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But while the Fed in 2019 was asking "'is this as strong as the labor market can get?' Fed rate hikes could have "very significant, uneven short-term impacts" on the job market. So far headline payroll employment growth remains strong. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsWANTING IT BOTH WAYSFor now, though, the Fed might mark the pandemic labor rebound as essentially complete, despite the risks. The economy needs to create about 100,000 payroll jobs a month to keep pace with population growth.

Persons: Bryan Woolston, Michael Madowitz, Raphael Bostic, Trump, Howard Schneider, Dan Burns, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Kentucky, Center, REUTERS, . Federal Reserve, Washington Center for Equitable, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Atlanta Fed, BLS, American Progress, White House Council, Economic Advisers, Thomson Locations: Frankfort , Kentucky, U.S, Bryan Woolston WASHINGTON, COVID

CNN —Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in the special counsel’s classified documents probe, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, a stunning development that marks the first time a former president has faced federal charges. Ongoing investigationsTrump has railed against the special counsel investigation and the other probes into his conduct, claiming they are all efforts to stop him politically. After federal investigators retrieved documents from the resort in June, his lawyers later told investigators that they had searched the storage area and that all classified documents were accounted for. In recent months, prosecutors heard from dozens of witnesses, including Trump aides and employees of Mar-a-Lago and the Trump Organization. Prosecutors obtained an audio tape of Trump talking about a classified Pentagon document during a 2021 Bedminster, New Jersey, meeting.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, ”, ” Trump, General Merrick Garland, Jack Smith, Joe Biden, Fani Willis, Fmr, Lago Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Biden Administration, Justice, Trump, Biden Justice Department, Trump Organization, Democratic, Senate, Trump’s, FBI, Prosecutors, DOJ, National Archives, Mar Locations: Miami, Manhattan, Lago, Fulton County, Georgia, Mar, Washington ,, Florida, Bedminster , New Jersey

☆ Russia and Saudi Arabia’s Oil Partnership Shows Strain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Clifford Krauss | Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For most of the last six years, the leaders of Russia and Saudi Arabia worked with each other to control the global oil market during times of war, pandemic and dizzying price gyrations. At last weekend’s meeting of OPEC Plus, the oil cartel that the two countries lead, Saudi Arabia and Russia quietly parted ways. Just two months earlier, Russia and Saudi Arabia, which together sell more than 20 percent of the oil used by the world, had agreed to cut production. But while Saudi Arabia followed through and sold less oil to other countries, Russia does not appear to have done so. Russia recently stopped disclosing information on its oil industry, but analysts estimate that Moscow has increased exports, undercutting that earlier deal.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken’s Organizations: OPEC Locations: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Moscow

☆ Supreme Court ruling could chill labor strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Angela Cornell, a Cornell Law School labor law professor, called it "another decision that undermines the capacity of unions to function." MORE STRIKESThe ruling comes at a time of increasing strikes called by U.S. labor unions. Some experts pointed out that the ruling largely preserved the existing legal scaffolding for deciding labor law preemption cases of this kind. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has dealt setbacks to organized labor in key cases in recent years. Brudney said Thursday's ruling "was not comparable to that broader trendline" of decisions weakening labor unions.

Persons: Amy Coney Barrett, Angela Cornell, Cornell, Kenneth Dau, Schmidt, Benjamin Sachs, Sachs, Dan Altchek, Saul Ewing, Altchek, James Brudney, Brudney, Anne Marie Lofaso, Lofaso, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Taiheiyo Cement Corp, Cornell Law School, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Harvard Law, Glacier, Inc, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National Labor Relations, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fordham University Law, West Virginia University College of Law, Thomson Locations: Japan, Washington, Philadelphia, California

The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. Meadows didn’t attend the meeting, sources said. The revelation that the former president and commander-in-chief has been captured on tape discussing a classified document could raise his legal exposure as he continues his third bid for the White House. On the recording and in response to the story, Trump brings up the document, which he says came from Milley. However, there’s no indication Trump followed the legally mandated declassification process, and his attorneys have avoided saying so far in court whether Trump declassified records he kept.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, Mark Milley, Trump’s, Mark Meadows, Margo Martin, Meadows, Trump “, ”, Dave Butler, Martin, Olivier Douliery, Susan Glasser, Milley, Glasser, ” Milley, Honig, They’ve Organizations: CNN, Federal, White, Justice Department, Trump, Prosecutors, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Milley, Capitol, Getty, Yorker, National Archives, Records Administration, The Justice, Lago, Office, Fox News Locations: Iran, Bedminster , New Jersey, Washington ,, AFP, New, Milley, Lago, Florida, Bedminster, Trump

☆ What the Debt Ceiling Deal Means for Student Loan Payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For millions of Americans with federal student loan debt, the payment holiday is about to end. The end of the pause will affect millions of Americans who have taken out federal student loans to pay for college. Across the United States, 45 million people owe $1.6 trillion for such loans — more than Americans owe for any kind of consumer debt other than mortgages. The economic impact of the pandemic has faded since President Donald J. Trump first paused student loan payments in March 2020. The number of jobs in the United States now exceeds prepandemic levels.

☆ In the Market: Amid the calm, the Fed brews the next storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Paritosh Bansal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Earlier this month, Chairman Jay Powell said the Fed's monetary policy and financial stability tools were "working well together," allowing it to support banks and pursue price stability. But several people in the market believe not only is the regional banking sector still under stress, multiple other risks to financial stability also remain. Tighter monetary policy could well cause them to blow up or worsen the impact of other shocks, such as debt ceiling negotiations. "The Fed has no desire to conduct monetary policy through financial crises," said Wendy Edelberg, director of The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution. In its most recent financial stability report earlier this month, the Fed listed several areas of concern, including life insurance and some types of bond and loan funds.

☆ Hollywood actors' union asks members to authorize possible strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Reuters) - The board of Hollywood's actors union asked members on Thursday to give negotiators the power to call a strike, a move that would add new pressure to major studios already facing a writers' strike. The SAG-AFTRA actors union set a June 5 deadline for its 160,000 members to cast ballots in a strike authorization vote. If approved, the measure would allow union leaders to call a work stoppage if they cannot reach a new contract agreement with major Hollywood studios. The writers' strike has disrupted production of late-night shows and some TV series, but some filming is continuing. A strike by actors would lead to a broader shutdown across the industry.

The country is planning to purchase Russian crude oil at a discount as high prices caused by geopolitical tensions have caused fuel prices to more than double in Pakistan. Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) will initially refine the Russian crude in a trial run, followed by Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) and other refineries later. Pakistan is undertaking several measures, including raising fuel prices, to unlock a $1.1 billion tranche of aid from the International Monetary Fund. Fuel prices have jumped 143 rupees ($0.5046), or nearly 100%, in the last 12 months. Fuels including diesel became more expensive globally after Russia invaded Ukraine, which resulted in Western nations that consume large quantities of diesel imposing sanctions on Russian oil.

☆ Walmart dictates battery prices at competing retailers by pressuring Energizer, a trio of new lawsuits allege
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Energizer was "under pressure from Walmart" to ensure that nobody sold batteries for a lower price, three lawsuits say. The lawsuits allege that Energizer inflated wholesale battery prices for Walmart competitors. The lawsuits allege that in exchange for Walmart giving Energizer "preferential treatment" at its stores, Energizer agreed to a scheme to "artificially inflate the wholesale prices it charged to Walmart's competitors for Energizer Battery Products to prevent them from undercutting Walmart's retail prices." They further allege that, as a result, prices for batteries from Energizer's chief rival, Duracell, also were artificially inflated. The group "policed Energizer's customers' retail prices and raised wholesale prices as necessary to force Energizer's customers to maintain retail prices that did not undercut Walmart's," per the lawsuits.

At the same time, U.S. officials are expanding holding capacity for migrants at the border while piloting faster asylum screenings. The Biden plans aim to address a likely increase in unauthorized immigration after COVID border restrictions that have been in place since 2020 are set to end on May 11, barring any last-minute legal or congressional intervention. The expansion of refugee processing in Latin America would come as the Biden administration has yet to restore refugee admissions after they were slashed under Trump. Miller noted that an estimated 660,000 migrants are currently in Mexico, citing United Nations figures. CBP has capacity to detain 6,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and plans to add space for 2,500 more, Miller said, adding that the agency has stepped up its ability to quickly transport migrants away from the border.

☆ Ford CEO Jim Farley says Tesla price cuts could start an EV price war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ford CEO Jim Farley says Tesla's pricing could spark an EV price war. Ford CEO Jim Farley said Tesla's price cuts could spark an electric-vehicle price war and transform some into commodities. In January, Ford followed Tesla in cutting EV prices, discounting its plug-in Mustang Mach-E range by between about 1% and 8.8%. Tesla's price cuts are aimed at undercutting rivals and boosting market share, but the strategy has cost the company. Seth Goldstein, an equities strategist for Morningstar, told Insider Tesla's price cuts had left legacy automakers scrambling.

☆ Weak retail sales, manufacturing output data point to slowing US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Data for February was revised up to show retail sales falling 0.2% instead of 0.4% as previously reported. Retail sales are mostly goods, which are typically bought on credit, and are not adjusted for inflation. Retail sales and inflationThe decline in retail sales was almost across the board. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, edged up 0.1%. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales slipped 0.3% last month.

☆ US retail sales post second straight monthly drop; factory output falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Retail sales dropped 1.0% last month, the Commerce Department said. Data for February was revised up to show retail sales falling 0.2% instead of 0.4% as previously reported. Retail sales are mostly goods, which are typically bought on credit, and are not adjusted for inflation. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, edged up 0.1%. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales slipped 0.3% last month.

☆ Opinion: A pleasant flight in South Africa vs. air travel horrors in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —This past weekend, I had one of the most unusual experiences of my life: a day of air travel that was easy, sensible, efficient — dare I say pleasant. But last Saturday, it was — which highlighted just how unpleasant and undignified air travel often is, particularly within the United States. So, let’s say your flight is still scheduled and you’ve paid extra money to travel with a bag. But air travel was bad well before the pandemic. But every once in a while, like this past weekend as I settled into my oversized South African Airways seat without having broken a sweat, I’ll see a little glimmer of what air travel could be.

☆ Apartment-Building Sales Drop 74%, the Most in 14 Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sales of rental apartment buildings are falling at the fastest rate since the subprime-mortgage crisis, a sign that higher interest rates, regional banking turmoil and slowing rent growth are undercutting demand for these buildings. Investors purchased $14 billion of apartment buildings in the first quarter of 2023, according to a preliminary report by data firm CoStar Group. That represents a 74% decline in sales from the same quarter a year earlier and would be the largest annual sales decline for any quarter going back to a 77% drop in the first quarter of 2009.

☆ Republicans defend Trump by attacking criminal-justice system
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Critics warn that the present partisan rhetoric could shake public trust in courts by undermining the institutional legitimacy of the criminal justice system. "Undercutting the system of government is a serious matter and a threat to our future," she said in an interview. Bragg, a Democrat, on Friday warned Republican Representatives Jim Jordan, James Comer and Bryan Steil, who are leading the probe, against attacking the criminal justice system. Historians including Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer said Republican statements about Bragg and the criminal justice system follow a long-established partisan line. Nicole Hemmer, director of the Rogers Center for the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, warned that Republican attacks on the U.S. criminal justice system could ultimately have dire consequences for courts and juries.

☆ No, Ron DeSantis can't stop Donald Trump's extradition from Florida to New York. Here's what happens now that he's been indicted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Ron DeSantis can't stop extradition from Trump's home in Florida, but he could slow the process. DeSantis can't stop Trump's extradition, but he could slow it downThe standard method of interstate extradition in Florida, according to Holder and Bachner, involves the governors of each state. DeSantis is then required to make sure the indictment is valid before ordering Trump's extradition from Florida. The Florida extradition statute describes the governor's role as simply making sure the extradition demand meets all the legal requirements. It's unlikely that DeSantis will look too closely under the hood of the indictment, Bachner told Insider before news of the grand jury vote Thursday.

Most carmakers said their battery packs are repairable, though few seem willing to share access to battery data. Lauterwasser said access to EV battery data is part of that fight. EV battery problems also expose a hole in the green "circular economy" touted by carmakers. Hill estimated at least 95% of the cells in the hundreds of EV battery packs - and thousands of hybrid battery packs - Synetiq has stored at Doncaster are undamaged and should be reused. 'PAIN POINTS'The British government is funding research into EV insurance "pain points" led by Thatcham, Synetiq and insurer LV=.

☆ No, Ron DeSantis can't stop Donald Trump's extradition from Florida to New York if he's indicted. Here's how it would go down.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Ron DeSantis can't stop extradition from Trump's home in Florida, but he could slow the process. DeSantis can't stop Trump's extradition, but he could slow it downThe standard method of interstate extradition in Florida, according to Holder and Bachner, involves the governors of each state. In that scenario, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office would present the indictment to the legal affairs office of New York Gov. DeSantis is then required to make sure the indictment is valid before ordering Trump's extradition from Florida. The Florida extradition statute describes the governor's role as simply making sure the extradition demand meets all the legal requirements.

☆ Britain helps pubs by raising 'draught relief' on beer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt offered extra help to pubs by reducing the tax paid on draught beers and ciders, resulting in the duty paid on a pint served in a bar undercutting the rate paid by supermarkets by up to 11 pence. "In December, I extended the alcohol duty freeze until 1 August, after which duties will go up in line with inflation in the usual way," Hunt told parliament in his budget statement. "But today, I will do something that was not possible when we were in the EU and significantly increase the generosity of Draught Relief, so that from 1 August the duty on draught products in pubs will be up to 11p lower than the duty in supermarkets, a differential we will maintain as part of a new Brexit pubs guarantee." Reporting by David Milliken, Writing by Paul SandleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Google got a pandemic boost for its Workspace software but blew it, insiders say. Now it plans to attack Microsoft with a new push in AI.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rosalie Chan | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian spent much of his time at a partner meeting talking about Workspace, tweeted Tony Safoian, CEO of Google Cloud partner SADA Systems. "Around the globe, more than nine million paying organizations, and more than three billion users rely on Google Workspace for communication and collaboration. Other major customers like Deutsche Bank use Google Cloud for cloud infrastructure, but Microsoft Office for collaboration software. Forty-four percent of software procurers whose organization plans to or currently uses Microsoft's collaboration software also use Google Workspace, according to the 2022 Forrester study. While Google Cloud is still unprofitable, it has decreased losses to $480 million, down from $890 million last year.

☆ Tesla has declared a price war on electric-vehicle and traditional automakers alike. There are signs Elon Musk's company is making early gains.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( George Glover | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The automaker has slashed Model 3, Model Y, Model X, and Model S prices in 2023. While it's too soon to call a winner in the price war, there are signs Tesla is making early gains. Tesla also lowered prices for its Model S sedan and Model X SUV in January, then reduced them again in early March. The basic Model S now retails at $89,990, down 14% from the start of the year, while the entry-level Model X costs $99,990, down 17%. "Price cuts also annoy customers," Caspar Rawles, the chief data officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a price-reporting agency, told Insider.

Businesses, under government pressure to increase wages to boost household consumption, are struggling to motor on in the face of muted demand. Japan GDP revised down on weak consumptionPrivate consumption, which makes up more than half of the country's GDP, grew 0.3%, the data showed, downgraded from an initial estimate of a 0.5% increase. Consumption of goods was also less solid than previously estimated, the data showed. Domestic demand as a whole knocked 0.3 percentage point from revised GDP growth, slightly more than initially estimated, while net exports added 0.4 percentage point. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Eimi Yamamitsu Editing by Chang-Ran Kim & Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TikToker shows people how to live off Dollar Tree groceries that cost $35 a week as Americans flock to dollar stores for cheaper food
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

More people are shopping for food at dollar stores as inflation bites and food prices soar. Dollar Tree Dinners, a TikTok page run by Rebecca Chobat, shows shoppers how to cook on a budget. Chobat says it's possible to eat a varied weekly diet using $35 worth of Dollar Tree groceries. According to a recent report from Coresight Research, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General ranked in the top five retailers from which consumers bought food in 2022. Dollar Tree stores have mostly sold non-perishable items in the past.

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