.
>>Denny's Closes 30 More Restaurants That Previously Announced
(New York, NY) -- Denny's is closing about 30 more restaurants than it previously announced. This comes after the diner chain announced last year it was closing 150 locations as part of its plans to jumpstart growth. In an earnings call this week, Denny's revealed it closed 88 locations last year and will shutter between 70 and 90 in 2025.
