U.S. consumer confidence rebounds in December
This month’s number reflected a sharp rebound, pushing the consumer confidence index to its highest level since April.
Associated Press
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Storm adds uncertainty to strong holiday travel demand
Forecasters predict an onslaught of heavy snow, ice, flooding and even tornadoes from Thursday to Saturday in a broad swath of the country, from the Plains and Midwest to the East Coast.
Spurred by regulators, 3M to phase out ‘forever chemicals’
Tuesday’s announcement comes as 3M is facing an onslaught of lawsuits from states and individuals who are claiming contamination from PFAS harmed their health.
Police, FBI plan update on deadly Greenwood mall shooting
FBI spokeswoman Chris Bavender said the federal agency will provide an update on efforts to extract data from gunman Jonathan Douglas Sapirman’s cellphone and laptop.
Lawmakers unveil $1.7T bill to avoid shutdown, boost Ukraine
Lawmakers worked to stuff in as many priorities as they could into the sprawling package, likely the last major bill of the current Congress. They are racing to complete passage before a midnight Friday deadline or face the prospect of a partial government shutdown going into the Christmas holiday.
Wells Fargo to pay $3.7B over consumer law violations
It’s the largest fine to date against any bank by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the largest fine against Wells, which has spent years trying to rehabilitate itself after a series of scandals tied to its sales practices.
Police seize on COVID-19 tech to expand global surveillance
The Associated Press has found that authorities around the world have used technologies and data used in the fight against COVID-19 to halt travel for activists and ordinary people, harass marginalized communities and link people’s health information to other surveillance and law enforcement tools.
FTX founder agrees to extradition to US, attorney says
Sam Bankman-Fried may be ready to come to the U.S. to face criminal charges related to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX following a chaotic court appearance in the Bahamas.
Jan. 6 committee refers Trump to Justice Department for prosecution
The panel has recommended that the former president be charged with four crimes: inciting or assisting an insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to make a false statement.
UPDATE: Twitter poll closes, users vote in favor of Musk exit as CEO
More than half of 17.5 million users who responded to a poll that asked whether billionaire Elon Musk should step down as head of Twitter voted yes when the poll closed on Monday.
Crypto’s ties to sports raise ethical questions
The bankruptcy of FTX and the arrest of its former CEO are raising new questions about the role celebrity athletes such as Tom Brady and Steph Curry played in lending legitimacy to crypto.
Inflation dampens otherwise bright small biz holiday season
Small retailers say this year is still far from “normal” because decades-high inflation is forcing them to raise prices and making shoppers rein in the uninhibited spending seen in 2021 when they were flush with pandemic aid or gains from the stock market.
World’s coal use creeps to new high in 2022, agency says
The International Energy Agency said “robust demand” for coal in emerging Asian economies is offsetting declining use in mature markets.
Twitter suspends journalists who wrote about owner Elon Musk
Musk took to Twitter on Thursday night to accuse journalists of sharing private information about his whereabouts that he described as “basically assassination coordinates.”
Working at 76: Inflation forces hard choice for older adults
An AARP report released last month showed more than a third of people 65 and older described their financial situation at midyear as worse than it was 12 months before.
Lawmakers quick to unload FTX founder’s contributions
More than four dozen current and incoming lawmakers received millions of dollars of campaign contributions from Samuel Bankman-Fried—a group that included members of both political parties and chambers of Congress, but predominantly House Democrats.
Incoming NCAA president has embraced role of problem-solver
Charlie Baker, the next leader of the largest college sports governing body in the country, is stepping into a hornet’s nest of a job that will likely tap every political skill in his bag.
Retail sales drop at start of key holiday shopping season
Americans cut back on retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season began, with high prices and rising interest rates forcing families to make harder decisions about what they buy.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to be next NCAA president
Current president Mark Emmert announced he would step down earlier this year after 12 years of leading the NCAA through a tumultuous time.
Trump Org. was secretly held in contempt for hindering probe
The Trump Organization was found to have been “willfully disobeying” four grand jury subpoenas and three court orders by repeatedly failing to turn over evidence in a timely fashion.