>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks got off to a hot start to the trading week. Tesla shares were among the biggest gainers on Monday, up more than ten percent. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 597 points to end at 42-583. The S&P 500 rose 100 points to 57-67. The Nasdaq climbed 404 points to 18-188.
>>Postmaster DeJoy Resigns
(Washington, DC) -- Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is stepping down as head of the U.S. Postal Service. DeJoy, who was appointed to lead the independent government agency in 2020, announced his resignation Monday. In a statement, DeJoy said he'd made beneficial changes to an organization adrift, but that more work was necessary. Some 30-thousand employees have been cut from the service since 2021 and there are plans to cut another ten-thousand. DeJoy has called for increased postage rates over his term, which saw the price of a stamp rise from 55-cents to 73-cents. Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino will be in charge until a successor can be named.
>>President Trump Says He May Give Countries "Breaks" On Tariffs
(Washington, DC) -- President Trump says he may give certain countries exemptions for tariffs when his administration imposes them next week. He told reporters at the White House "we might be even nicer than that." Trump has suggested he would impose reciprocal tariffs beginning April 2nd on any nation with duties on U.S. goods. As that date comes closer, some White House officials are indicating there may be wiggle room.
>>Hyundai Investing Billions In U.S.
(Washington, DC) -- South Korean car maker Hyundai is making a 20-billion dollar investment in the United States. That includes a five-billion dollar steel plant in Louisiana. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media that it will mean "More investments, more jobs and more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans." Today's announcement comes as the White House has levied 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
>>Business Reports On The Calendar
(Undated) -- When it comes to noteworthy business reports, there are a trio of them to keep an eye out for today: Consumer confidence, new home sales and the 20-city S&P Case-Shiller home price index. Things will be pretty quiet on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's release of the second GDP revision, weekly jobless claims and pending home sales numbers. Things wrap up Friday with a key measure of inflation - the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index - and the latest reading on consumer sentiment.
>>Chime Introduces Instant Loans
(San Francisco, CA) -- The consumer financial technology company Chime, which offers fee-free banking services, is announcing the launch of Instant Loans. It will provide instant access of up to 500-dollars in a loan with a fixed interest rate of five-dollars for every 100-dollars borrowed. The loan is paid back in three monthly payments of 35-dollars per 100-dollars borrowed.
>>Samsung Co-CEO Dies At 63
(Hong Kong) -- Samsung Electronics co-CEO Han Jong-Hee is dead at the age of 63. Han had overseen the South Korean tech giant's consumer electronics and mobile devices businesses since 2022. Announcing his death earlier today, a company spokesperson said it was the result of cardiac arrest.
