>>Amazon, Starbucks Strikes Over

(Undated)  --  Amazon and Starbucks workers are back delivering packages and whipping up holiday drinks.  Strikes at both companies have ended without a resolution.  Delivery drivers with the Teamsters Union walked off the job ahead of Christmas at Amazon in several cities over pay and demands Amazon recognize them as employees.  Starbucks Workers United was striking at more than 300 stores over wages and benefits.  It's unclear if the strikes had any impact on the bargaining power of the workers. 

>>Musk, Ramaswamy Face Backlash For Supporting Foreign-Born Tech Engineers

(Undated)  --  Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are getting backlash for defending Silicon Valley's reliance on foreign-born engineers.  The billionaires are heading up President-elect Trump's new "Department of Government Efficiency."  This week, they both claimed on X that the U.S. does not have enough talented engineers.  Musk wrote on Wednesday that "there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America."  On Thursday, Ramaswamy wrote, "A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers."  

>>Mortgage Rates Up At Year's End

(Undated)  --  Mortgage rates are up as 2024 draws to a close.  For the week ending December 26th, average 30-year fixed-rate mortgages were at six-point-85 percent, according to Freddie Mac.  That's higher than the year's average despite several cuts to the interest rate made by the Federal Reserve.  Mortgage rates are more influenced by the bond market, which the Fed doesn't directly influence.

>>Weekly Jobless Drops Slightly

(Washington, DC)  --  The year's final report on first-time requests for unemployment benefits can be summed up as a mixed bag.  The Labor Department's report shows first-time jobless claims fell by a thousand last week to 219-thousand.  That was against projections of 225-thousand.  But the report also showed the highest number of people collecting unemployment benefits since November 2021, at nearly two-million.  

>>Richard Parsons Dies At 76

(Undated)  --  Richard Parsons, the former CEO of Time Warner, has died at the age of 76.  Parsons became the CEO in 2002, directly after Time Warner's disastrous takeover of AOL.  He helped divorce the two companies, dropping the "AOL" from the corporations name and grew Time Warner back to a multi-billion dollar company before stepping away in 2007.  His death was reported Thursday. 

>>"Mufasa" Wins Christmas Day

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  "Mufasa: The Lion King" was the winner at the Christmas Day box office, raking in 14-point-seven-million-dollars.  The new vampire film "Nosferatu" made eleven-and-a-half-million on its debut day and took second.  "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" finished in third with ten-point-three-million, while the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" made seven-point-two-million from its first day in theaters.  "Wicked" finished in fifth with over five-million.

>>Trading Resumes After Christmas Holiday

(New York, NY)  --  Trading resumes this morning after Wall Street was dark Wednesday in observation of the Christmas Day holiday.  This comes after an early close on Christmas Eve as the markets kicked off what's known as the Santa Claus rally.  That happens during the last five trading days of the year and the first two days of January.  At Tuesday's closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 390 points to 43-297.  The S&P 500 rose by 65 points to 60-40.  The Nasdaq gained 266 points to 20-031.  Meanwhile, coming up today, we'll get a look at weekly jobless claims.  Most analysts are predicting a slight jump from 220-thousand to around 225-thousand.  That will mark the final report on initial jobless claims for 2024.  

>>Returns Add Up To Almost $900B Problem For Retailers 

(Undated)  --  With holiday shopping expected to have hit a historic high this year, the same is to be said for purchase returns.  A recent report by the National Retail Federation and return management company Happy Returns expects this years returns to reach 17-percent of all merchandise sales, making for 890-billion-dollars in returned products.  The return rate in 2023 was at 15-percent, totaling 743-billion-dollars.  

>>Biden To Make Decision On Sale Of U.S. Steel Without Input From Foreign Investment Committee

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- President Biden is expected to make a decision on the sale of U.S. Steel without input from the Committee on Foreign Investment.  The president had been waiting on the panel to weigh in on whether the acquisition of the company by Japan's Nippon Steel would pose a risk to national security.  The Washington Post was the first to break the news that the committee sent word to the White House that they cannot come to a consensus on the nearly 15-billion-dollar deal.  Biden previously said he intended to block the sale.    United Steelworkers President David McCall still stands in opposition to the proposal, saying Nippon will end up transferring production to the non-union U.S. Steel facility in Arkansas.

>>Report:  Pete Carroll Interested In Bears Head Coaching Job

(Undated)  --  A longtime NFL coach is reportedly hoping to get back into the profession.  According to ESPN, former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is interested in coaching the Chicago Bears.  Carroll coached Seattle from 2010-to-2023, posting a 170-120-and-1 record.  He led them to a victory in Super Bowl 48.  The 73-year-old is currently a senior advisor with the team.  The Bears let Matt Eberflus go on November 29th.  Thomas Jones is currently their interim head coach.  

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed sharply higher on Friday. That came after the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by eleven-hundred points earlier in the week. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC he was encouraged by the latest inflation numbers and rates could be cut next year despite the Federal Reserve being cautious. At the closing bell, the Dow gained 498 points to 42-840. The S&P 500 rose 63 points to 59-30. The Nasdaq gained 199 to 19-572.

>>Biden Signs Short-Term Funding Bill, Averting Government Shutdown

(Washington, DC) -- President Biden has signed a short-term funding bill averting a government shutdown just ahead of the holidays. In a statement released over the weekend, Biden said the Congressionally-approved agreement "represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted." He did call it good news however, as - in his words - "it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity."

>>Trump: Time To Start Thinking About TikTok

(Phoenix, AZ) -- President-elect Donald Trump is hinting at a future for TikTok in the U.S. He says after seeing the success his campaign enjoyed on the popular short-form video app, he feels like it's time to "start thinking about TikTok." Trump spoke Sunday at AmericaFest, hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action in Phoenix, Arizona. His comments come just weeks before TikTok faces a deadline to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, or be banned in America as Congress argues it poses a national security risk.

>>Economic Reports On The Horizon As 2024 Winds Down

(Undated) -- Coming up in the business week ahead, trading will be abbreviated on Wall Street thanks to the Christmas holiday. As for major economic reports on the horizon, today brings word on consumer confidence, with new home sales data to follow on Tuesday. Weekly jobless claims are due Thursday, with most analysts predicting a slight jump from 220-thousand to around 225-thousand. Things will be quiet until the following Monday with the release of pending home sales. The year comes to a close on December 31st with not much on the calendar except for the S&P Case-Shiller home price index.

>>Amazon, Starbucks Strikes Continue

(New York, NY) -- It's another day of the Teamsters union strike against Amazon -- just ahead of Christmas. Amazon says it's not as big as it's being sold as, because only around one percent of its workforce are union members. Drivers say they want better working conditions and pay, and for Amazon to recognize them as employees. Amazon says the strike has not disrupted its operations. Meanwhile, Starbucks union workers are striking in several cities with a pledge to keep the movement going through Christmas Eve unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

>>Nuna Baby Recalls Over 600K Car Seats

(Undated) -- Nuna Baby Essentials is recalling over 600-thousand car seats over a harness issue. The company says the recall affects RAVA models made from July 16, 2016 to October 25, 2023. Debris could get stuck where the front harness adjuster button is and cause the mechanism to fail, resulting in a loose harness. According to Nuna, a loose harness can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

>>Apple Reportedly Working On Smart Doorbell

(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell. According to Bloomberg, the doorbell would use Apple's Face ID tech to scan people as they approach and automatically unlock for residents. It likely won't be available before the end of 2025 at the earliest.

>>Young Adults Are Keeping Themselves On Their Holiday Gift Lists

(Undated) -- It's officially gifting season, but young adults are doing more self-shopping. Almost half of Gen-Z and millennials are purchasing their own gifts this holiday season, according to the consulting firm Deloitte. The most popular seasonal splurges include clothing, accessories, electronics, travel, live events and health and wellness. Gen-Z and millennials are expected to be the drivers in a holiday sales surge this year, with Gen-Z's holiday budget rising 37-percent and millennials budget rising 16-percent, according to the accounting firm PwC. Other influences of the self-gifting trend are social media influencer and self-care marketing.

>>Stocks Close Mixed

(New York, NY)  --  Wall Street closed Thursday with stocks mixed.  This comes after the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost over eleven-hundred points Wednesday and closed lower for the tenth straight time.  It was slightly boosted today thanks to chip making giant Nvidia, which had weighed down the major average.  At the closing bell, the Dow gained 15 points to 42-342.  The S&P 500 lost five points to fall to 58-67.  The Nasdaq fell by 20 points to 19-372.

>>Last Two Sam Goody Locations Set To Close

(St. Clairsville, OH)  --  Another casualty has fallen to digital music and online streaming.  Former retail giant Sam Goody is shutting down its last two remaining brick-and-mortar locations.  Sam Goody once had as many as 800 locations at malls across the country.  Since 2022, the only two existing stores have been at the Ohio Valley Mall in Saint Clairsville, Ohio and the Rogue Valley Mall in Medford, Oregon.  The Ohio location is reportedly scheduled to close in February, while a closing date has not been announced for the Oregon location.

>>Almost 40 Republicans Vote Against Trump-Backed Spending Bill

(Washington, DC)  --  Almost 40 House Republican lawmakers voted against the President-elect Trump-backed government spending bill that did not pass on Thursday as a government shutdown looms.  Some of the 38 who voted against it included Arizona Representative Andy Biggs, South Carolina Representative Nancy Mase, and Texas Representative Chip Roy. Democrats voted mostly along party lines. The bill did not reach the two-thirds margin necessary to pass, with the government set to shut down if lawmakers do not pass any legislation by 11:59 p.m. local time on Friday. 

>>Amazon Strike Underway

(New York, NY)  --  The Teamsters union is launching a nationwide strike against Amazon  --  six days before Christmas.  They're striking at Amazon facilities across the country starting and the union says it's the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history.  Picket lines are up at Amazon facilities in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, the Chicago area and three locations in Southern California.  They add that local unions will also be putting up picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers across the nation in the coming days. 

>>Starbucks Workers To Strike In LA, Chicago, Seattle

(Seattle, WA)  --  Starbucks workers are going on strike today in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.  Workers United, the union that represents some 10-thousand Starbucks workers, said strikes will start this morning and spread to other stores in the U.S. each day through Christmas Eve unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.  The coffee company and the union have been working on a deal since April but haven't come to an agreement.  The union wants higher wages and staffing, along with better scheduling policies.  Starbucks says the union prematurely walked away from a bargaining session this week.

>>Positive Reports For U.S. Economy 

(Washington, DC)  --  The U.S. economy picked up steam in the third quarter.  Strong consumer spending and increased exports were the main drivers. The Gross Domestic Product grew just over three-percent from July through September.  Consumer spending had a three-point-seven percent jump.

>>SEC: Trump Did Not Receive Money Transferring Stock Shares To Revocable Trust

(Washington, DC)  --  The  Securities and Exchange Commission says President-elect Trump did not receive any money when he transferred all of his shares in Trump Media to a revocable trust.  The S-E-C says the total number of shares Trump transferred this week was just under 115-million shares.  The stock closed at 35-dollars-41-cents on Thursday, making the transferred shares worth more than four-billion-dollars.  According to an SEC filing, Trump "directly owned zero shares of Trump Media and Technology Group Corporation and indirectly owned" the near 115-million-shares of the corporation.  Trump made similar transfers to a revocable trust prior to his inauguration for his first term, although at a far lower dollar value.

>>Big Lots Begins Going Out Of Business Sales

(New York, NY)  --  Big Lots is beginning its "going out of business sales" at all of its remaining locations. The retail chain has already closed more than 400 stores since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and less than a thousand are still open. In an email to employees, its president and CEO said pending store closures could "be reversed if we successfully complete a sale." But, he added, a reduction in staff is necessary.
 

>>Dow Falls Over 11-Hundred Points After Rate Cut

(New York, NY) -- The Dow Jones fell over a thousand points Wednesday. At the closing bell, the Dow lost 11-hundred-23 points to 42-326. The S&P 500 lost 178 points to 58-72 and the Nasdaq fell over three-and-a-half-percent, dropping 716 points to 19-392. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter point today, but investors turned sour when they learned the Fed would likely cut rates only twice in 2025. This is the Dow's worst losing streak since 1974 when it went through an 11-day slide.

>>White House Criticizes Trump And GOP For Sinking Funding Bill

(Washington, DC) -- The White House is criticizing President-elect Trump for sinking a bipartisan funding bill that would've prevented a government shut down. Although Congress announced they'd reached a deal earlier this week to keep the government open through March, Trump released a statement lambasting the bill, causing House Republicans to reject it. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said "Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country." She added that a government shutdown will hurt farmers, veterans, and families, saying "A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word."

>>Amazon Strike Begins This Morning

(New York, NY) -- Amazon workers are going on strike. The Teamsters says workers will begin striking at Amazon facilities across the country starting this morning. The union says it's the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history. Picket lines will be going up at Amazon facilities in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, the Chicago area and three locations in Southern California. They add that local unions will also be putting up picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers across the nation in the days before Christmas.

>>Fed Lowers Interest Rates Once Again

(Washington, DC) -- The Federal Reserve is lowering rates for a third time this year. It announced Wednesday it's cutting interest rates by quarter of a percentage point. It brings the Fed's benchmark short-term rate to a range of four-and-a-quarter percent to four-and-half percent. Fed officials began lowering rates this fall from a 23-year-high of five-and-half percent as inflation eased following the pandemic. Looking ahead, policymakers indicated that just two more rate cuts are likely in 2025.

>>SCOTUS To Hear Arguments Over TikTok Ban Law

(Washington, DC) -- The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over a law that would ban TikTok. The law that requires ByteDance to sell the popular video sharing app or be banned is set to go into effect on January 19th. The company is asking the Supreme Court to block the law while it appeal's a lower-court ruling that upheld it. Oral arguments are set for January 10th. President-elect Trump has signaled he may intervene and stop the ban once he has been sworn back into office.

>>DOJ Sues CVS

(Washington, DC) -- The Department of Justice is accusing pharmacy chain CVS of illegally dispensing massive quantities of opioids in the name of profit over public safety. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, says for more than a decade filled dubious prescriptions for controlled substances that had no real medical purpose. A CVS spokesperson denied the claims, calling the suit misguided and a dilemma for pharmacists who are already second-guessing about filling prescriptions for opioids.

>>Texas Sues 3M And DuPont Over PFAS

(Undated) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing 3M and DuPont. The suit accuses the companies of deceptively marketing products containing the toxic chemical PFAS. It has been used for decades as a nonstick, waterproof, and stain-resistant coating in products like 3M's Scotchgard and DuPont's Teflon. 3M is phasing out the use of PFAS in products by the end of 2025. It hasn't used PFAS in Scotchgard for years.

>>Senate Passes $845 Billion Defense Bill

(Washington, DC) -- An 845-billion-dollar defense bill is headed to President Biden's desk. The Senate passed the legislation in a 85-to-14 vote Wednesday. Some Democrats objected to a transgender care provision in the bill, leading them to vote against it. The provision bans some gender-affirming care for children of service members. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the National Defense Authorization Act "is not perfect, but it still makes several important advances Democrats fought for to secure America's national defense."

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after Wall Street closed lower Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its losing streak.  The blue-chip index pulled back for a ninth straight session on the eve of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates.  Analysts say the Dow's losses are being driven as investors rotate into technology stocks following the post-election rally.  At the closing bell, the Dow lost 267 points to 43-449.  The S&P 500 lost 23 points to 60-50 and the Nasdaq fell 64 points to 20-109.

>>Federal Reserve Decision On Interest Rates

(Washington, DC)  --  The Federal Reserve is set to wrap up its  two-day meeting with an announcement on interest rates.  The Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates once again, marking the third and final rate cut of the year with most economists expecting a quarter percentage point reduction.  The Federal Funds rate -- which is the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term loans -- is currently four-and-a-half percent.

>>Grubhub Settles Deception Case For $25M

(Chicago, IL)  --  Grubhub is paying 25-million-dollars to settle accusations it misled customers about the cost of their delivery.  The Federal Trade Commission had also accused the delivery service of misleading drivers about how much they could earn.  The practice in some cases resulted in a delivery that cost twice as much as what was originally advertised.  As part of the settlement announced on Tuesday the company must tell customers the full cost of delivery.  

>>Walmart Testing Employee Body Cameras

(Bentonville, AR)  --  Walmart is testing out putting body cameras on some of its employees with a focus on employee safety.  One photo from a store in the pilot program showed a poster with directions on how to use the camera in case an encounter with a customer is escalating.  A recent survey found around 35 percent of retailers are researching the use of body cameras for employees and loss-prevention personnel.

>>Report: Honda, Nissan Talking Merger 

(Undated)  --  Honda and Nissan are reportedly talking about a possible merger.  The Nikkei financial newspaper reports the Japanese automakers are considering the move to help them compete better in the EV market.  According to the report, Honda and Nissan would operate under a single holding company and would consider bringing in Mitsubishi to form one of the world's largest auto groups.  Nissan is Mitsubishi's top shareholder.  Honda and Nissan are trying for a larger share of the EV marketplace that's dominated by Tesla and Chinese automakers. 

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after a mixed start to the final full trading week of the year.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose to a new record as shares of Apple, Alphabet and Tesla surged to fresh all-time highs.  As things wrapped up with yesterday's closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 110 points to 43-717.  The S&P 500 rose 22 points to 60-74 and the Nasdaq climbed 247 points to 20-173.  In focus today, the Federal Reserve is set to begin a two-day policy meeting with a decision on interest rates on Wednesday.  Ahead of that, we'll get word this morning on retail sales as well as the home builder confidence index.  

>>TikTok Asks Supreme Court For Help

(Washington, DC)  --  TikTok is asking the Supreme Court to block a law that could ban the video app.  The law, which requires the Chinese-owned platform to be sold or shut down, goes into effect January 19th.  TikTok on Monday petitioned the high court to stop the law, arguing it violates the company's First Amendment free speech rights.  The app has around 170 million users in the U.S.

>>Softbank CEO, Trump Announce $100 Billion US Investment

(Palm Beach, FL)  --  President-elect Trump says the U.S. economy will only get bigger under his administration.  Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach today, Trump said he will start rolling back burdensome business regulations on day one.  He added that he's going to force all federal employees to return to the office, instead of working from home.  He was joined by the CEO of Japanese tech investing firm Softbank, who pledged a 100-billion-dollar tech investment in the U.S. 

>>Senate Investigation: Amazon Warehouses Less Safe

(Washington, DC)  --  A Senate investigation is accusing Amazon of tweaking workplace injury data to make its warehouses seem safer than they are.  The report, released Sunday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, comes after an 18-month probe into seven years of Amazon workplace injury data.  Among the findings were that Amazon warehouses are less safe than the industry average and that Amazon workers are twice as likely to be injured compared to employees at other warehouses.  Amazon rejected the findings, arguing it has made significant safety improvements and accusing the committee of twisting information to support a false narrative.

>>Verdict Reached In Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing Cash App Founder

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Jurors in the high-profile murder trial of a former tech consultant charged in the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee have reached a verdict.  Just what they've decided is not yet known as the verdict won't be announced until this morning.  Prosecutors argued suspect Nima Momeni targeted Lee on a San Francisco street last year because he believed his sister had been drugged and sexually assaulted by a man she met through Lee.  The defense claimed self defense and said Lee had pulled a knife on Momeni.  
 

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed on Friday to cap what was a losing week.  The Dow fell slightly for its seventh straight day of declines.  Stocks struggled for direction while chipmaker Broadcom rallied more than 20 percent to hit a one-trillion dollar market cap.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 86 points to 43-828.  The S&P 500 fell less than a single point to 60-51 and the Nasdaq rose 23 points to 19-926.

>>Federal Reserve To Decide Interest Rates This Week

(Washington, DC)  --  The Federal Reserve is set to begin its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday.  The Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates once again when it announces its decision on Wednesday.  It would be the third rate and final rate cut of the year with most economists expecting a quarter percentage point reduction.  The Federal Funds rate -- which is the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term loans -- is currently four-and-a-half percent.

>>Amazon Unions Authorize Two New York Warehouses To Strike

(New York, NY)  --  Amazon Teamsters say they're ready to strike in the midst of the holiday shopping seasons.  The announcement Sunday comes after two New York warehouses voted to go on strike following Amazon's refusal to negotiate a new contract.  The union had called on Amazon to agree to bargaining dates for a contract by December 15th.  Thousands of Amazon workers went on strike late last month, asking for higher pay and better working conditions during one of the company's busiest weekends of the year.  A spokesperson for Amazon says the Teamsters union is misleading the public and promoting false narratives.  The two facilities serve 20 million people in the New York City metro area.

>>Apple Reportedly Working On Foldable Screens

(Cupertino, CA)  --  Apple is reportedly working on foldable iPhones and iPads.  According to multiple reports, the tech giant is said to be looking at launching the devices sometime in 2026 or possibly 2027.  One of the biggest developments, according to reports, would be a foldable screen without the visible crease on existing folding screen tech.

>>NYC Law Ends Forced Apartment Broker Fees In 6 Months

(New York)  --  The days of New York City apartment-hunters being forced to pay large up-front brokerage fees are just about over.  Legislation shifting the burden of paying broker fees from tenants to the landlords who hire them became law on Saturday after passing the City Council with a veto-proof majority, and without the signature of Mayor Eric Adams.  When the new policy takes effect in six months, New York will join most other places in the U.S., where the broker is paid by whomever hires them.  Backers of the measure say the change will reduce high up-front costs which make it difficult  for New Yorkers to move.

>>SpaceX Wants Public Vote On Plans To Form City Around Starbase

(Boca Chica, TX)  --  SpaceX is asking Cameron County, Texas for permission to form a city around its property on Boca Chica Beach.  The company has sent a petition to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Junior asking for an incorporation election.  The new city would apparently be called Starbase, Texas.  The company says it already performs some functions related to city government like road maintenance and providing schooling and medical care for residents. 
 

>>Stocks Close Lower as Dow Slump Continues

(New York, NY) -- Wall Street closed lower Thursday with the Dow falling for the sixth day in a row. The markets retreated after Thursday's producer price index showed wholesale prices rose point-four percent last month. Tech shares led the decline with Adobe falling more than 13 percent after a weaker-than-expected 2025 outlook. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 234 points to 43-914. The S&P 500 dropped 32 points to 60-51 and the Nasdaq lost 132 points to 19-902.

>>Trump Rings Opening Bell/Talks Economy (New York, NY) -- President-elect Trump says he wants the American worker to be invested in the economy. Trump told CNBC on Thursday that he wants the American worker to wake up and love to go to work for a lot of money. He made those comments while ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Trump also discussed what he learned during his first stint as President. He said he didn't know a lot of people then, but now he has, in his words, people coming out of his ears.

>>Albertsons Sues Kroger After Merger Deal Collapses

(Phoenix, AZ) -- Albertsons is suing Kroger following a decision by a federal judge to block their merger plans. The grocery chain filed a lawsuit against its main competitor on Wednesday, accusing it of breaching its contract and claiming Kroger failed to do all it could to secure regulatory approval of their 25-billion-dollar merger deal. Albertson's is seeking billions of dollars in damages from Kroger along with a 600-million-dollar termination fee. A Kroger spokesperson called the lawsuit "an attempt to deflect responsibility" following Albertsons' alleged multiple breaches of the agreement.

>>Trump Supports Dockworkers' Union On Automation

(Palm Beach, FL) -- President-elect Trump says he supports the dockworkers union's position against automation ahead of a possible strike. In a post on Truth Social, Trump says he met with leaders of the International Longshoremen's Association, the union that represents the dockworkers. Trump said in the post that he knows "just about everything there is to know" about automation and how dockworkers would be affected. He added that the "amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress" automation would cause Longshoremen. The dockworkers union could go on strike as early as mid-January.

>>New Rule Targets Overdraft Fees

(Washington, DC) -- New rules out of Washington are taking aim at overdraft fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is moving to close a loophole it says allowed big banks to rake in massive profits from overdraft fees. Under the new rule, banks with more than ten-billion-dollars in assets will be given three options: cap overdraft fees at five-dollars, set fees to only cover costs and losses or treat the fees like loans with disclosure of rates and terms. The agency estimates the rule change will save people five-billion-dollars a year. The rule, which takes effect next October, is the latest effort by the Biden administration to crack down on so-called junk fees.

>>Report: Amazon To Donate $1M To Trump's Inauguration

(Seattle, WA) -- Amazon is planning to donate one-million dollars to President-elect Trump's inaugural fund. The Wall Street Journal reports Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is preparing the donation ahead of his visit to Mar-a-Lago next week. The donation is part of an effort by Bezos and other tech leaders to smooth ties with the incoming administration. The paper reported Wednesday that Mark Zuckerberg directed Meta Platforms to also make a one-million-dollar donation to the inaugural fund. Trump has often criticized Big Tech and feuded with Bezos over his ownership of the Washington Post.

>>Paxton Sues Chemical Giants Over Use Of 'Forever Chemicals'

(Austin, TX) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing 3M and DuPont over their use of chemicals known as PFAS in a large number of consumer products. Wednesday's lawsuit claims the companies misrepresented the safety of the chemicals in products such as Teflon and Scotchgard. PFAS are resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water, and have been used in consumer products since the 1940s. They're known as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down. They've been linked to cancer, birth defects, and liver damage.

>>Price of Eggs Continues To Rise

(Undated) -- Many Americans are getting sticker shock when it comes to the price of eggs. The consumer price index released this week shows the average retail price of eggs has risen 38-percent since November 2023. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dozen large Grade A eggs cost three dollars and 65 cents last month. That's up from two-14 a year earlier. Economists say the price hike is a result of bird flu, which has reduced the egg supply -- and high demand for eggs around the holiday season. The record price for eggs was four-82 a dozen in January 2023.

>>Party City To File For Second Bankruptcy

(Woodcliff Lake, NJ) -- The future of Party City is up in the air, as it reportedly plans to file for a second bankruptcy. The party supply retailer declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January of last year with around one-point-eight billion in debt. However, Bloomberg reports it continues to lose money and is behind on rent on some of its more than 800 stores nationwide. Party City exited bankruptcy in September, when it closed more than 60 stores and canceled around one-billion in debt.

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  Trading gets underway this morning with president-elect Trump ringing the opening bell.  This, after stocks closed mixed on Wall Street Wednesday.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq surged, reaching 20-thousand for the first time ever.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 99 points to 44-148.  The S&P 500 gained 49 points to 60-84 and the Nasdaq rose 347 points to 20-034.

>>Consumer Prices Jump In November

(Washington, DC)  --  The rate of inflation is once again on the rise.  Consumer prices jumped two-point-seven-percent compared to a year ago according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday.  The increase was in line with analysts' expectations.  The new data comes as the Federal Reserve is weighing an anticipated rate cut next week.  While inflation has cooled from its peak of over nine-percent in June 2022, it still remains just above the Fed's two-percent target rate.  We'll get yet another gauge of inflation with today's release of the producer price index.  

>>Appeals Court Scraps Nasdaq Diversity Rules For Company Boards 

(Undated)  --  A federal appeals court on Wednesday did away with Nasdaq rules designed to ensure boardroom diversity, saying the Securities and Exchange Commission - which had approved the rules - lacked the authority to do so.  Left in place, the rules would have required thousands of public companies trading on Nasdaq to have at least one person of color, woman or member of the LGBTQ community on their boards unless they could provide an explanation for not doing so.  The legal challenge was brought by two groups that claimed the rules violated civil rights laws and encouraged racial and gender discrimination.

>>Gas Prices Drop To Lowest In Three Years

(New York, NY)  --  Gasoline prices in the U.S. are at their lowest in three years.  GasBuddy.com says the national average for a gallon of regular fell to two dollars and 97 cents on Monday, the lowest average since May of 2021.  The lowest in the country was Oklahoma, with an average price of two-42 a gallon.  The highest average was in Hawaii, where gas is still four-48 a gallon.  A top analyst at GasBuddy predicts the national average for gas will potentially drop another ten to 15 cents by Christmas. 

>>Apple's New Update Integrates ChatGPT Into Siri

(Cupertino, CA)  --  Apple is integrating ChatGPT into its devices in a software rollout.  OpenAI's popular AI chatbot will be available for the Siri voice assistant and the new Writing Tools feature on Apple products with iOS 18.2.  When users ask Siri a complex question, it may suggest they allow access to ChatGPT so Siri can then provide a response using it.  That way, users don't need to switch between apps.
 

>>Coming Up Today

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after a lower close yesterday on Wall Street. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points to 44-247. The S&P 500 lost 18 points to 60-34. The Nasdaq dropped 49 points to 19-687. Investors today will be keeping a close eye out for key inflation data with the release of the consumer price index. Earnings results are also due from Macy's.

>>CVS Removes Executive's Photos From Website

(Woonsocket, RI) -- CVS Health has removed photos of its executives from its corporate website. It follows the murder last week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He was shot and killed on a New York City street last week. The Boston Globe reported a CVS spokesperson would not comment when asked if the company was taking other precautions to protect executives or if any individuals were threatened in the last year.

>>Instagram Rolls Out Trial Reels

(Menlo Park, CA) -- Instagram is offering a new feature called "trial reels." It gives creators a chance to test out their material on random users before sharing it with their followers. After being published for a full day, creators can then look at engagement data from the unknown audience. Instagram says creators tend to be nervous about going outside their boxes when posting content and the new feature gives them a chance to dip their toes into something different.

>>Judge Blocks Merger Of Kroger and Albertsons

(Portland, OR) -- A merger between grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons is being blocked. A judge sided with the FTC on Tuesday, which argued the merger would have eliminated head to head competition between the two chains. It also said it would have lead to higher prices for shoppers. The merger was set to be worth 25-billion-dollars. The judge's ruling essentially kills the merger.

>>GM Will No Longer Fund Cruise Robotaxi Development

(Detroit, MI) -- General Motors is giving up on its Cruise driverless taxi service. The automaker announced Tuesday that after spending ten-billion dollars on the program, the amount of time and money required to expand into the robotaxi market is too much. The company will now fold some of Cruise's employees into its technical teams. GM already owns about 90 percent of Cruise and said it expects to acquire outside shares by early next year.

>>Judge Rejects The Onion's Infowars Bid

(Houston, TX) -- A bankruptcy judge is rejecting The Onion's bid to buy Alex Jones' Infowars company. A federal bankruptcy judge late Tuesday threw out the satirical publication's bid, saying the offer and process were flawed. Jones, a conspiracy theorist, was ordered to sell off the InfoWars assets to settle a lawsuit won by parents of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut. The families said Jones repeatedly lied to his audience that the shooting never happened and were awarded more than a billion dollars. The Onion had initially won the auction, backed by the Sandy Hook families. The only other bid, which was actually higher, came from a company affiliated with Jones. The judge said that both offers were too small.

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed lower yesterday ahead of key inflation data. Stocks fell with the major indexes retreating from record levels as tech shares struggled. Nvidia slid three percent after Chinese regulators announced an anti-monopoly probe into the AI chipmaker. Investors are also bracing for Wednesday's release of the consumer price index. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 240 points to 44-401. The S&P 500 lost 37 points to 60-52. The Nasdaq dropped 123 points to 19-736.

>>TikTok Requests Emergency Motion To Block Ban

(Washington, DC) -- TikTok is asking for an emergency motion to stop a law banning it from going into effect next month. In a court filing Monday, ByteDance said the temporary pause would give the U.S. Supreme Court time to review the law. This comes after a judge rejected the China-based company's challenge to the law in a federal appeals court. The law that would ban TikTok if it's not sold to a new owner is set to go into effect January 19th -- one day before President-elect Trump will be sworn into office. Trump has signaled that he may try to reverse the ban once he's back in power.

>>Bankruptcy Judge To Decide If Auction Was Proper

(Houston, TX) -- The legal battle over a media empire, controlled by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, is back in a Texas courtroom. He was ordered to sell off the InfoWars assets to settle a lawsuit won by parents of the Sandy Hook school shooting. The winning bid was made by the owners of the satirical website The Onion. Jones, and his lawyers, are trying to block the sale. A judge in Houston will decide whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly. The only other bidder was a company with ties to Jones, and their offer was reportedly twice as much.

>>New York Restaurants And Bars Can Now Accept Mobile ID

(Albany, NY) -- Restaurants and bars across the state of New York can now accept Mobile IDs to verify a customer's age. While use of the app is not mandatory for establishments, officials are confident businesses will respond to growing demand and start accepting Mobile IDs. Using a Mobile ID also provides folks with the benefit of not having personal data like their home address visible to bartenders or bouncers. The Mobile ID app can be found in Apple's App Store and Google Play.

>>Advice On Tipping Service Providers During The Holidays

(Undated) -- It's the time of year when people consider tipping their service providers a little extra for the holidays. Bankrate Analyst Ted Rossman says a recent survey found that how much somebody tips depends on the service provided. The low end is mail carriers and trash and recycling providers at 20 dollars a pop. Raking in the most dough are housekeepers and child care providers, typically receiving about 50 bucks for the holidays. Rossman says when deciding how much to tip, a good rule of thumb is the cost of one service. In other words, he says, double the last payment to your gardener or someone else who comes in handy.

>>Wall Street Welcomes Fresh Trading Week

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed to end the week.  The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq hit record highs after the release of better-than-expected jobs data.  The November jobs report showed payrolls increased by 227-thousand last month while the unemployment rate edged up slightly.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 123 points to 44-642.  The S&P 500 added 15 points to 60-90. The Nasdaq rose 159 points to 19-859.

>>Appeals Court: TikTok Must Sell

(Washington, DC)  --  TikTok's future in America is up in the air.  A federal appeals court panel on Friday upheld a law mandating the sale or ban of the Chinese-owned social media platform.  In a bipartisan effort, Congress passed the legislation to, in its words, protect U.S. interests.  President Biden signed off on the bill in April.  TikTok argues the forced sale is a violation of a First Amendment right, and may appeal to the Supreme Court. 

>>Apple Update Gets Rid Of Green Bubbles

(Cupertino, CA)  --  Apple's latest iOS update, out this week, will end the green message bubbles on iPhones.  The green bubbles indicate messages sent via SMS, which lacks the end-to-end encryption of Apple's iMessage service.  Those messages are shown in blue bubbles.  More secure message options are taking hold in the update after an FBI warning about the vulnerabilities of SMS communication.

>>Trump: No Plans To Replace Fed Chair

(Undated)  --  President-elect Trump says he has no plans to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose term runs until May 2026.  Speaking with NBC News in an interview that aired on "Meet the Press," Trump said Powell would probably leave if he told him to, but he isn't planning to right now.  Trump first appointed Powell in 2018 but soon thought about removing him over a dispute about interest rates.  President Biden reappointed Powell in 2022.  Powell has said he won't leave the job early and doesn't believe Trump has the legal authority to fire him.  

>>Juan Soto Signs Record-Breaking Deal To Join Mets 

(New York, NY)  --  Juan Soto is joining the New York Mets in a deal sending shockwaves through all of baseball.  Multiple reports say the star outfielder and now former Yankee has agreed to a record-breaking 15-year, 765-million-dollar contract. The deal reportedly includes a player option after five years for the 26-year-old slugger, where the annual value of the contract could exceed 55 million dollars a year.  ESPN reports the Yankees maxed out at 15 years and 760 million, allowing the Mets to outbid them.  The contract makes Soto the highest paid athlete in the history of professional sports.

>>Apple Top Of "Best Run" Companies List

(New York, NY)  --  Apple is the best-run company in the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal.  More than 800 companies were evaluated using five categories: customer satisfaction, innovation, social responsibility, employee engagement and development and financial strength.  Apple, which knocked off Microsoft for the top spot this year, was the only all-star firm on the list.  Second place went to Nvidia, followed by Microsoft and Intel.  

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed lower on Thursday.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 248 points to 44-765.  The S&P 500 dropped by 11 points to 60-75. The Nasdaq fell by 34 points to 19-700.

>>Monthly Jobs Report Due 

(Undated)  --  The always-anticipated monthly jobs report is due out this morning.  It could give insight into what the Federal Reserve will do at its next policy meeting next month.  Government numbers are expected to show around 214-thousand new jobs created in November.  Most analysts see the unemployment rate ticking up just slightly from four-point-one percent to four-point-two.  Today's report comes out at 8:30 am Eastern time.  

>>Trump Chooses Venture Capitalist David Sacks To Be "A.I. & Crypto Czar"

(Palm Beach, FL)  --  President-elect Donald Trump is choosing venture capitalist David Sacks to be the White House "A.I. and Crypto Czar."  Trump made the announcement yesterday on Truth Social, writing that Sacks "will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas."  He also wrote that Sacks will "safeguard free speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship."  Sacks was highly critical of Trump after the 2021 Capitol riot which he said disqualified him from being a candidate.  Earlier this year, Sacks became a Trump supporter, and held a fundraiser for the GOP candidate.

>>Boeing's Plea Deal For Max Jet Crashes Rejected By Judge

(Undated)  --  A federal judge has rejected a plea agreement between Boeing and the U.S. government concerning the fatal crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019. The crashes, which occurred in Indonesia and Ethiopia, resulted in the deaths of 346 people. The plea deal, which involved Boeing pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, was criticized for its leniency by the victims' families.

>>San Francisco Hotel Workers Strike Affecting Conferences

(San Francisco, CA)  --  The ongoing hotel workers strike in San Francisco is starting to impact upcoming conferences.  The Association of American Law Schools had planned to hold its conference at the Hilton and Parc 55 in early January, but AALS officials now say they have moved their event.  Workers at a half-dozen San Francisco hotels are coming up on three months of walking the picket line.  The workers are demanding higher wages, better healthcare and improved staffing at the hotels.  
 

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks at new all-time highs yesterday on Wall Street.  The Nasdaq, Dow and S&P 500 all notched records following tech surges and the recent comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that the U.S. economy is in "remarkably good shape."  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308 points to 45-014.  The S&P 500 added 36 points to 60-86.  The Nasdaq rose 254 points to 19-735.

>>Powell: Interest Rate Decision Won't Account For Planned Tariffs

(New York, NY)  --  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says any decision on interest rates this month won't take into account President-elect Trump's plans to raise tariffs and restrict immigration.  While some experts say those plans will raise inflation, Powell said Wednesday that he doesn't know the details of those plans and can't make policy based on limited info.  Most economists expect the Fed to lower interest rates by a quarter-percent this month now that inflation has eased.  

>>Bitcoin Hits $100K

(Undated)  --  The price of one bitcoin officially hit 100-thousand dollars on Wednesday for the first time ever.  Demand for the crypto currency has gone up following the election, with the price up over 45-percent since election night.  Prices have more than doubled since the beginning of the year.  

>>DC AG Accuses Amazon Of Prime Delivery Exclusion In Certain Neighborhoods

(Washington, DC)  --  Washington, DC's attorney general is suing Amazon for allegedly hiding the fact that it does not provide its fastest delivery service in some city neighborhoods.  Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued the company Wednesday, claiming Amazon has excluded residents of two lower income zip codes from receiving Prime delivery service.  Schwalb says the heart of the case is that Amazon continued to charge those customers for Prime service without disclosing that it wasn't actually available to them.  Amazon says it doesn't deliver in those neighborhoods over concerns for driver safety, but calls Schwalb's claims against the company "categorically false."

>>Companies Pull Ads From Twitch Over Alleged Antisemitism

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Three big companies have pulled advertising from Amazon-owned Twitch amid allegations the company is promoting antisemitic content.  AT&T, JPMorgan Chase and Dunkin' have all pulled ads from the service that's aimed at gamers, according to Bloomberg.  It's because of a campaign associated with Steven "Destiny" Bonnell, a Twitch streamer banned in 2022 for hateful conduct for his comments about trans women and his defense of using racial slurs.  In several YouTube videos, Bonnell has targeted popular streamer Hasan Piker with claims of antisemitism.  Bonnell's fans have picked up the torch and have highlighted Piker's support for Palestine.  Piker himself says he supports Palestinian liberation but also fervently opposes antisemitism.  The campaign is sending emails to dozens of advertisers accusing the site of "sponsoring Jew-hating content."

>>Frontier To Begin Offering "First-Class Style" Seating

(Denver, CO)  --  Frontier Airlines plans to begin offering new seating choices to passengers.  The low-cost airline says it will have "first-class style" seating in the first two rows.  Planes will be reconfigured to accommodate the new seats, with flights beginning late next year.  Frontier has not said how much passengers will pay for the new seats.

>>Chipotle Raising Prices In Response To Inflation

(Undated)  --  Chipotle is raising its prices to combat inflation.  A Chipotle spokesperson said the company raised the price of menu items by about two-percent.  They added it was "the first time in over a year" that Chipotle has taken a price increase.  While the chain has enjoyed strong earnings and consistent traffic in recent quarters, some analysts say overall demand is decreasing.  

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after another mixed close on Wall Street ahead of fresh economic data.  Stocks struggled for direction as investors took a breather ahead of Friday's November payrolls report.  U.S. Steel shares fell about eight percent on President-elect Trump's pledged to stop Japan's Nippon Steel from buying the company.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 76 points to 44-705.  The S&P 500 added two points to 60-49.  The Nasdaq rose 77 points to 19-480.

>>What To Watch For Today

(Undated)  --  Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is getting ready to deliver his last public remarks before the central bank enters what's known as a "blackout period" before the final meeting of the year kicks off on the 17th.  Powell is due to speak today at the New York Times DealBook Summit as most analysts see the Fed once again cutting interest rates this month.  The ADP employment report is also coming up today as is the Fed Beige Book.  

>>Gallup: Majority Of Workers Looking Out For New Jobs

(Washington, DC)  --  A majority of employees have an eye out for a new position, and more and more workers feel detached from their jobs.  That's according to a new Gallup survey.  It found that 51-percent of workers asked are looking out for or actively seeking a new position.  Just 18-percent said they're "extremely" satisfied with their current job.  Worker satisfaction is at a record low, and people are looking for new jobs at the highest rate since 2015.

>>Job Openings Rise In October

(Washington, DC)  --  The number of job openings edged higher in October.  The Labor Department says seven-point-seven million jobs were available at the end of the month which is 200-thousand more than September.  Analysts say the rise shows an improving labor market.  The number of job openings increased in professional and business services along with accommodation and food services.  According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey - or JOLTS - report, the number of hires held steady last month while more workers quit their jobs.

>>Deliberations To Start In Trial Involving Murder Of Cash App Founder

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Jurors in the trial involving the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee are expected to get the case today.  Closing arguments in the trial wrapped up Tuesday and jurors will get final instructions later today before heading into deliberations.  Prosecutors say former tech exec Nima Momeni fatally stabbed Lee in 2023 over a dispute about who plied Momeni's younger sister with GHB and sexually assaulted her.  Defense attorneys have claimed self-defense, saying Lee was on a multi-day drug bender and attacked Momeni with a knife before he himself was killed.

>>Mom Sues Mattel Over Wicked Doll NSFW Misprint

(New York, NY)  --  Mattel is facing a lawsuit after its misprint on its "Wicked" doll packaging that mistakenly linked to a porn site. The link on the box for the Elphaba and Glinda dolls reads "Wicked-dot-com" instead of the proper URL, "Wicked Movie-dot-com." Mattel pulled the toys and issued an apology. Now, a South Carolina mom is leading a class action lawsuit. She says her young daughter used an iPhone to visit the link and was left "horrified" by the result.

>>Cargill To Lay Off Workers

(Minnetonka, MN)  --  Cargill is announcing the company will lay off about eight-thousand workers.  That's five-percent of its global work force.  Cargill's profits fell 36-percent in the past fiscal year, leading the company to a corporate restructuring.  Cargill is a Minnesota-based, family-owned company that provides food, ingredients, agriculture solutions, and industrial products.  It's the largest privately owned company in the U.S. 

>>John Deere Laying Off More Than 100 Workers 

(East Moline, IL)  --  John Deere is making more cuts.  The Illinois-based farming company is laying off more than 100 workers from John Deere Waterloo Works.  The layoffs will go into effect January 5th.  John Deere has laid off more than 19-hundred workers at its production facilities and headquarters since May.
 

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning Wall Street kicked off the new trading month in mixed fashion,  Gains in Tesla and Intel - which confirmed the retirement of CEO Pat Gelsinger - helped boost the Nasdaq to a new record.  Energy stocks dipped as natural gas prices fell due to high inventory heading into the winter months.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 128 points to 44-782.  The S&P 500 added 14 points to 60-47.  The Nasdaq rose 185 points to 19-404.

>>Shoppers Smashing Records

(Undated)  --  U.S. shoppers are on pace to shatter holiday spending records.  Adobe Analytics says shoppers spent a record ten-point-eight-billion dollars on Black Friday, up ten-percent more than last year.  Fast forward to yesterday and Adobe predicts shoppers likely shelled out upwards of 13-billion dollars on Cyber Monday.  

>>Popular Vodka Maker Files For Bankruptcy In The U.S.

(New York, NY)  --  Stoli Group USA, the maker of Stoli vodka, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. It cited financial difficulties. The bankruptcy filing only impacts the company's U.S. business, and its products will remain on store shelves throughout the process. Stoli has faced several challenges, including the spirits industry seeing decline in sales, particularly among younger Americans who were once Stoli's primary customers. Data from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America indicates that spirit sales were down nearly four-percent year over year in the 12 months ending August 2024.

>>NHTSA Investigating Deadly Piedmont Crash

(Piedmont, CA)  --  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating the recent Cybertruck crash in Piedmont, California that killed three local college students.  The three were killed last Wednesday when the vehicle veered off the road and slammed into a tree and cement wall.  NHTSA officials want to know what led up to the crash and say they often investigate crashes that involve electric vehicles with self-driving features.  Students at Piedmont High School, where all three victims had recently graduated from, work black and purple ribbons Monday and gathered for a moment of silence on campus to pay tribute to the teens.

>>Wyoming Most Charitable State

(Undated)  --  As we mark Giving Tuesday today, the World Giving Index ranks the U.S. as the sixth-most charitable nation in the world.  The index found Americans gave almost 560-billion-dollars to charity last year, most of which came directly from individuals.  Americans also gave their time, with more than 60 million people volunteering more than four-billion hours in 2023.  The most charitable state in the union using these metrics is Wyoming, followed by Utah, Minnesota, Maine and Delaware.
 

>>Wall Street Welcomes Fresh Trading Month

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings for the first time in December this Monday. Stocks closed higher Friday in holiday-shortened trading to cap a strong November. Both the Dow and S&P 500 hit intraday records and new closing highs during the session. Gains in Boeing, Nvidia and Tesla lifted markets with the Dow surpassing 45-thousand for the first time ever in mid-morning trading. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188 points to 44-910. The S&P 500 added 33 points to 60-32. The Nasdaq rose 157 points to 19-218.

>>Economic Reports On The Horizon

(Undated) -- Coming up in the business week ahead, reports start rolling out today with word on construction spending. Data on job openings and auto sales follow on Tuesday. The ADP employment report is due Wednesday along with the Fed Beige Book. Trade deficit numbers and weekly jobless claims will be released on Thursday. The week wraps up Friday with the always-anticipated monthly employment report, along with the latest reading on consumer credit.

>>Cyber Monday After Black Friday See Nearly $11 Billion Spent Online

(Undated) -- Black Friday was a virtual venture for U.S. shoppers this year who spent around ten-point-eight billion dollars online. According to Adobe Analytics, that's up ten percent from last year. Meanwhile, Cyber Monday is expected to hang onto bragging rights as being the year's biggest online shopping day, with Adobe saying shoppers could easily spend upwards of 13-billion dollars.

>>FBI Warns Of Scam Websites

(Washington, DC) -- The FBI is warning online holiday shoppers to beware of scam websites. The bureau put out a news release ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday for shoppers who use Chrome, Safari and Edge browsers, warning of online security risks. The warning includes a checklist of how not to get scammed, like avoiding websites that don't have a padlock in the address bar, meaning the website is not secure. The experts also say don't buy from a website until you have researched it and read reviews on it, and to make sure the reviews aren't fake.

>>Box Office Record Set On Black Friday

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Three blockbusters made it a record-setting Black Friday at the box office. Moana 2, Wicked and Gladiator 2 brought in a combined total of at least 107-million dollars, shattering the previous Black Friday record of 85-million dollars set in 2013. The latest box office estimates show Moana 2 brought in another 55-million dollars on Friday, Wicked made 27-million dollars and Gladiator 2 saw 12-million dollars in ticket sales.

>>Costco To Stop Selling Books At Most Stores

(Issaquah, WA) -- Costco will stop selling books at most of its stores starting in January. The discount warehouse chain will remove the book sections at about 500 of its 600 U.S. stores. The company says its making the change because stocking books is labor-intensive. >>Stellantis CEO Resigning (Detroit, MI) -- Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has suddenly resigned form the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler automaker. The resignation comes in the midst of heightening "different views" between the board of directors and the executive. The automotive production giant released a statement on Sunday saying its board has accepted Tavares' resignation. His leave begins effective immediately and Stellantis says its course to assign a new CEO is "well under way."