For: April 16, 2025
>>Watching Wall Street
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell will ring on Wall Street this morning as investors are still searching for clarity in President Trump's tariff policy. Yesterday stocks closed lower, but without much of the volatility seen recently. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 155 points to 40-368. The S&P 500 lost 9 points to 53-96. The Nasdaq fell 8 points to 16-823. In addition to keeping an eye on stocks, the focus shifts today to retail sales along with the home builder confidence index. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is also set to deliver remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago in the afternoon.
>>Day 3 Of Meta Anti-Trust Trial Set For Today
(Washington, DC) -- The major anti-trust trial against Meta continues today in Washington, DC. Yesterday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed back on claims he bought Instagram and WhatsApp to block competition. He said he purchased Instagram because it was easier than building a new app from scratch. Zuckerberg has spent two days on the witness stand but it's unclear if he'll return today. FTC lawyers say they also plan to call Meta's former COO Sheryl Sandberg to testify, among others. The outcome of the trial could reshape how big tech companies operate in the future.
>>Report: OpenAI Looking At Building Social Media Platform
(San Francisco, CA) -- OpenAI is apparently getting into the social media game. That's according to The Verge which reports that it's in the early stages of development and would be based on ChatGPT's image generation. Whether the network would be a separate app or be a part of ChatGPT is unclear. This comes after X owner Elon Musk made a bid to purchase OpenAI for around 97-billion dollars earlier this year. The AI research group's co-founder, Sam Altman, declined and instead made a counter offer for Musk's platform for the same price.
>>Johnson & Johnson CEO Warns Tariffs Could Cause Drug Shortages
(New Brunswick, NJ) -- Johnson and Johnson's CEO says tariffs on pharmaceuticals could cause supply chain disruptions and shortages. Joaquin Duato [[ Wah-Keen Du-ah-toe ]] told investors Tuesday that healthcare companies should work with the Trump administration to try and get ahead of the problem. He recommends using tax policy instead of tariffs like the heavy ones imposed on China, where a lot of raw ingredients for pharmaceuticals are sourced.
>>Feds Pull Funding For Transit Project
(Washington, DC) -- A proposed bullet train that would connect Dallas and Houston is hitting a roadblock. The Federal Government has pulled its financial support. The Department of Transportation cited the estimated cost, which is now believed to be more than 40-billion dollars. They called it an "unrealistic" and "risky" venture for taxpayers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says, if the private sector believes this project is feasible, they should pay for it.
>>American Airlines To Offer Free Wi-Fi in 2026
(Dallas, TX) -- American Airlines is planning to offer free inflight Wi-Fi in 2026. The Dallas-based carrier announced today the complimentary service will be offered on about 90 percent of its fleet starting in January. It follows similar moves by JetBlue Airways, Delta and United Airlines. American noted its free Wi-Fi service will be sponsored by AT&T and available for members of its AAdvantage loyalty program.
>>United Airlines To Cut Domestic Flights This Summer
(Chicago, IL) -- United Airlines is planning to cut flights this summer as domestic travel demand falls. The Chicago-based carrier says it plans to trim domestic capacity by about four percent starting in the third quarter. For the first quarter, United posted a 387-million-dollar profit, while projecting strong demand for premium cabin bookings and international travel. Unit revenue for domestic flights fell nearly four percent from last year during the first quarter.
>>Atlanta Again Lays Claim To World's Busiest Airport
(Chicago, IL) -- The list of the ten busiest airports in the world is out, and Atlanta holds on to top spot yet again. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is number one, according to the Airports Council International World's rankings. It had over 108 million passengers in 2024. That's a three-percent jump from 2023.
>>Hermes Ranked World's Most Valuable Luxury Company
(Paris) -- Hermes is now the world's most valuable luxury company. The French fashion house, which sells ten-thousand-dollar Birkin and Kelly handbags, is overtaking LVHM for the title. The position swap comes after disappointing first-quarter revenue from LVHM. Hermes has seen a steady six-to-seven-percent increase in value annually. LVHM suffered a seven-percent decrease in their market capitalization.
