>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after a higher close for stocks Wednesday on Wall Street. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 383 points to 41-964. The S&P 500 rose by 60 points to 56-75. The Nasdaq gained 246 points to 17-750. Investors today will be keeping an eye for a couple of noteworthy reports with the release of weekly jobless claims and existing home sales.
>>Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Steady
(Washington, DC) -- The Federal Reserve is holding interest rates steady despite some signs that the economy could be slowing. Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the Fed is focusing on achieving maximum employment and stable prices. The central bank forecasts that two rate cuts will come later this year. The decision is in line with market expectations and is the second time the Fed has paused rate cuts since January. This after the central bank cut rates three times at the end of 2024 due to weakening employment data and cooling prices.
>>Amtrak CEO Resigns Amid Trump Concerns
(Washington, DC) -- The CEO of Amtrak is turning in his resignation. Stephen Gardner said Wednesday he's stepping down because of concerns from the Trump administration. His resignation comes after Elon Musk suggested earlier this month that Amtrak should become a privately-owned company. Amtrak later issued a statement pushing back against the idea, claiming that past efforts to privatize various Amtrak operations had proven unsuccessful.
>>Federal Court Rules AI-Created Art Can't Be Copyrighted
(Undated) -- A federal appeals court is ruling art created entirely by artificial intelligence can't be copyrighted. This week's ruling says there must be initial human authorship in order for a copyright to be issued. This means that in order for an AI-generated work to be copyrighted, a human must be the one directing or using the AI, and the AI can't be operating autonomously. The ruling upholds a decision made by the U.S. Copyright Office denying a copyright to Stephen Thaler. The computer scientist and creator of AI-platform "Creativity Machine" had challenged the office's decision not to issue a copyright for an AI-generated painting.
>>Joann Warns Customers Of Fake Websites
(Hudson, OH) -- Joann Fabric and Crafts is warning customers of fake websites as the company files for bankruptcy and prepares to close all stores. The retailer issued a statement on Instagram clarifying that online shopping is no longer available. Joann-dot-com is the company's only website and can be used to browse its catalog and find nearby stores. The post encouraged them to shop in person.
