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☆ Meet the Americans stocking up on cars, skincare, and toilet paper ahead of Trump's potential trade restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For some, the fear of tariffs means stocking up on cars, skincare, and hair products. But following Donald Trump's presidential election victory, Hull heard that car costs could surge if his tariff plans are enacted. On the campaign trail, Trump proposed a 60% tariff on imports from China and 10% to 20% on goods from other countries. AdvertisementConsidering the larger scale of Trump's proposals this time around, trade experts have identified goods, including car parts, apparel, and electronics, as products at risk of getting more expensive under Trump's tariff proposals. With so much uncertainty regarding Trump's tariff proposals, it's difficult to plan.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kristen Hull, Donald Trump's, Hull, Trump, She's, I'm, Indi Dutta, Gupta, Karoline Leavitt, Vance, she's, Dutta, Marissa Garcia, Trump's, Peterson, Garcia, Beatrice Barba, Barba, Lisa Evans, Jonathan Gold, it's, Ford Organizations: Biden, Hull, Business, Georgetown University, Roosevelt Institute, Trump, Discovery, American Progress, National Retail Federation, jkaplan Locations: China, Columbia, Southern Indiana, Jacksonville , Florida, Los Angeles

Three Democratic senators are asking McDonald’s about its menu price hikes in recent years, arguing that the increases are higher than they should be — even with inflation and rising operating costs. McDonald’s prices have raised eyebrows. It also asked whether McDonald’s executives received bonuses or other incentive-based compensation from 2020 to 2024 and whether any incentives were based on executives’ ability to increase per-customer profits. Large corporations “owe consumers transparency when they hike menu prices,” Wyden said in a statement to NBC News. “Fast food chains, like McDonald’s, are raking in profits while families struggle to buy meals that are meant to be affordable and accessible.”

Persons: Elizabeth Warren of, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Ron Wyden, Chris Kempczinski, “, ”, McDonald’s, Joe Erlinger, —, Erlinger, Warren, Madeleine Dean, General Mills, Casey, Kempczinski, ” Wyden Organizations: Democratic, Oregon, NBC News, USA, Roosevelt Institute, Mac, Cola, PepsiCo, Wall, McDonald’s Locations: Sens, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, U.S, Connecticut, shrinkflation, ”

☆ FTC chair Lina Khan warns that airlines might one day use AI to find out you're attending a funeral and charge more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewConsumers could end up paying the (personalized) price as AI becomes more popular, FTC Chair Lina Khan recently warned. Khan said that dynamic pricing, while a separate pricing strategy, may have helped price targeting become more prevalent as people become increasingly used to encountering it. Dynamic pricing itself has already proven controversial in some areas. Wendy's received major heat from customers after announcing plans to introduce dynamic pricing and AI-enabled menu changes as early as 2025. Later, the fast-food chain clarified that its dynamic pricing would not raise prices but rather only provide discounts.

Persons: —, Lina Khan, Khan, there's, we've, Wendy's, Kroger, Elizabeth Pancotti, Pancotti Organizations: Service, Innovation, Business, FTC, Microsoft, Walmart, Roosevelt Institute

☆ Americans Really Hate the so-so Economy, Worried About Recession
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

We expected there to be a cooling labor market — that's kind of the goal — and it's always just, you know, how cool?" That being said, when it comes to the labor market … it is, in fact, so over. That's an improvement over July's 4.3% unemployment rate, but overall, the jobs market in the US is cooling off. Related stories"If you imagine a labor market like a bathtub, the bathtub is full," said Dana Peterson, the chief economist at the Conference Board. Despite the strong labor market, they're sending endless résumés into the ether without getting any bites, and they don't understand why.

Persons: I've, it's, Allison Shrivastava, Joanne Hsu, there's, Dana Peterson, Jaime, Alexis Fowler, she'd, That's, pang, Hsu, Michael Madowitz, Y, Peterson, We're, Emily Stewart Organizations: Federal, University of Michigan, Conference Board, Roosevelt Institute, Business

☆ The unemployment insurance program is unprepared for a recession, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, the system that workers rely on to collect unemployment benefits is at risk of buckling — as it did during the Covid-19 pandemic — if there's another economic downturn, experts say. Unemployment insurance provides temporary income support to laid-off workers, thereby helping prop up consumer spending and the broader U.S. economy during downturns. There's also wide variation among states — which administer the programs — relative to factors like benefit amount, duration and eligibility, according to the report, authored by more than two dozen unemployment insurance experts. Why the unemployment insurance program buckledJoblessness ballooned in the pandemic's early days. Claims for unemployment benefits peaked at more than 6 million in early April 2020, up from roughly 200,000 a week before the pandemic.

Persons: Joe Raedle, Michele Evermore, There's, Andrew Stettner, NASI, Stettner, haven't, Indivar Dutta, Gupta Organizations: Getty, The Century Foundation, U.S . Labor Department's, National Academy of Social Insurance, Labor, Labor Department, Roosevelt Institute Locations: Florida, Sunrise , Florida, U.S

☆ Voters blamed Biden for high inflation. Kamala Harris could get a pass.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Where voters place their blame — and specifically whether it falls on Vice President Kamala Harris — could be one of the defining factors of the presidential election. Early polling suggests that Harris won't be able to entirely shed the blame that President Joe Biden has received for inflation. If Harris can avoid some of the blame Biden received for rising prices, it could improve her chances of winning over crucial swing state voters, Traugott said. However, Sarah Foster, a Bankrate analyst, thinks some voters could shift much of their frustrations about rising prices from Biden to Harris. To be sure, it's up for debate how much Biden, Harris, or even Trump are deserving of blame for the rising prices of the past few years.

Persons: —, Kamala Harris —, Harris, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, she'd, Michael Traugott, Kamala Harris, Trump, Traugott, Evan Roth Smith, Blueprint's, Semafor, Elizabeth Pancotti, Sarah Foster, It's, Joseph Stiglitz, University of Michigan's Traugott Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Democratic, University of Michigan, Republicans, Biden —, Roosevelt Institute, New York Times, Biden, FOX Business, University of Michigan's

☆ Lyft is pulling back on 'rideshare's most hated feature.' But it's the way of the future for many big companies.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewPeople hate surge pricing — and Lyft says it hears them. The feature would compete with Uber by giving customers some certainty ahead of time as to how much they'll pay for a ride; Risher said surge pricing is "probably rideshare's most hated feature." Economists have told Business Insider that as algorithms get better and more retails adopt easily-changed digital price tags, customers could start seeing it in even more places. Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey also launched an investigation into Kroger's price tags over their potential to surge prices. But when looking at technological innovations at other big companies to make it easier to change prices, stable pricing likely won't come anytime soon.

Persons: —, Lyft, David Risher, Price, Risher, Elizabeth Pancotti, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Bob Casey, it'll Organizations: Service, Business, Uber, Walmart, Kroger, Roosevelt Institute, Democratic, Cincinnati Enquirer

☆ Jobs Report Shows the Labor Market Is in Danger, Recession Possible
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jobs report said the US economy added 114,000 jobs in July, far fewer than the 176,000 jobs that economists expected. The weakness of the jobs report tipped the worry scale and sent markets into meltdown mode. Outside the July jobs report, there were plenty of signs the labor market was cooling off. If that seems confusing, here's the only thing you really need to know: The July jobs report triggered the Sahm rule. Nobody should be losing a ton of sleep over the state of the labor market or over the economy overall.

Persons: it's, Guy Berger, doesn't, Skanda Amarnath, there's, what's, Claudia Sahm, we're, Amarnath, Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, would've, it'll, Jay Powell, Berger, Emily Stewart Organizations: Federal Reserve, Glass, Labor, Survey, New Century Advisors, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, Fed, Business

☆ This labor data trend is a 'warning sign,' economist says. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The unemployment rate jumped in July, and there is a detail in the data that has alarmed some economists. So-called marginally attached workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are those who are available to work and want a job, but have not searched for a job in the four weeks preceding the survey. Bustamante assessed marginally attached workers plus unemployed workers as a group, which the BLS refers to as U-6. "That's a warning sign" for the labor market, he said. It is a sign that people want a job, but are having a hard time finding a job, he said.

Persons: Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, Kamala Harris, Nick Bunker Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, Finance, North Locations: New York City, North America

☆ The labor market's soft landing 'is in danger,' economist says. Here's where jobs are still growing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Merton | Ojo Images | Getty ImagesJob seekers have been sour on the job market for a while now — and with good reason. "The soft landing in the U.S. labor market is in danger," Nick Bunker, Economic Research Director for North America for Indeed Hiring Lab, wrote in a statement on Friday. "Yellow flags had started to pop up in the labor market data over the past few months, but now the flags are turning red," Bunker said. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate increased to 4.3%, the highest since October 2021. To pivot, assess 'transferrable skills'Because the labor market is weakening, it might be hard for workers to find opportunities in their preferred industries, Bustamante noted.

Persons: Tom Merton, Nick Bunker, Bunker, Nonfarm payrolls, Alí Bustamante, Julia Pollak, Pollak, NEETS, Bustamante Organizations: Economic, North, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, ZipRecruiter, Health, Finance Locations: U.S, North America, New York City

☆ Wendy's CEO got ripped for pushing dynamic pricing. It could be coming to a store near you.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

With digital price tags, big retailers, in theory, could do the same. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said that type of dynamic pricing is "incredibly important in our economy." AdvertisementSome experts agree, saying dynamic pricing practices could benefit consumers who are able to gain some understanding of the system and shop around. After customers complained online that those changes would surge prices, a spokesperson announced the company did not intend to implement surge pricing. How does dynamic pricing impact you?

Persons: There's, Uber, it's, Greg Cathey, Elizabeth Pancotti, Pancotti, Jerome Powell, Powell, John Zhang, Wendy's, Sen, Sherrod Brown, Zhang, — Organizations: Service, Walmart, Business, Roosevelt Institute, Federal, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Democratic, SNAP

Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesAlthough the unemployment rate has spent 30 months at or below below 4% — a near record — not everyone who wants a job has one. Others, alternatively, are well-qualified but often younger candidates who are struggling to find positions, comprising a contingent of "new unemployables," according to a recent report by Korn Ferry. 'NEETS' feel 'left out and left behind'Still, some young adults in the U.S. are neither working nor learning new skills. In 2023, about 11.2% of young adults ages 15 to 24 in the U.S. were considered as NEETs, according to the International Labour Organization. In other words, roughly one in 10 young people are "being left out and left behind in many ways," Bustamante said.

Persons: Klaus Vedfelt, Korn, Alí Bustamante, Bustamante, that's, Biden's, Julia Pollak, Pollak, David Ellis, Korn Ferry Organizations: Digitalvision, Worker Power, Economic Security, Roosevelt Institute, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, International Labour Organization, Finance, Here's, Trump, Employers, National Association of Colleges Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ What kind of 'Barbie' are you? Here are the Barbieland jobs that most real-life women hold, according to government data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the "Barbie" movie, the narrator says, "Barbie has a great day every day." As women's participation in the labor force has increased over the years, the group continues to face hurdles along the way. "We have the tightest labor market for women in the past 20-something years," Bustamante said. "As the labor market gets tighter and tighter and tighter, women's employment rises faster than men's," Pollak said. "To think of just the scale of construction employment and women are still such a marginal piece of that sector," he said.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Barbie, Julia Pollak, R, Bustamante, Pollak, " Pollak Organizations: Mattel, Warner Bros, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Roosevelt Institute, Census, National Women's Law, Warner Brothers Pictures Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Will Help Decide the 2024 Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Beyond the academic argument, whether the Fed cuts interest rates has a significant political bearing this year. Voters are unhappy about higher prices, and they feel weighed down by high interest rates, too. Interest rates may seem abstract, but they can have a real impact on how people view their financial situations. But lowering interest rates should make people feel better about economic conditions and could give Democrats and Biden a boost. He's well aware lower interest rates would boost the economy, lift people's moods, and, ultimately, help the party in charge.

Persons: Jay Powell, — Donald Trump —, Powell, Joe Biden, Patrick McHenry, McHenry, Skanda Amarnath, it's, Larry Summers, Biden, Amarnath, — Trump, Hillary Clinton's, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Paul Volcker, Volcker, shied, Trump, Elizabeth Pancotti, Sarah Binder, Binder, what's, They've, Diane Swonk, Emily Stewart Organizations: Federal, Trump, Republican, Financial Services, Fed, Roosevelt Institute, George Washington University, Reserve, KPMG US, Business Locations: North Carolina, It's, America, Roosevelt

☆ A Surprising Shift in Economics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( David Leonhardt | More About David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A then-obscure think tank named the Roosevelt Institute released a report in 2015 that called for a new approach to economic policy. It was unabashedly progressive, befitting the history of the institute, which was created by trusts honoring Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. National news outlets covered the report while also noting how much of a break it represented with decades of economic policy by both the Democratic and Republican Parties. American workers have become more interested in unionizing, and labor unions in both the auto industry and Hollywood have recently won big victories. “It’s very surprising this all happened,” Felicia Wong, the longtime president of the Roosevelt Institute, told me.

Persons: Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Biden, ” Felicia Wong, ” Organizations: Roosevelt Institute, Democratic, Republican, Biden, Trump, Hollywood

☆ The Greased-Pig Economy: Higher Inflation, Stock Market Crash Possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

At the same time that prices were cooling off, the rest of the economy seemed to be holding up. In this greased-pig economy, stability depends on how confident investors and policymakers are that they're close to catching the pig. Moving in a messIn the messy economy the pandemic left us, it's not easy to pinpoint exactly why inflation has been so stubborn. CPI inflation peaked at 9% in June 2022 and has been going down steadily since. But with inflation still above the Fed's goal, it's clear we need to recalibrate some on the demand side still.

Persons: it's, Jerome Powell, Mike Konczal, Konczal, we've, Price, proclivity, that's, Taylor Swift, we'd, Charles Evans, Christine Lagarde, Morgan, Jamie Dimon, Roosevelt, —, you've, Justin Simon, Jasper Capital, Linette Lopez Organizations: Consumers, Federal, Roosevelt Institute, Fed, Chicago Fed, European Central Bank, Census Locations: American, America, Jasper

☆ America is stuck in a greased-pig economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

At the same time that prices were cooling off, the rest of the economy seemed to be holding up. And consumers were so intent on spending money to have a good time that cities let Beyoncé dictate public transit. In this greased-pig economy, stability depends on how confident investors and policymakers are that they're close to catching the pig. Moving in a messIn the messy economy the pandemic left us, it's not easy to pinpoint exactly why inflation has been so stubborn. CPI inflation peaked at 9% in June 2022 and has been going down steadily since.

☆ Paul Krugman says 'the war on inflation has been pretty much won — without a recession'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The economist Paul Krugman says the war on inflation is pretty much over. This points to a "Goldilocks" scenario, in which inflation cools without a recession. That's perhaps what happened last month, when core inflation was "distorted by lags in the measured price of shelter," Krugman wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. He pointed to what some call a "Goldilocks" scenario, in which inflation cools without a recession. Notably, among items seeing lower inflation, nearly three in four had an increase in the actual quantity bought by consumers.

Persons: Paul Krugman, disinflation, Krugman, Mike Konczal, Konczal, Patience Organizations: Service, New York Times, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Roosevelt Institute Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

“I think there's great concern about the state of our democracy at this time,” said Mark Updegrove, CEO of the LBJ Foundation, which supports the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Those organizations all support presidential libraries created under the Presidential Library Act of 1955, along with the Eisenhower Foundation. The push for the joint statement was spearheaded by Daniel Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. “America is experiencing a decline in trust, social cohesion, and personal interaction.”Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama who is now CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the former president supported the statement. “This is a moment where we could all come together and show that democracy is not about partisan politics,” she said.

Persons: Herbert Hoover, ”, Mark Updegrove, Updegrove, Lyndon Johnson, John F, Richard Nixon, Gerald R, Ronald Reagan, George, Barbara Bush, George W, Daniel Kramer, Kramer, “, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Kramer, ” Melissa Giller, ” Giller, ” Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama, ” Jarrett, Obama Organizations: WASHINGTON, LBJ Foundation, LBJ Presidential, Hoover Presidential Foundation, Roosevelt Institute, Truman Library Institute, Kennedy Library Foundation, Richard, Richard Nixon Foundation, Ford Presidential Foundation, Carter Center, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Barbara, Barbara Bush Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Bush Presidential Center, Obama, Center, Eisenhower Foundation, The Eisenhower Foundation, Associated Press, Bush, Bush Institute, Ronald, Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute, Obama Foundation Locations: Austin , Texas, loggerheads, Maricopa County, Phoenix, The, Washington ,, Chicago

☆ Get ready to see millions of Americans lose their jobs if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling in the next few days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Madison Hoff | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US could default on its debt as soon as June 5 if the debt ceiling isn't raised by then. That would translate to "7.8 million jobs lost from peak to trough," Yaros said. Other industries would see over half a million jobs lost in this scenario, including construction. "It's something closer to the 2001 recession that we had after the dot-com bubble, and you get about 1.5 million jobs lost from peak to trough," Yaros said. And 1.5 million jobs lost — that's still a huge human toll that was unnecessarily incurred."

☆ Why some Democrats think Biden shouldn't worry about legal challenges that would come from getting rid of the debt ceiling forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A US default could be days away, and Congress still doesn't have a debt ceiling deal. Some Democrats think Biden should use the 14th Amendment to address the crisis. On Monday evening, McCarthy and Biden met once again to attempt to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling and avoiding an unprecedented default. Experts and lawmakers have said that this clause makes a default, and therefore the debt ceiling, unconstitutional, getting rid of the issue forever. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesWhy Biden shouldn't worry about legal challengesNo president has ever invoked the 14th Amendment to address the debt ceiling.

☆ Veterans benefits, Social Security and Medicare payments, and SNAP could be among the first federal programs at risk if the US defaults in 10 days, a new analysis says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US could default on its debt in as soon as ten days if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimated which federal programs would be at risk in the days following a default. Social Security and Medicare payments, veterans benefits, and SNAP could be among the first to go. In the first ten days of June, the government could be unable to afford the following programs:Bipartisan Policy Center analysis of federal programs impacted by potential debt default. "If the debt ceiling isn't raised, there will be some hard choices to make about what bills go unpaid," Yellen said.

☆ A student-loan company at the center of a lawsuit blocking Biden's debt cancellation with a 'dubious record of customer service' just got a new contract to keep servicing millions of borrowers, Cori B
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department awarded five student-loan companies new contracts, including MOHELA. "No company should be profiting from the student debt crisis, especially MOHELA with their dubious record of customer service in the past," she continued. "My office will continue our work to hold student loan servicers accountable for their harm to our communities. Ultimately, there is still much work to be done to provide student debt relief, bolster college affordability, and begin the transition to a world without student debt at all." As Bush referenced, MOHELA is responsible for the whole PSLF portfolio, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments.

☆ Factbox: Fed, FDIC reviews of US bank failures to spotlight problems, fixes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

On Friday the banks' regulators - the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - will publish their accounts of what happened at both institutions, and propose fixes to prevent a repeat. The FDIC will also publish a separate report on deposit insurance by Monday. Barr has said the Fed's report will include confidential supervisory information, including citations and exam material not typically disclosed. DEPOSIT INSURANCEThe second FDIC report could provide insight into how officials are thinking about the role of deposit insurance, currently capped at $250,000 per depositor, in financial stability. "The most interesting thing I expect to see is what the FDIC recommends about the deposit insurance cap," Phillips said.

☆ Premarket stocks: From Wile E. Coyote to edibles: Recession forecasts are getting weird
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And for the US economy, it could likely mean a “Wile E. Coyote moment,” Summers said — if we run off the cliff, gravity will eventually win out. AntibioticsWhen describing the state of the economy, Summers doesn’t just rely on Looney Tunes. “Will working people be better off if we just walk away from our jobs and inflation remains 5% or 6%?” Powell replied. Before the Bell: Is it necessary to increase the unemployment rate to successfully fight inflation? In a related action, the government shut down Signature Bank, a regional bank that was teetering on the brink of collapse in recent days.

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