>>Watching Wall Street
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed on Wall Street Wednesday. It comes after a softer than expected inflation report calmed concerns regarding the economy after a two-day sell-off to start the week. The Consumer Price Index for last month found inflation rose by point-two-percent against expectations of point-three-percent. Investors on Thursday will be keeping an eye out for yet another popular inflation gauge with the release of the Producer Price Index.
>>Metals Tariff Take Effect, Europe & Canada Respond
(Washington, DC) -- Europe and Canada are retaliating against President Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum. The tariffs are 25 percent on metals that come into the U.S. from any country in the world, including allies. It's expected to raise the costs for U.S. automakers and other industries, although the move is supported by many American steel and aluminum manufacturers. Meanwhile, the European Union announced it will impose counter tariffs on U.S. goods worth 28-billion dollars. Trump on Wednesday pledged to up the ante, saying he'll have no problem imposing even more tariffs because, in his words, "Whatever they charge us with, we're charging them."
>>Spotify Paid Millions In Royalties
(Stockholm) -- Spotify says it paid out a million-dollars or more in royalties last year to nearly 15-hundred artists. The streaming service said Wednesday that 80 percent of those didn't have a song that reached the app's Daily Top 50 chart. Instead, the artists had at least four-to-five million monthly listeners or 20-to-25 million monthly streams. The number of artists earning more than 10-million dollars in royalties has jumped 600 percent since 2017.
>>Southwest Airlines Policy Change Does Not Sit Well With Some
(Dallas, TX) -- Southwest Airlines' decision to start charging for checked bags is being met with ridicule across social media. Take for instance Texas travel planner Cathi Banks. She says the move will damage the carrier's reputation, especially among cost-sensitive families. Banks adds that Southwest has basically already lost their reputation as a "low cost" carrier, with ticket prices mostly in line with the legacy airlines. Southwest is also set to end their "open seating" policy in the first half of next year.
>>iRobot In Serious Trouble
(Bedford, MA) -- The company that makes the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners is in trouble. Massachusetts-based iRobot is telling investors it has about a year left to figure out its financial woes. At the beginning of 2024, a deal to have Amazon purchase the company for nearly two-billion-dollars fell through. That led to the iRobot CEO stepping down, and about half the workforce being laid off. The company now says it has "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue.
>>Saudi Arabia Buying Makers Of Pokemon Go
(Riyadh) -- Saudi Arabia is buying the makers of the hit mobile game Pokemon Go. The country's public investment fund will pay three-and-a-half-billion dollars to purchase the gaming division of Niantic, a San Francisco-based company that released the popular game back in 2016. Saudi Arabia has spent billions in recent years in an effort to develop its gaming industry.
>>Eminem Becomes Investor In Detroit WNBA Team
(Detroit, MI) -- Eminem is trying to bring the WNBA back to Detroit. The Michigan rapper has joined a team of investors including Pistons owner Tom Gores, Lions quarterback Jared Goff and General Motors CEO Mary Barra who are hoping to bring an expansion team to Detroit. The Motor City used to have one of the best teams in the league. The Detroit Shock won three WNBA championships, in 2003, 2006 and 2008, before moving to Tulsa in 2009. The league has said it wants to add a 16th team by 2028.
