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☆ 3 indicators the job market is seeing what one economist calls an ‘unambiguous cooldown'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The job market is still hot but is clearly slowing from the scorching levels seen during much of the past two years, according to labor experts. Job openings and voluntary worker departures (or, quits) declined in March, while the layoff rate increased, according to data issued Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Two words: unambiguous cooldown," Nick Bunker, director of North American economic research at job site Indeed, said of the data in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. "If you're looking at the current temperature of the labor market, it's still strong, still hot," Bunker said. The Federal Reserve began raising borrowing costs aggressively last year to cool the economy and labor market, aiming to tame stubbornly high inflation.

☆ Canada and U.S. agree to trace guns intercepted at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Canada and the United States have agreed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to reduce gun violence," Mendicino said. The United States traces guns by requiring firearm dealers to record the serial numbers of the guns they sell and who purchased them. "Data and information sharing are powerful tools in the fight against gun violence," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was also present. Previously, gun tracing in Canada has been inconsistent. Canada traced only 6-10% of guns involved in crimes, according to 2019 data from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a federal agency.

☆ Americans are saving far less than normal in 2023. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Carlos Waters | In Carloswaters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. personal savings rate remains below its historical average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of personal saving was 4.6% in February. That's well below the average annual rate of more than 8%, according to the data, which traces back to 1959. Collectively, Americans have trillions in excess savings compared with expectations leading up to the pandemic, according to Federal Reserve economists. Watch the video above to learn about how the personal savings rate affects you and the wider economy.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Incumbent President Joe Biden entered the 2024 election race on Tuesday with something he didn't have two-and-a-half years ago: a record in the White House. Critics also say that increased federal spending under Biden, including $750 million on climate change and tax breaks, also drove inflation higher. Biden may have worse cards in 2024, with unemployment likely to rise as growth slows, interest rates remaining high and inflation holding above pre-pandemic levels. Biden also dismissed the sentences of thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a disproportionately non-white group. The Biden administration also has faced scrutiny over its handling of record numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

☆ Car Dealer Markups Helped Drive Inflation, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Ben Eisen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

During the height of the pandemic, the supply-demand imbalance for new vehicles meant dealerships could suddenly charge more for each one. Photo: etienne laurent/EPA/ShutterstockMarkups on new cars were a key force behind the current bout of inflation, according to new research published this month. Those extra dealer profits contributed between 0.3 and 0.7 percentage point of the nearly 16% rise in the consumer-price index between the end of 2019 and the end of 2022, a study published in a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics journal found.

They said two in five people seeking food assistance in the Atlanta region this year have not done so before. In central Ohio, the local food bank says the number of households seeking aid has increased by nearly half since last year. Craig Gundersen, a Baylor University economics professor who is a prominent researcher for Feeding America, said that food banks experiencing spikes above COVID levels are outliers. The Highland Food Pantry in Winchester, Virginia, said it served about 90 families a week during the pandemic. In early April, White visited a community center to donate old clothes and noticed a line for the food pantry.

☆ How Do Actors Find Housing When They Get Gigs Out of Town? Well, It Depends.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Joanne Kaufman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During the pandemic, Mr. Conway said, a lot of actors moved out of New York with their families and put down roots elsewhere. “If they get cast in a show that will bring them back to New York, a housing stipend becomes pretty important,” he said. Rentals of less than a year are hard to come by, and rentals of less than 30 days are legally problematic. (For perspective, most actors are not rich. The median wage for actors was $23.48 an hour in May 2021, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

☆ Some travel is 'off the charts' expensive, experts say. Here are 3 ways to cut some costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesInternational travel costs have hit record highsThe Eiffel Tower and Seine River at sunrise in Paris. The so-called "revenge travel" dynamic has helped to push up prices, perhaps most acutely for travel abroad. These are record-high prices, Berg said. People should be prepared not just for a busy travel season, but an expensive travel season. Sally French travel expert at NerdWalletThis summer is expected to be the busiest on record for international travel, the U.S. State Department said in March.

☆ I rented clothes instead of buying new, and saved $53 a month—here's the No. 1 reason I'll keep doing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

I started renting used clothes in January, saving me an average of $53 per month so far. Balancing my vanity with an awareness that I needed to budget more effectively, I started renting clothes from Nuuly — a sister company to Urban Outfitters — in January. It hasn't curbed my shopping habits as much as I predicted, but it has saved me money: I spend $53 less per month, on average. But I didn't start renting clothes for my self-esteem. Why I'll keep renting clothes — but not forever

☆ Four killed, multiple injuries in Alabama shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Law enforcement officers walk through the crime scene, a day after a shooting at a teenager's birthday party in a dance studio, in Dadeville, Alabama, U.S., April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrApril 16 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and multiple others injured in a shooting on Saturday night that was tied to a birthday party in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, the state law enforcement agency said at a news conference on Sunday morning. The state agency declined to answer questions or provide further detail during the news conference. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a Twitter post on Sunday morning that she was staying "closely updated" by law enforcement as details emerged. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as four or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.

☆ Why the surge in summer travel airfare, hotel prices is not likely to slow down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Travel is showing no signs of cooling off this summer, as both demand and prices are expected to stay high. "There's still a lot of pent of demand going back to the pandemic," Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said on "Squawk on the Street" last week. He also pointed to the TSA checkpoint travel numbers, which are now within a few percentage points compared to the number of travelers seen in 2019. That demand has kept prices high, Fogel said, noting recent trips he's taken. "[Consumers] have gone three years without having the experiences they want, including last summer," Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said on "Squawk Box" earlier this week.

Catherine Mcqueen | Moment | Getty ImagesInflation is gradually falling but remains high, meaning consumers' budgets continue to be stressed by fast-rising prices. "The best defense against inflation is being true to knowing your necessities and accepting the fact that [prices have] increased," said Braxton, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Inflation is a measure of how quickly the prices consumers pay for goods and services are rising. When inflation is high — and outpacing wage growth — there are two basic financial adjustments for households to make ends meet: increase income or decrease expenses, Braxton said. Hourly earnings fell 0.7% in the past year after accounting for inflation — meaning consumers' dollar is getting stretched a bit further.

☆ These are the 9 most expensive states to start a business—No. 1 isn't New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Louisiana, the ranking's third-most expensive state, has the least amount of commercial space available per 100,000 people of any state. It also has a relative dearth of available talent: Louisiana is bottom three among all U.S. states in terms of labor force participation rate, at 69.2%, and only 26.4% of its post-college-age workers have at least a bachelor's degree. And the state's business environment appears to leave something to be desired. Its business survival rate of 0.54 is the country's fifth-worst, according to 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Something like labor force participation rate may be less obvious: Having a large population of eligible workers at your disposal can save you time and money when recruiting new employees.

☆ As inflation starts to subside, a lower Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2024 may be on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

New government inflation data shows inflation is cooling — and that could point to a lower cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for Social Security beneficiaries next year. Yet another measure used to calculate the Social Security COLA each year — the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W — rose 4.5% over the last 12 months and 0.3% for the month prior to seasonal adjustment. To be sure, that is a very early estimate, according to Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare analyst at The Senior Citizens League. Gauging how much the increase for 2024 will be, if there is one, will be clearer toward the second half of the year, she said. In 2023, Social Security beneficiaries saw an 8.7% bump to their Social Security benefits, a four-decade record prompted by high inflation.

☆ Egg prices crashed 11% in March — and more relief may follow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Egg prices fell by almost 11% in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday, following a 7% decline in February and delivering relief from record-high prices over the winter. The decrease is largely due to a recovery in egg production and weaker consumer demand, said Brian Moscogiuri, global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, an egg supplier. Egg prices rose more than those of almost any other consumer good or service last year, in percentage terms. In a sign of the times, comedian Trevor Noah asked popstar Taylor Swift at the Grammy Awards in February if her fans could help reduce the high price of eggs. That's more than double the price in February 2022, when a dozen eggs cost $2, but is down 61 cents from $4.82 in January 2023, which was a record high.

☆ These are the 9 least expensive states to start a business—none of them are in the northeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nevada tops this ranking as the least expensive U.S. state to start a small business, due to factors like an abundance of available commercial space and the state's lack of corporate income tax. Small business loans were also widely available in those two states in 2020, the most recent year with complete Small Business Administration data. Arkansas small businesses received nearly $43 million in loans per 100,000 residents that year, the sixth-highest of any state. Some states offer tax credits for businesses in specific industries, which could help some startups and not others. "For entrepreneurs who have the ability to pick and choose where they want to start their business, it's clear that certain states will allow you to save money," the ranking noted.

☆ Police bust major US-Canada firearms smuggling operation with 42 arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Authorities allege that the individuals were involved in illicit firearms sales in Toronto and surrounding areas. Canada's gun homicide rate is a fraction of the United States' rate, 2020 data showed, but is still higher than other wealthy countries and has been rising. Most of the handguns used in crimes in Ontario, the most populous province, are smuggled from the United States. Of the 173 seized firearms, most were handguns, the Toronto Police Service said. The majority of the firearms were being smuggled into Canada from the United States, and some were domestically sourced, it said.

☆ US gives final nod to huge power line from Wyoming to Nevada
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. officials on Tuesday gave final approval for a company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz to begin building a massive transmission line that will deliver wind energy from blustery Wyoming to power-hungry California. The "notice to proceed" from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allows TransWest Express LLC to break ground on its $3 billion line after more than 15 years of development. A separate Anschutz firm owns the 600-turbine Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm in Wyoming, which is being built, that will send power through TransWest Express. TransWest Express construction will start later this year and the first stage will be completed in 2027, the company said. The line will run from south central Wyoming, through Colorado, Utah and Nevada to a substation outside of Las Vegas.

☆ Fact Check-‘QAnon Shaman’ was not freed early due to footage proving Jan. 6 riot was ‘hoax’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli or the “QAnon Shaman”, is due to be released early from prison in the U.S. due to a combination of factors including good behavior, according to his attorney. Posts online, however, are saying he was released early due to footage of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol showing he was wrongly sentenced or that the event itself was a hoax. Chansley was not released as a result of the video footage released through Tucker Carlson.”In February 2023, TV host Tucker Carlson said he’d been given access to thousands of hours of video footage from the Capitol riot (here). Reuters has debunked multiple other claims alleging the Capitol storming was a hoax (here), (here) and (here). Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli or “QAnon Shaman”, was not released from prison early because of Jan 6.

CompaniesCompanies Law Firms Conocophillips FollowApril 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by environmentalists to temporarily suspend the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic. Gleason said an injunction was inappropriate because the groups wouldn't be irreparably harmed by the construction that ConocoPhillips has scheduled for this month, which includes building roads and a gravel mine. Bridget Psarianos, an attorney challenging the approval, called the planned construction schedule "aggressive" and said the judge's decision is "heartbreaking." The approvals for the project in northern Alaska give ConocoPhillips permission to construct three drill pads, 25.8 miles of gravel roads, an air strip and hundreds of miles of ice roads. The 30-year project would produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, according to the company.

☆ 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley was released early from prison, and a former prosecutor said it's totally normal to have sentences reduced
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

January 6 rioter Jacob Chansley, known as the "QAnon Shaman," has been released from prison early. Chansley was moved to a halfway house in Arizona, his trial lawyer told Insider. Chansley was let out of prison after serving 27 months of his 41-month sentence. Chansley's projected release date from any kind of federal custody is May 25, the Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said. Former New York prosecutor Mark Bederow told Insider that it is "common" for federal inmates to get their sentences lessened under the First Step Act, which was passed in 2018.

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Almost all of the remaining shortfall in U.S. labor force participation is the result of demographic and other trends that predate the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research that suggests little chance that growth in the number of workers will help ease a tight American job market. After accounting for factors such as population aging and changes in education that influence people's willingness to work, the study showed that U.S. labor force participation was only about 0.3 percentage points short of where it would have been without the pandemic - equivalent to around 700,000 "missing" workers. Still, the figures suggest a winnowing down of COVID-related impacts on the labor force, a significant conclusion for U.S. policymakers hoping labor force participation rates could rebound to pre-pandemic levels. As of February, about 62.5% of U.S. adults were either working or looking for work, 0.8 percentage points below where it was in February of 2020, according to government figures. It has been in a steady decline for nearly a quarter century after peaking at 67.3% in April 2000.

☆ 5 alarming stats on U.S. economic inequality in Pulitzer-prize winning author's new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Desmond's findings are based on data from a number of sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Pew Research Center.) (Desmond analyzed tax data from a number of sources, including the Office of Management and Budget.) watch now"Most families who enjoy those subsidies have six-figure incomes and are white," Desmond writes. "There is growing evidence that America harbors a hard bottom layer of deprivation, a kind of extreme poverty once thought to exist only in faraway places of bare feet and swollen bellies," Desmond writes. Racial wealth gap is as large as in the '60sLooking at the work of other authors and Federal Reserve data, Desmond found that the racial wealth gap is as wide today as it was more than five decades ago.

☆ Shrinking food stamp benefits for families mean yet another challenge for retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This month, pandemic-related emergency funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is ending in most states, leaving many low-income families with less to spend on food. More than 41 million Americans receive funding for food through the federal program. For those households, it will amount to at least $95 less per month to spend on groceries. The nonprofit used to provide about 7 million meals per month before the pandemic and now provides between 11 million and 12 millions meals per month. "We knew these [extra SNAP funds] were going away and they were going to be sunsetted," she said.

☆ More women become truckers as the industry tries to overcome a shortage of drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

She's one of many in the trucking industry leading efforts to bring more women into the fold. Associations like Women In Trucking work to increase the rate of women drivers, technicians and executives, particularly younger women or those switching careers, like Johnson. Now, with the industry facing a daunting driver shortage, initiatives to bring in women drivers from other industries have escalated. The share of women truckers has increased significantly in recent years: Women now make up almost 8% of truck drivers and sales delivery drivers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Navigating shortagesThough many women joined the industry during the pandemic, Covid-19 lockdowns stalled training and testing for truck drivers.

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