For: April 21, 2026
>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed slightly lower on Monday to start off the trading week. Stocks slipped as global oil prices rose over the uncertainty about the future of U.S.-Iran peace talks in Pakistan. Investors are also keeping an eye on earnings with Tesla, Boeing and chipmaker Intel scheduled to report results this week. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost four points to 49-442. The S&P 500 fell 16 points to 71-09. The Nasdaq dropped 64 points to 24-404.
>>Retail Sales Up, Driven By Gas Prices
(Washington, DC) -- Retail sales jumped by one-point-seven percent in March, the largest growth since January 2023. The numbers out today from the Census Bureau show the growth was driven by a 15-point-five percent increase in gasoline spending brought on by the war with Iran. Analysts were expecting growth of one-point-four percent.
>>Tim Cook To Step Down As Apple CEO
(Cupertino, CA) -- Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO later this year. The company said Cook will transition to the role of executive chairman on September 1st. John Ternus will be Apple's new CEO. The 50-year-old was previously the chief of hardware at Apple. Cook has served as the head of Apple since 2011 when he took over for Steve Jobs. Cook said being CEO of Apple the greatest privilege of his life.
>>Satire Site The Onion To Take Over Infowars
(Undated) -- Satire site The Onion says it's taking over Infowars. CEO Ben Collins confirmed the news to Variety Monday. The company will take control of the Alex Jones ran site under a deal with Gregory Milligan, who was appointed by a bankruptcy court to manage the platform in 2024. The Onion says pending court approval, the new digital platform will be launched to "create a home for emerging and established comedic voices while expanding The Onion's home as a modern satire institution." The deal would run for six months with an option to renew for another six months pending approval from a judge.
>>Disney World Raising Ticket Prices
(Orlando, FL) -- Walt Disney World is raising ticket prices. The Florida theme park rolled out its pricing through October 2027 and the most expensive one-day ticket will cost 219-dollars a person on President's Day weekend. Peak ticket prices this year reached 209-dollars. Out west, Disneyland's peak ticket has reached 224-dollars. Disney is offering some discounts to try to draw visitors in during the summer months, but with stripped back perks.
>>FDNY Planning Double Digit Hikes In Ambulance Fees
(New York, NY) -- The FDNY is planning double-digit hikes in ambulance fees come July 1st. That means a basic life support ambulance ride would jump from thirteen-hundred-eighty-five-dollars to nearly 18-hundred, while "treatment in place" would rise from 630 dollars to 896. Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola blames Mayor Mamdani's edict that all city departments have to make budget cuts because of the city's fiscal crisis. But EMS Union President Oren Barzilay blames a staffing shortage caused by poor pay and EMS personnel working three years without a contract. He says that's insulting and "endangers the people of the city of New York." The public will get to weigh in a May 15th hearing.
