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☆ Moody’s: Government shutdown could hurt America’s top credit rating
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —The United States’ credit rating could come under pressure if the government shuts down, Moody’s Investors Service cautioned Monday. A shutdown would be “credit negative” for the US sovereign, according to a Moody’s note. Moody’s is the only one of the three major credit rating agencies to assign the United States an outstanding rating of AAA. Standard and Poor’s downgraded the United States in 2011, following the debt ceiling standoff then. In August, Fitch Ratings knocked America’s credit rating down to AA+ after the most recent debt ceiling debate.

Persons: “, ” Moody’s, Poor’s, Moody’s, It’s, Donald Trump’s, —, Betsy Klein, Matt Egan Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, United, Moody’s, AAA, Fitch, Congressional, US Travel Association, Federal Reserve, Labor Statistics Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ The Fed’s preferred inflation measure stayed high in July — and consumers are continuing to spend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Minneapolis CNN —US inflation may have remained elevated in July, but consumers just wanted to have some fun. It’s the strongest monthly spending gain since January; however, underlying data indicates this type of activity may be on borrowed time. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index showed that prices increased 0.2% on a monthly basis and 3.3% annually. Economists were expecting monthly increases of 0.2% for the headline and core indexes and 3.3% and 4.2%, respectively, for the annual numbers. Even when adjusted for inflation, spending surged in July, rising by 0.6% from the month before.

Persons: ” Eugenio Alemán, Raymond James, “, ” Gregory Daco, EY, Jerome Powell, ” Powell, Wells, Shannon Seery, Wells Fargo, ” Seery, ” Daco, Powell, Jackson, ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, New Commerce Department, Federal, Commerce Department, Amazon’s, PCE, CNN, “, of Labor Statistics Locations: Minneapolis, Jackson Hole , Wyoming

☆ What to expect from Friday’s jobs report: Steady, but slower, growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Minneapolis CNN —Last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics delivered a jobs report that only Baby Bear could offer: not too hot, not too cold, but just right. While that figure was well below the breakneck pace of job growth over the past three years, it was roughly in line with the monthly average seen in the decade before the pandemic. The August jobs report, set to be released on Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET, is expected to show that the labor market will stay in this sweet spot. The Fed has been wanting to see more slack in the labor market in its battle to bring down inflation.

Persons: Minneapolis CNN —, ”, Julia Pollak, it’s, “, Pollak, Dean Baker, Jerome Powell’s, “ I’m, Rachel Sederberg, ” Andrew Challenger Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Center for Economic, Policy Research, Labor, CNN, Private, ADP, Challenger Locations: Minneapolis

☆ US job openings fall below 9 million for the first time since March 2021
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In addition, a smaller number of workers quit their jobs, businesses hired fewer workers and layoffs nudged higher as the US job market settles into a calmer, more balanced state. Job openings fell to a seasonally adjusted 8.827 million in July, from 9.165 million in June, according to the BLS’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report. It’s the lowest number of total openings since March 2021, and there are now 1.5 available jobs for every unemployed person. The July JOLTS data showed that the number of new hires dropped to 5.773 million from 5.94 million, quits landed near pre-pandemic totals by falling to 3.549 million from 3.802 million, and layoffs inched up to 1.555 million from 1.551 million. That’s good news for the Federal Reserve, which has been hoping for more slack in the labor market in its battle to bring down inflation.

Persons: ” Julia Pollak, it’s Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor, Federal Reserve Locations: Minneapolis, United

☆ A severe drought is affecting the Panama Canal. That’s not a good sign for supply chains — or your holiday shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Just this week, the Panama Canal Authority extended those restrictions for at least another 10 months. Next shoe to dropBut from a transportation standpoint beyond Panama, the next shoe to drop could be the Mississippi River, Davis said. During the past 30 days, rainfall along the southern Mississippi River has been well below normal. And when you have two disruptions versus just one, that is magnified overall.”Holiday shopping hang-upsFor now, general waiting times have spiked at the Panama Canal. Supply chain shiftsHad this occurred before the pandemic lockdowns and the drastic swings in consumer spending patterns that mangled supply chains, it might have been a different story.

Persons: sandstorm, ”, Janelle Griffith, Marsh, Jon Davis, El, “, Davis, Evelyn Hockstein, Everstream, Ahmad Hassan, hasn’t, “ We’ve, ” Phillip Sanfield, Amanda Kwan, hadn’t, ” Kwan, plumb, Taylor Swift, Kamala Raman, you’ve, Peter Sand, Sand Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Panama Canal Authority, Getty, CNN, Port, Port Authority of New, National Retail Federation Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis CNN — Panama, Panama, Mississippi, Suez, North American, El, Central America, Grand Tower , Illinois, New Orleans, United States, Europe, Egyptian, Ismailiya, AFP, Panama Canal, Los Angeles, Port of Los Angeles, New York, Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, “

☆ Consumers are growing slightly more cautious about the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Minneapolis CNN —Americans’ attitudes toward the US economy appear to be growing more tepid. The University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index measured 69.5 in August, down slightly from July. “Consumers perceive that the rapid improvements in the economy from the past three months have moderated, particularly with inflation, and they are tentative about the outlook ahead,” Joanne Hsu, director of the university’s Surveys of Consumers, said in a statement. Inflation expectations for the year ahead ticked down to 3.3% from 3.4% in July, showing “remarkable stability” but still trending higher than pre-pandemic expectations, which ranged in the 2.3% to 3% range. Inflation expectations are crucial data points for the Federal Reserve.

Persons: ” Joanne Hsu, Hsu, ” Hsu, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, University of Michigan’s, Consumers, Federal Reserve Locations: Minneapolis, Michigan

☆ Despite downward revision of 306,000 jobs, the US labor market is still hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

As part of the agency’s annual benchmark review of payroll data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised down March 2023’s employment gains by 306,000 positions. When the economy stops growing, we will see non-farm payroll employment fall. The Labor Department’s monthly jobs report is based upon survey responses from employers across a wide swath of industries. Wednesday’s preliminary benchmark revision won’t change the existing employment data. The monthly totals for 2022 will be updated in February 2024, when the final benchmark revision is issued.

Persons: Chris Rupkey, FwdBonds, ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, of Labor Statistics, Labor, BLS, Quarterly Locations: Minneapolis

☆ Job seekers want record-high wages — and men expect $25,000 more than women do
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The higher wage expectations are a reflection of this current moment in the economy and the labor market, said Julia Pollak, chief economist for online job marketplace ZipRecruiter. “It largely explains what we’ve been seeing during this summer of strikes and unions pushing for higher wages; and, of course, wages follow inflation, and part of the reason that workers are expecting higher wages is because prices have risen 17.5% since the pandemic,” she said. Men and college grads demand moreWhile reservation wages rose for workers across the board, some groups’ demands are significantly higher than others: For college graduates and men, the wage floors were $98,644 and $91,048, respectively. Women’s reservation wages set a record as well, but at $66,068 — $12,500 below the average and nearly $25,000 below men’s expectations. “Especially in male-dominated industries, women may just not know what the going rate is and underestimate,” Pollak said.

Persons: they’d, —, Julia Pollak, they’ve, ” Pollak, they’ll, that’s, Nina Roussille, who’s Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: Minneapolis, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, York, Hired.com

☆ PPI: US wholesale inflation rose more than expected in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN —US wholesale inflation rose more than expected in July, reversing a yearlong cooling trend, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Services prices rose 0.5% from June, the highest monthly increase since March 2022 for the category, BLS data shows. Still more to comeThe report comes just one day after the Consumer Price Index showed that prices rose 3.2% annually in July. Similar base effects played their role in the headline PPI increase as well, noted Rankin. When stripping out the more volatile categories of food and energy, core PPI rose 2.4% annually in July.

Persons: Price, Kurt Rankin, ”, ” Rankin, Rankin, “, Matthew Martin, Oren Klachkin, Dow Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, of Labor Statistics, Refinitiv, PPI, Services, PNC Financial Services, CNN, “, Federal Reserve, Oxford, ” Energy, Fed, Federal Locations: Minneapolis, That’s

☆ CPI: Consumer prices rose by 3.2% annually in July, picking up for the first time in 13 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Minneapolis CNN —For the first time in more than 12 months, the pace of consumer price hikes accelerated on an annual basis. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.2% for the year through July, up from June’s 3% annual increase, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes the more volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.2% from June and was up 4.7% from the year-ago period. July is the the fourth consecutive month that annual core CPI has eased, and the 4.7% rate landed 0.1 percentage points below consensus expectations. Shelter prices rose 0.4% month on month and were up 7.7% for the year ending in July.

Persons: “ Don’t, ”, Julia Pollak, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “ We’ve, Kurt Rankin, Dow, “, Joe Brusuelas, Brusuelas, Tamara Charm, Brandon Bell, Danielle DiMartino Booth, DiMartino Booth, — CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, CPI, Federal Reserve, PNC, Nasdaq, RSM US, CNN, San, Services, “, McKinsey, Quill Intelligence, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Locations: Minneapolis, June’s, San Francisco, Austin , Texas

☆ Americans’ credit card debt hits a record $1 trillion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Minneapolis CNN —Americans’ credit card debt levels have just notched a new, but undesirable, milestone: For the first time ever, they’ve surpassed $1 trillion, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. During the second quarter, credit card balances shot up by $45 billion, or nearly 4.6%, to land at $1.03 trillion, according to the New York Fed’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. Rising credit card debt and auto loan balances helped to drive overall household debt levels up to $17.06 trillion for the quarter, the report showed. “Unfortunately, [credit card debt] is only going to go up from here,” Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst for LendingTree, told CNN. The number of people who made a hardship withdrawal during the second quarter surged from the first three months of the year to 15,950, an increase of 36% from the second quarter of 2022.

Persons: ” Matt Schulz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Federal Reserve Bank of New, New, New York Fed, CNN, Bank of America Locations: Minneapolis, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, York, New York

☆ Americans are pulling money out of their 401(k) plans at an alarming rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Minneapolis CNN —More Americans are tapping their 401(k) accounts because of financial distress, according to Bank of America data released Tuesday. It’s a “pretty troubling” development if more people are resorting to making hardship withdrawals, Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, told CNN. Since 2019, household debt balances have increased by nearly $3 trillion, according to New York Federal Reserve data through the first quarter of 2023. Separately on Tuesday, the New York Fed reported that US households’ credit card debt surpassed the $1 trillion mark for the first time ever. The $45 billion increase in credit card debt helped to drive overall household debt levels to $17.06 trillion at the end of the second quarter.

Persons: It’s, Matt Schulz, “, ”, Lorna Sabbia Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Bank of America, Bank of, CNN, Bank of America’s, New York Federal, New York Fed Locations: Minneapolis

☆ Florida's political climate is driving away thousands of visitors and millions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Nobody knows.”Construction of an 801-room Omni hotel alongside the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 22, 2022. Broward County, which invested $1.5 billion in the expansion and renovation of its convention center, has not seen the future bookings it anticipated. In Tampa, the city’s largest convention center hasn’t seen any events cut bait. National Society of Black Engineers members attend the first day of the organization's 49th Annual Convention, which took place from March 22-26 in Kansas City, Missouri. The NSBE recently announced plans to move its 50th annual convention from Orlando, citing the political climate, travel advisories and recently passed laws.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ”, Stacy Ritter, “, Ritter, Rebecca Blackwell, Grace Hopper, AERA, Tony Pals, Phelan M, Mark Tester, ” Juan Lopez, Jeremy Redfern, ” Redfern, Janeen Uzzell, Bill, Laxmi Ramasubramanian, Petra Doan, Doan, ” Doan, Jack Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr, Bill ”, we’ve, ” Johnson, Glenn Ross, Johnson, Lauderdale’s Ritter, Nadine Smith, ‘, ” Smith Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Republican Florida Gov, Sunshine State, Lauderdale, Democratic, Omni, Broward County Convention, Orlando’s Orange County Convention, Society of Black Engineers, Research, of periOperative, Global, CNN, Orange County Convention, AP, AORN, Tampa Convention, Tampa, Comic Convention, “, Math Association of America, MAA, National Society of Black Engineers, NAACP, National Urban League, Black Power, Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Florida State University, Destinations International, Arizona, Indy, Associated, Getty, Equality Locations: Minneapolis, Florida, Lauderdale, Broward County , Florida, Broward County, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Broward, Orlando’s Orange County, United States, Orlando after Florida, Orange County, Orlando, Tampa, Orlando , Florida, Kansas City , Missouri, “, Miami, Maine, Arizona , Indiana, North Carolina, Indiana, Associated Press, California, Tennessee, Texas, Equality Florida

☆ What to expect from the jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report Friday morning. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the government’s jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Last July, for example, the US economy added 568,000 jobs — more than double the 250,000 that economists had expected. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady.

Persons: Minneapolis CNN — Fitch, ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, ” Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Business, Conference Board, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, Labor Department, “, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ What to expect from the July jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Minneapolis CNN —Despite Tuesday’s credit rating downgrade amid concerns about the challenges facing the United States, markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report on Friday. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the monthly jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady. The broader economic scorecard for the United States makes the downgrade all the more “bizarre” and puzzling, noted top economists, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Persons: ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ The number of available jobs in the US just fell to its lowest level in more than two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Minneapolis CNN —Job openings in the United States fell in June to their lowest level since April 2021, according to the latest labor turnover data published Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of available jobs dropped for the second straight month, measuring a seasonally adjusted 9.582 million, or 1.6 jobs per job seeker. Job openings increased in industries such as health care and state and local government, excluding education, where postings fell. Job openings also dropped in industries such as transportation, warehousing and utilities and the federal government. Economists were expecting 9.61 million openings, according to Refinitiv estimates.

Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor, Federal Reserve Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ The Fed’s favorite inflation measure cooled down even further in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

When stripping out energy and food prices, the core PCE index showed prices increased 4.1% in June from the year before. Economists were expecting the core index to increase 4.2% on an annual basis. In May, the core PCE rose 4.6% annually. The Fed uses the core PCE index as the benchmark for its 2% inflation target. When adjusting for inflation, spending increased 0.4%, driven by a surge in goods-related purchases, specifically of new trucks and recreational products and vehicles, according to the report.

Persons: Kathy Bostjancic, “, it’s, “ It’s, ”, “ They’re, ’, Shannon Seery, Wells, we’re, Seery, ‘ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Commerce Department, Fed, Nationwide Mutual, CNN Locations: Minneapolis, May’s, Wells Fargo, “

☆ US consumer confidence jumps to highest level since July 2021
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN —High interest rates aren’t souring Americans’ moods: A key measurement of consumer confidence just shot up to a level not seen since July 2021. The Conference Board’s monthly Consumer Confidence Index hit 117 in July, rising from 110.1 the month before, according to new data released Tuesday. The Conference Board’s confidence index and the University of Michigan’s twice-a-month consumer sentiment index are two leading gauges of consumers’ attitudes toward the current and future strength of the economy. Consumer spending, which is a key driver of US economic activity, has eased somewhat in recent months but remains resilient. The Commerce Department on Friday will release the latest data on consumer spending alongside a critical inflation gauge for the Fed.

Persons: ”, Dana Peterson, “, Nathan Howard, ” Ryan Sweet, Chris Rupkey, FwdBonds, Barbie Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Conference Board, Washington , D.C, Bloomberg, Getty, University of Michigan’s, Oxford Economics, ‘ Times, Commerce Department, Fed Locations: Minneapolis, Georgetown, Washington ,, Michigan, America

☆ IMF: Global economy is improving but inflation is still enemy No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN —The global economy is showing more resilience than economists previously thought — but, although some risks have abated, choppy waters could still be ahead, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. In its latest update to its World Economic Outlook, the agency said it expects global growth of 3% in both 2023 and 2024. “Global economic activity has proven resilient in the first quarter of this year, leading to a modest upward revision for global growth in 2023,” Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF’s chief economist, said in a statement. From 2000 to 2019, annual global economic growth averaged 3.8%, according to the IMF. When looking across the global economy, there are concerns that China’s recovery could slow further, as its debt-laden real estate sector weighs on growth, according to the report.

Persons: ” Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Chris Ratcliffe, ” Gourinchas, Gourinchas, “, ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, International Monetary Fund, Economic, IMF, Bloomberg, Getty, Publishing, Federal Reserve Locations: Minneapolis, Oxford, United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Yantai, Shandong province, China

☆ Scorching summer temperatures could strain the economy even further
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The recent heat waves and scorching summer temperatures demonstrate the economic cost of heat stress,” Chris Lafakis, Moody’s Analytics’ director of economic research, wrote in an emailed response to a CNN query. Moody’s Analytics estimates that chronic physical risk from heat stress could reduce worldwide GDP by up to 17.6% by 2100. The losses are steepest in sectors such as agriculture and construction, but no industry or business is immune, she said. “Every summer we have a stretch [of excessively hot weather], where it might last from four days up to a week,” he said. “We have to look at the potential of our business model shifting to a nine-month facility going forward,” she said.

Persons: Lyn Thomas, there’s, Thomas, she’s, “, it’s, Chris Lafakis, Liliana Salgado, ”, Kathy Baughman McLeod, Adrienne Arsht, Cesar Chavez, Damian Dovarganes, That’s, Jack Vessey wasn’t, He’s, “ It’s, Vessey, Zeyla Alcantara, Patrick Tiseth, Jobs, Ami Feller, I’ve, Los Cerrillos, Harrold Granthan, Bonnie Mendoza, David Wagner, bloodsicles, Mendoza, Zach Fowle, Kyle Ledeboer, ” Fowle, ” They’ve, Justus Swanick, Joshua Graff Zivin, ” Graff Zivin Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Phoenix, CNN, Reuters Workers, Rockefeller Foundation Resilience, Atlantic Council, Rockefeller, IBEW, Company, Lone Star, Roofer, Saddle Riding Company, Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Wilderness, Arizona Wilderness Brewing, University of California San Locations: Minneapolis, Louisiana, United States, California, Los Angeles, Holtville , California, Imperial County, Texas, New Braunfels, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Los, “, Arizona, Phoenix, University of California San Diego

☆ Prosecutors accuse Sam Bankman-Fried of leaking ex-girlfriend’s private notes to the New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —Federal prosecutors have accused former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried of witness tampering after he allegedly leaked the personal writings of his former girlfriend and business partner, Caroline Ellison, to the New York Times. They reportedly detailed her “unhappy and overwhelmed” emotional state as CEO of Alameda Research, FTX’s crypto hedge fund. The writings also reportedly expressed her doubts about her ability to make decisions and effectively run the business. Prosecutors say she is expected to serve as a witness in their criminal case against Bankman-Fried, who has pleaded not guilty to eight federal counts of fraud and conspiracy. A spokesperson for the New York Times and a lawyer representing Ellison did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, ”, Ellison, Kaplan, Damian Williams, “, ” Williams, Fried, — CNN’s Kara Scannell Organizations: Minneapolis CNN — Federal, New York Times, Star, Google, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Government, ” Prosecutors, Bankman Locations: Minneapolis, FTX

☆ Americans' wages are finally outpacing inflation. But could it last?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For more than two years, persistent and pervasive inflation has taken big bites out of Americans’ paychecks. Annual real weekly wages were up 0.6% last month, a rate that’s a tick below the 0.7% gain seen in February 2020. June also marked the second consecutive month of year-over-year real hourly wage growth — the first back-to-back months of gains since early 2021. Fears of a dreaded “wage-price spiral” — when rising wages and prices feed into each other — have made a bogeyman out of wage growth. And finally, supply-side inflation has drastically cooled to the point where annual inflation is practically flat — which, ideally, gives firms more wiggle room to pay workers, she said.

Persons: hasn’t, ’, That’s, ”, William Ferguson, Gertrude B, Austin, it’s, Alex Pelle, “, Sung Won Sohn, Ben Bernanke, ” Pelle, Julia Pollak, they’ve Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Grinnell College, stoke, Mizuho Securities, Loyola Marymount University, SS, San Francisco Fed, BLS Locations: Minneapolis, Iowa

☆ Key US inflation gauge cooled last month to the lowest level in nearly three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The PPI index, a key inflation gauge that tracks the average change in prices that businesses pay to suppliers, has cooled significantly since peaking at 11.2% in June 2022 and has now declined for 12 consecutive months. Annual producer price inflation is at its lowest level since August 2020, BLS data shows. “It’s definitely a good month for inflation,” Pelle told CNN. Starting in March 2022, the central bank rolled out 10 consecutive interest rate hikes to tame inflation, finally hitting pause last month. Doves tend to favor looser monetary policy and issues like low unemployment over low inflation, while hawks favor robust rate hikes and keeping inflation low above all else.

Persons: Price, Watchara, —, Alex Pelle, It’s, ” Pelle, “, That’s, Pelle, ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Bureau of Labor Statistics, La, MediaNews, The Press, Enterprise, Getty, BLS, PPI, Mizuho Securities, CNN, ”, CPI, Federal Reserve Locations: Minneapolis, La Reina, San Bernardino , California

☆ US inflation cooled in June for the 12th straight month
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

US annual inflation slowed to 3% last month, according to the latest Consumer Price Index released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The June annual rate is down from 4% in May and landed slightly below economists’ expectations for a 3.1% increase, according to Refinitiv. Starting in March 2022, the central bank rolled out 10 consecutive interest rate hikes to tame inflation, finally hitting pause last month. And June of last year was monumental: Annual inflation soared to 9.1%, the highest in more than 40 years largely because of record-high energy costs. So the Fed and economists have been keyed in on what’s happening with core inflation, particularly core services.

Persons: Olivia Newton, ” William Ferguson, “, Joe Biden, ” Sung Won Sohn, Lael Brainard, ” Brainard, Brainard, ” Julia Pollak, ZipRecruiter, Sohn, ”, —, Nicole Goodkind Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI, Grinnell College, CNN, Federal Reserve, Loyola Marymount University, SS Economics, Core PCE, National Economic Council, Economic, of New, BLS, Kansas City Fed Locations: Minneapolis, Iowa, of New York

☆ The US labor market cooled off in June, adding just 209,000 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN —The US job market cooled back down in June, adding just 209,000 jobs, and fueling optimism that the economy is on course to nail that elusive soft landing of lowering inflation without triggering a recession. That being said, last month’s job growth still outpaces the pre-pandemic average. “The job growth is slowing, but I don’t actually think that’s necessarily a bad thing,” Rucha Vankudre, senior economist for labor market analytics company Lightcast, told CNN. “In the tug of war between the labor market and the economy, there is still a push and pull, yet the labor market remains strong,” Becky Frankiewicz, president and chief commercial officer of ManpowerGroup, said in commentary issued Friday. In June, sectors such as government, as well as health care and social assistance, saw the biggest job gains: 60,000 and 65,200, respectively.

Persons: Rucha Vankudre, We’re, Becky Frankiewicz, ManpowerGroup, “, Lightcast’s Vankudre, ” “, Joe Brusuelas, ” Brusuelas, “ We’re, ” Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN, “, Federal Reserve, Service, BLS, RSM, Fed Locations: Minneapolis

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