For: December 31, 2025
>>Watching Wall Street
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks slipped in Monday trading ahead of the New Year's holiday. Minutes released yesterday from the Federal Reserve's final meeting of 2025 showed division among policymakers over their latest decision to cut interest rates. Many investors expect the central bank will hold rates steady at the next meeting in January. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost fell 95 points to 48-367. The S&P 500 lost nine points to 68-96 The Nasdaq dropped 55 points to 23-419.
>>Stock Market To Be Closed On New Year's Day
(New York, NY) -- There will be no trading on Wall Street New Year's Day. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will be closed on January 1st. Bond markets will close early today and will remain closed on Thursday. Initial jobless claims will be released this morning, but no economic data will be released on New Year's. There will be no regular mail delivery or shipping on New Year's Day, but Priority Mail and critical packages will still be delivered. Banks and government offices will also be closed for the holiday. Most stores will be open, but some will close early for New Year's Eve.
>>Bitcoin ATM Scams Rose In 2025
(Undated) -- Americans were scammed out of more than 330 million dollars this year through schemes using bitcoin ATM machines. According to a FBI spokesperson, new statistics documenting fraudulent transactions using cryptocurrency kiosks reflect a "clear and constant rise" that is "not slowing down." There are more than 45-thousand bitcoin ATMs nationwide that allow users to insert cash and send it to a digital wallet anywhere in the world, but experts say the money can be nearly impossible to recover. AARP has advocated for more stringent regulations to protect Americans from scams on bitcoin ATMs as it has become an attractive method for prospective fraudsters.
>>Boeing Awarded Contract To Build Jets For Israel
(Washington, DC) -- Boeing is being awarded an eight-point-six-billion-dollar contract to build fighter jets for Israel. Under the agreement, Boeing will produce 25 new F-15s for Israel, along with an option for an additional 25 aircraft. The work will be done at Boeing's St. Louis location and is expected to be finished in 2035.
>>Disney $10 Million FTC Allegations Settlement
(Burbank, CA) -- Disney is agreeing to pay ten million dollars to settle FTC allegations that it violated children's privacy laws. According to the Department of Justice, the settlement will officially resolve allegations that Disney violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act in connection with its popular YouTube video content. COPPA prohibits website operators from knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13, unless they provide notice to and obtain consent from those children's parents.
>>DC Judge Orders Funding Of CFPB
(Washington, DC) -- A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to continue funding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The administration had argued that because the agency gets its funding from the Federal Reserve, which is technically operating at a loss, there's no way to fund it. On Tuesday, district court judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected the argument and upheld an earlier injunction ensuring the consumer bureau would continue to exist as congressionally mandated. Last week, a coalition of 21 states sued the administration to keep the agency from being defunded.
