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It’s official — Amazon’s October Prime Day sale, Prime Big Deal Days, is happening on Oct. 8 and 9. Is Prime Big Deal Days different from Prime Day? Other than the timing of the sales — Prime Big Deal Days in October and Prime Day in July — the sales are not much different. How do you sign up for a Prime membership before Prime Big Deal Days 2024? In addition to numerous sales stories, I wrote NBC Select’s history of Amazon Prime Day and Prime membership guide.

Persons: we’ve, We’ll, TikTok Organizations: Deal, Amazon, October’s, NBC, Amazon Prime, Young, Foods, Retailers, Walmart, Target, Big Deal, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Turkey, United States

☆ Georgian parliament approves law curbing LGBTQ rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters —Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday approved the third and final reading of a law on “family values and the protection of minors” that would impose sweeping curbs on LGBTQ rights. Leaders of the governing Georgian Dream party say it is needed to safeguard traditional moral standards in Georgia, whose deeply conservative Orthodox Church is highly influential. “This law is the most terrible thing to happen to the LGBTQ community in Georgia,” Jakeli, 28, told Reuters. But Georgian Dream and its allies have enough seats in parliament to override her veto. Foreign agentsThe issue has become more prominent ahead of October’s election, where Georgian Dream is seeking a fourth term in office and is campaigning heavily against LGBTQ rights.

Persons: Tamara Jakeli, ” Jakeli, “, Salome Zourabichvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Jakeli’s, Jakeli Organizations: Georgia Reuters, Pride, Church, European, Tbilisi Pride, Reuters, Georgian Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Georgian, Russia, Soviet Union

☆ Venezuelans have seen this movie before, but Maduro should beware. This time, the ending could be different
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Rafael Romo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The month before, President Nicolás Maduro had declared a “constitutional state of emergency.”Julio Borges, in a photograph taken by CNN's Rafael Romo on June 9, 2016. Maduro, now 61, is a former bus driver who became a Caracas metro system union leader and rose through the ranks. In January of that year, Juan Guaidó, then president of the National Assembly, had proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela. Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido scuffle with members of the Bolivarian National Police during a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on November 18, 2019. The Venezuelan opposition political party Voluntad Popular said Tuesday that its leader Freddy Superlano has been kidnapped.

Persons: “, Caracas Osmary Hernández, Julio Borges, colectivos, Nicolás Maduro, ” Julio Borges, CNN's Rafael Romo, Rafael Romo, Hugo Chávez, Juan Guaidó, Guaidó, Juan Guaido, Nicolas Maduro, Yuri Cortez, María Corina Machado, Machado, Chávez, Edilzon Gamez, ”, Michael, ‘, would’ve, Maduro, they’ve, Edmundo González, Jorge Fernando “ Tuto ” Quiroga, ” Quiroga, Edmundo, González, could’ve, Popular, Freddy Superlano Organizations: CNN, National Assembly, Caracas Osmary, Electoral Council, Bolivarian National Police, Getty, Bolivian Embassy, Inter, Georgetown University, Venezuela’s CNE, Venezuelan, Foro Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Maduro, United States, AFP, North Macedonia, Bolivian

☆ US box office on track to have worst Memorial Day weekend since 1995
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The summer movie season typically starts with a bang during the month of May and, particularly, during Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend (Friday through Monday) movie ticket sales are estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore data provided to CNN. In fact, the US box office is on track to have its lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekend since the $117.1 million seen in 1995, when “Casper” haunted the screens — and that’s not even adjusting for inflation. The tepid Memorial Day weekend continues what’s been a lukewarm start to the summer box office, a movie-going season that’s still reeling from the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes. Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far , but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.

Persons: it’s, ”, “ Casper ”, that’s, ” Paul Degarabedian, Comscore, “, Max, what’s, ” Dergarabedian, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Shawn Robbins, there’s, Degarabarian, Deadpool, ” “ Oppenheimer, Barbie ”, Dory, bloomer, Daniel Loria, ” Loria, ” Disney, Loria, “ Deadpool, Fandango, Robbins, “ That’s, ’, ” Robbins Organizations: CNN, Guild, SAG, Labor, “, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Star, Walt Disney Studios, Disney, Box, showtime, Century Entertainment, Writers Guild of America, Pixar, Marvel, Industry Locations: United States, “

☆ The summer box office is playing catch-up after a rough start to the year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The summer box office is off to a lukewarm start. Last summer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data. “Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory. Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far , but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond. “Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins.

Persons: “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, “, Max, ” Paul Dergarabedian, ”, Shawn Robbins, ” “ Oppenheimer, Barbie ”, Dory, bloomer, Daniel Loria, ” Loria, ” Disney, Loria, “ Deadpool, Fandango, Deadpool, Robbins, “ That’s, ’, ” Robbins Organizations: New, New York CNN, Guild, SAG, CNN, Labor, “, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Star, Walt Disney Studios, Disney, Box, showtime, Century Entertainment, Writers Guild of America, Pixar, Marvel, Industry Locations: New York, United States, “

☆ What is Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill, and why is Europe so alarmed?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Georgia’s parliament is set to pass a highly controversial so-called “foreign agents” bill that has triggered widespread protests across the former Soviet republic nestled in the Caucasus Mountains. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed law and the uproar it has caused. The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face crippling fines. About 50,000 protesters gathered in Tbilisi to protest the proposed legislation on Sunday. The proposed law is modeled after a similar one in Russia that the Kremlin has used to increasingly snuff out opposition and civil society.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Vano Shlamov, Ivanishvili, they’ve, Georgia’s, Kobakhidze, Mirian, Jake Sullivan, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Ursula von der Leyen, Anna Chernova Organizations: CNN, Getty, European, House, Washington, Georgian, EU, “ Locations: Soviet, Caucasus, Tbilisi, Here’s, Georgian, Georgia, AFP, Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Soviet Union, European Union, Georgia’s, Didn’t Georgia, Anadolu, backsliding, George, Brussels, “ Georgia

☆ Georgia rocked by protests as government pushes Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —After spending his days making wine in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Tsotne Jafaridze returns home to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and begins his new routine. Jafaridze, who also owns a travel business and says he receives 95% of his income from foreign sources, says he would “immediately” be listed as a foreign agent under the broadly-written law. But the government reintroduced the same bill in March and appears determined to force it through, despite protests that grow fiercer every week. Despite recent Russian aggression against Georgia, Georgian Dream has long been accused of harboring pro-Russian sympathies and its billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in the Soviet Union. Bidzina Ivanishvili addresses a rally in support of the "foreign agent" law in Tbilisi, April 29, 2024.

Persons: Jafaridze, ”, Vladimir Putin, “, Giorgi Arjevanidze, isn’t, ” Natalie Sabanadze, –, Levan Khabeishvili, Khabeishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili, ” Buziashvili, Ivanishvili, Bidzina, Shakh, Sabanandze, Irakli Kobakhidze, Kobakhidze, ” Sabanadze, Viktor Orban, Europe’s, Matthew Miller, Washington, Georgia “, Irakli Gedenidze, Viktor Yanukovych, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, European Union, Getty, EU, United National Movement, National Security Council, Soviet Army, Soviet Union, Belarus ’, Party, Georgian, Conservative Political, United, State Department, Protesters, Reuters Locations: Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia’s, Russia, Georgian, Russian, Soviet, AFP, Brussels, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, stoke, ”

☆ Opinion: Can the party of Winston Churchill really bring about the world’s toughest smoking ban?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —Last week, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson treated a Canadian crowd to a helping of his signature bombast. Second World War-era Conservative British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, is also one of history's most famous cigar smokers. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesDespite what Johnson may have led his audience to believe, a potential smoking ban enjoys broad popular support in the UK. New Zealand’s conservative National Party introduced a similar phased smoking ban last year, but reversed it before it went into effect to help pay for tax cuts. Smoking costs the NHS an estimated £2.5 billion ($3.1 billion) every year, equivalent to 2% of the health service’s budget.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, London CNN —, Boris Johnson, Winston Churchill, “, It’s, Rishi Sunak, Johnson, YouGov, Conservative backbenchers, Liz Truss, they’d, it’ll, ’ Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN, London CNN, Conservative Party Conference, Conservative British, Central Press, Hulton, National Health Service, Conservative, New, National Party, Cancer Research, Tory Locations: London, Quebec, Britain, America, England, Wales, Scotland

☆ Chasing the eclipse with sounding rockets and high-altitude planes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

NASA will launch sounding rockets and WB-57 high-altitude planes to conduct research on aspects of the sun and Earth that‘s only possible during an eclipse. During the 2017 eclipse that crossed the US, NASA and other space agencies conducted observations using 11 different spacecraft and two high-altitude planes. Three sounding rockets will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 8 to study the eclipse. During the 2023 annular eclipse, instruments on the rockets measured sharp, immediate changes in the ionosphere. The jets have custom noses that can carry specialized scientific instruments.

Persons: Bill Stafford, Albert Einstein’s, Einstein, Sir Arthur Eddington, Allison Stancil, Barjatya, ” Barjatya, Peter Layshock, Amir Caspi, Layshock, ” Caspi Organizations: CNN, NASA, International Space, Embry, Riddle Aeronautical University, WB, NASA Airborne Science, Johnson Space Center, Southwest Research Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada, Brazil, West Africa, Virginia, Daytona Beach , Florida, Houston, Boulder , Colorado

☆ Opinion: Two words that made Ramy Youssef’s ‘SNL’ monologue historic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He told the audience about one friend, Brian, who’s locked in a messy divorce and asked Youssef to pray he’ll get custody of his beloved dog. He then mentioned another friend, Ahmed, who asked Youssef to pray for his family in Gaza, telling him: “They’re suffering. Please pray for them.”The comedian continued the joke: “So that night I go to pray, and my prayers are — complicated. Please.” Youssef continued, “And please free the hostages, all the hostages, please,” which also elicited applause. Youssef, though, has been undeterred, using his comedy for months to bring attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Ramy Youssef, Kenan Thompson, Rami Malik, Youssef, Youssef —, —, “, ”, Brian, who’s, he’ll, Ahmed, I’ve, ” Youssef, Bojangles, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Jon Stewart, Melissa Barrera, VII, ” Jonathan Glazer, Susan Sarandon, Taylor Swift, Megyn Kelly, Swift, ‘, Let’s, ’, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden —, Israel —, Biden, ” Israel “ Organizations: CNN, Dean Obeidallah CNN, Globe, Hollywood Reporter, “, East Refugee, year’s, Gallup, Israel, UN Locations: Arab, New Jersey, Palestine, Gaza, ”, Palestinian, Hollywood, Brooklyn

☆ What to expect in Friday’s jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Don’t be surprised if Friday’s jobs report shows that February’s employment gains were far below those reported for January. In fact, it would continue a history-making stretch of labor market expansion. Friday’s jobs report could very well provide a more reliable read on what’s actually happening in the labor market than the jobs reports of recent months’ past, Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told CNN. “And so, February might give us a better understanding of the underlying rate of job growth,” she said. What the other labor market data is showingOther economic data released this week reinforces the idea that the US labor market is cooling but remains on solid footing.

Persons: New York CNN — Don’t, Julia Pollak, autoworkers, what’s, hasn’t, Nixon, ” Ron Hetrick, Gus Faucher, stayers ”, Faucher, ”, ” Nela Richardson, outplacement, ” Andrew Challenger, Lydia Boussour, EY, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, of Labor Statistics, PNC Financial Services, BLS, Labor, Boomers, ADP, Challenger, ”, Labor Department Locations: New York, US

☆ Analysis: In Poland, Donald Tusk is spoiling for a fight. His populist opponents are hitting back
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The country’s public television channel, TVP, which essentially became a mouthpiece for the previous government, has been ripped off the air. Omar Marques/Getty ImagesBut Tusk – a politician with a reputation for pragmatism and restraint – showed his intentions within days of taking office. “It became symbolic of the excesses of the PiS government,” Bill said of TVP’s transformation into a Hungarian-style state-captured medium. “One of the unifying forces of PiS supporters is distrust, or even hatred, of Donald Tusk,” Kucharczyk said. Nonetheless, after eight years of populist rule that hardened the battle lines of Polish politics, much of the public is spoiling for a fight.

Persons: Donald Tusk, ”, “, Jacek Kucharczyk, Tusk, ’, Kucharczyk, Stanley Bill, Bill, “ It’s, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Omar Marques, –, Duda, ” Bill, ” Kucharczyk, TVP, ” Tusk, Ursula von der Leyen, Tusk’s, Jaap Arriens, messier Organizations: CNN, Law, Justice, of Public Affairs, Polish Studies, University of Cambridge, TVP, Twitter, National Media Council, Police, European Union, “ Locations: Poland, Polish, Warsaw, Hungarian, Tusk’s, Brussels, TVP

☆ January’s full ‘wolf moon’ will brighten the night sky
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The first full moon of the new year, known as the wolf moon, will shine in the night sky Thursday. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the golden orb’s face. Those within the path of totality, or locations where the moon’s shadow will completely cover the sun, will see a total solar eclipse. Instead, annular solar eclipses create a “ring of fire” in the sky as the sun’s fiery light surrounds the moon’s shadow. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon passes into Earth’s shadow.

Persons: Buck, Lyrids, Capricornids Organizations: CNN, NASA, Lakota, American Meteor Society, Taurids Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada, South America, Europe, North, East Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, Earth’s, Asia

☆ US wholesale inflation closes out 2023 with 1% annual rate in December
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

US producer prices fell in December for the third consecutive month, bringing a closely watched gauge of inflation to a rate more in line with pre-pandemic times. Wholesale inflation as measured by the Producer Price Index rose 1% annually in December, up slightly from November’s revised 0.8% reading, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On Thursday, the December Consumer Price Index, which is the most widely used measure of retail inflation, showed prices rose annually by 3.4%. “Producers are not facing costs that need to be pushed through to consumers in order to maintain their bottom lines that would reignite inflation,” Rankin said. The US central bank has become increasingly data dependent in its campaign to bring down inflation.

Persons: Price, we’ve, Kurt Rankin, Rankin, “ there’s, Eugenio Aleman, Raymond James ’, ” Rankin, “, —, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI, PNC Financial Services, CNN, “, PNC Locations: New York, United States

☆ US job openings hit a two-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s the lowest number job openings seen during a month since March 2021 and is further evidence of a cooling US labor market, according to the BLS’ October Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report. October’s tally is significantly lower than the record 12.03 million positions hit in March 2022, and the figure is approaching the roughly 7 million openings seen pre-pandemic. After two consecutive months of JOLTS surprising to the upside, the latest job openings total came in well under expectations. Economists’ forecasts called for the October postings to hit 9.3 million, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates. Employers, employees more cautiousThe Federal Reserve has been hoping to see more slack in the labor market to help in the central bank’s fight to bring down inflation.

Persons: ” Karin Kimbrough, “, ” Kimbrough, “ They’ve, Tuesday’s, Kimbrough, ”, “ They’re, Wells, Sarah House, Michael Pugliese Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Labor, CNN, Federal Reserve, Employees, “ Locations: Minneapolis

☆ US pending home sales fell to their lowest level in 20 years last month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —US pending home sales fell to their lowest level in 20 years in October as mortgage rates surged to their highest levels of the year, according to a report released Thursday. Pending home sales dropped 1.5% last month from September, monthly data from the National Association of Realtors showed. The pending home sales index — a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings rather than closings — was down 8.5% from a year ago. Completed sales of existing homes and sales of new construction homes, which are also based on contract signings, also fell in October. In October, existing home sales fell to the lowest level in 13 years, remaining below 4 million for the first time since October 2010.

Persons: —, ”, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Hannah Jones, October’s, Jones, — Jones, ” Jones, “ Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, Northeast, NAR, Realtor.com, “ Locations: Washington, Midwest, South, West

☆ Dow gains 520 points as US stocks notch their best month this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Dow reached a new high for the year Thursday as easing inflation data and strong third quarter earnings from Salesforce shot the benchmark index 520 points, or 1.5% higher. The S&P 500 rose more than 8% this month and the Nasdaq was up about 10%, marking their best month since July 2022. The Dow, meanwhile, managed to shake off a three-month losing streak, also rising by about 8.8% and notching its best month since October 2022. October’s Personal Consumption Expenditures Index, the Fed’s favored inflation gauge, fell to its lowest level since the spring of 2021. Analysts expect that the stock market’s strong performance will continue through December in a so-called Santa Claus rally.

Persons: Dow, John Williams, it’s, Santa Claus, “, ”, Cory Mitchell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Meta, of Labor, Federal Reserve, New York Fed, Saudi Press Agency, Analysts Locations: New York, United States, Saudi Arabia, Santa

☆ The Price Is Wrong for Housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

October’s existing home sales report details the current state of the all-important U.S. housing market and how Americans reacted to mortgage rates that have declined, but still remain much higher than they have been in more than a decade. Photo:Lower rates would make U.S. houses more affordable, just not affordable enough. The pandemic set off a flurry of demand for housing. Americans’ newfound desire for space, the padding of U.S. household finances from government relief checks, and sub-3% mortgage rates were a potent mix that sent home prices skyward. Now the buying frenzy has passed and, with mortgage rates at their highest levels in over 20 years, not many homes are getting sold at all.

Persons: WSJ’s Dion Rabouin

The gubernatorial election was decided in October when Jeff Landry, a Republican backed by former President Trump, won outright and avoided a runoff. Voters will cast ballots this weekend to determine the winners of a slew of other races, including three vacant, statewide offices: attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer. Democrats hope to gain a statewide office in the reliably red state as the GOP tries to retain its current offices. The secretary of state race will be closely watched after GOP incumbent Kyle Ardoin declined to seek reelection. Republican Landry is a former state representative from Lafayette and has worked in Ardoin’s office for four years.

Persons: Donald Trump, runoffs, Jeff Landry, Trump, didn't, Republicans “, ” Trump, John Fleming, Dustin Granger, Kyle Ardoin, Nancy Landry, Gwen Collins, Greenup, Republican Landry, Democrat Collins, Alice Lee Grosjean, Huey P, Long, State James Bailey, Landry, Liz Murrill, Joe Biden's, Lindsey Cheek, Cheek Organizations: —, Democratic, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Louisiana Republican Party, Democrat, Ardoin, State, of Elementary Locations: BATON ROUGE, La, Louisiana, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge

☆ China’s Retail Spending Picks Up, as Housing Slump Deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Cao Li | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Workers at a logistics center in Hengyang, China, sorting packages for delivery after the Singles Day shopping festival. Photo: str/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesHONG KONG—China’s economy showed modest signs of improvement in October as consumer spending picked up, but the country’s prolonged property slump worsened. Retail sales rose 7.6% compared with the same period last year, when stringent Covid lockdowns kept a tight lid on spending activities, according to data released Wednesday by China’s National Bureau of Statistics. October’s sales accelerated from September’s 5.5% year-over-year growth and topped the 7% expected by economists.

Persons: lockdowns Organizations: Agence France, Getty, HONG, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, September’s Locations: Hengyang, China, HONG KONG

☆ This key US inflation gauge fell last month by the most since 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Producer Price Index, which measures the average price changes that businesses pay to suppliers, fell 0.5% on a monthly basis. It’s the largest monthly drop since April 2020, when the rapidly spreading Covid-19 virus caused a sharp economic contraction. When stripping out the volatile food and energy categories, core PPI was unchanged for the month, bringing the yearly increase to 2.4%. On Tuesday, the October Consumer Price Index showed that US consumer prices were unchanged for the month, contributing to a slowdown in the annual inflation rate to 3.2%. “Fed officials are getting to keep their cake and eat it too, so far with economic growth and inflation cooling.

Persons: Price, ”, Chris Rupkey, Andrew Butters, “ There’s, ” Butters, we’ve Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI, FwdBonds, “ Fed, CPI, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Fed, CNN Locations: Minneapolis

☆ US retail sales fell in October for the first time in seven months
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Americans cut their retail spending in October for the first time since March, with interest rates at a 22-year high. Retail sales, which are adjusted for seasonality but not inflation, fell 0.1% in October from the prior month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. October’s decline in retail spending is potentially an early sign of a slowing economy as US consumers get squeezed by higher borrowing costs and they continue to rack up credit card debt. Car sales fell 1.1% in October from September, while furniture sales declined 2% during the same period. Wednesday’s retail sales report bodes well for the Fed, since it shows spending isn’t reaccelerating or remaining stubbornly strong.

Persons: Jerome Powell, ”, Kathy Bostjancic, Austan Goolsbee, market’s, ” Goolsbee Organizations: DC CNN, Commerce Department, Federal, Nationwide, Reserve, of Labor Statistics, Chicago Fed, Detroit Economic Locations: Washington

☆ Maryland has the lowest unemployment rate in American history, at just 1.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The mid-Atlantic state registered a record unemployment rate of 1.6% in September — less than half the national unemployment rate of 3.8% that month — Labor Department data shows. That’s the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of any state on records going back to 1976, according to a CNN analysis. However, Maryland’s job market is still robust, with government and health care employers adding jobs at a brisk pace. Here’s a dive into the labor market of the state with the lowest unemployment rate in American history:Where the jobs areThe biggest industries in Maryland are government, health care, education and professional services. Fort Meade, a military base, is the largest employer in the state, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Persons: ” Christina DePasquale, Johns, Colin Seitz, “, ” Seitz, There’s, ”, Mary Kane, what’s, Kane, ” Daniel Zhao, ” Zhao Organizations: DC CNN, — Labor Department, CNN, Baltimore, Fort Meade, University, of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Labor Department . State, Health, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Moody’s, Maryland, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maryland Hospital Association, Labor, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, “, Maryland Department of Labor, DC Locations: Washington, Atlantic, California, Lexington, Maryland, Fort, Florida, Texas, Virginia

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Markets spiked on October’s flat CPI
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Boost from CPIU.S. stocks jumped Tuesday on the cooler-than-expected CPI report, with major indexes notching their best day since April. [PRO] Secret stock holdings at BerkshireWarren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway dumped its stake in one auto company, exited some of its smaller positions and trimmed some big names its stock holdings, according to a new regulatory filing. More intriguingly, Berkshire also asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to keep one or more of its stock holdings confidential.

Persons: Australia's, Berkshire Hathaway Organizations: CNBC, CPI, CPI U.S, Berkshire Warren, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Asia, Pacific, China, Japan, Berkshire, intriguingly

Compared with 12 months ago, consumer prices rose 3.2% in October, down from the 3.7% rise in September and the smallest year-over-year increase since June. Measured year over year, core prices rose 4% in October, down from 4.1% in September, the smallest rise in two years. They have continued to fall into November, suggesting that cheaper energy could hold down inflation this month as well. Political Cartoons View All 1244 ImagesGrocery store prices rose 0.3% last month and 2.1% from a year earlier. Even with the smaller increase, rental and housing costs accounted for two-thirds of the increase in core inflation compared with a year ago.

Persons: Bill Adams, Jerome Powell, Powell, “, Adams, ”, Eric Winograd Organizations: WASHINGTON, Labor Department, Comerica Bank ., Fed, Dow, AB Global Locations: United States

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