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Tag: Economy

Gallup poll finds majority of Americans feel worse off now than four years ago under Trump
Breitbart, National

Gallup poll finds majority of Americans feel worse off now than four years ago under Trump

By Wendell Husebø | Breitbart A majority of Americans (52 percent) feel worse off today than four years ago under former President Donald Trump, Gallup polling found Friday. Four years ago the nation was in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which greatly impacted the economy and the lives of millions of Americans. Despite the crises, Americans believe they were better off. Costs increased by about 20 percent across the board after the Biden-Harris administration assumed office and instituted “Bidenomics.” Russia invaded Ukraine, Hamas and Iran attacked Israel, illegal migrants invaded the southern border, and the nation suffered the deadly Afghan withdrawal. Gallup reported its findings, predominantly shaped by soaring costs: READ THE FULL STORY AT BREITBAR...
Major paint company to lay off 1,800 workers, close facilities in cost reduction program
Fox Business, National

Major paint company to lay off 1,800 workers, close facilities in cost reduction program

By Daniella Genovese  | Fox Business PPG — a global manufacturer of paints, coatings, and specialty materials — is laying off nearly 2,000 workers as it trims operation costs and sells off a chunk of its architectural business. The cuts will impact about 1,800 positions, primarily in the U.S. and Europe. PPG didn't disclose when the layoffs would occur. The Pittsburgh-based company said it is part of a comprehensive cost reduction program focused on reducing structural costs primarily in Europe and in certain other global businesses, along with other corporate costs. The program also includes various facility closures. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
Mortgage rates higher for third straight week, with 30-year at 6.44%, market survey finds
Fox Business, National

Mortgage rates higher for third straight week, with 30-year at 6.44%, market survey finds

By Breck Dumas  | Fox Business Mortgage rates continued their upward climb this week, further hindering demand in the housing market amid elevated rates and high home prices. Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage surged to 6.44% from last week's reading of 6.32%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 7.63% a year ago. "The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased for the third consecutive week, moving closer to 6.5%," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.  READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
St. Onge: Inflation rising is awkward for Chairman Powell, nightmare for Kamala Harris
Commentary, National, The Daily Signal

St. Onge: Inflation rising is awkward for Chairman Powell, nightmare for Kamala Harris

By Peter St. Onge, Commentary | Daily Signal Inflation is rising again, and even Federal Reserve cheerleader Bloomberg is worried the Fed is losing the plot. Inflation rising is awkward for the Fed, given Chairman Jerome Powell already cut rates for the looming recession. In fact, he just did a jumbo half-point cut—which makes inflation go up. This is known as a policy error. And the Fed’s been making a lot these days. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DAILY SIGNAL Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.
TGI Fridays closes a dozen stores across America in just one month
Fox Business, National

TGI Fridays closes a dozen stores across America in just one month

By Kristen Altus  | Fox Business Your ability to enjoy a plate of loaded potato skins and $5 happy hour drinks is slowly dwindling, as TGI Fridays has closed 12 U.S. locations in the past month and shuttered 35 restaurants across the pond. According to the company’s location section on its website, multiple TGI Fridays locations in the Northeast closed last week, including in Clifton Park, Middletown and Poughkeepsie, New York; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Enfield, Connecticut; and Leesburg, Virginia. Additional closures from earlier this month took place in the Southeast and Midwest regions, in states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, as well as two locations in Minnesota. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
Walgreens to close 1,200 stores as part of turnaround effort
Fox Business, National

Walgreens to close 1,200 stores as part of turnaround effort

By Daniella Genovese  | Fox Business Walgreens plans to close at least 1,200 stores over the next three years as the pharmacy giant seeks to reduce costs and turn around operations under a new leader.  One of the largest drugstore chains in the country, Walgreens said about 500 stores are slated to close as early as fiscal year 2025. In June, the company had announced its intention to close a "significant" number of underperforming stores across the U.S. as it contended with profitability challenges and declining margins. But CEO Tim Wentworth, who took over in October 2023, didn't give an estimate at the time of how many stores would be affected. He noted that a "meaningful percent" of the underperforming locations would shutter.  READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
Mortgage rates surge higher, further hurting demand
Fox Business, National

Mortgage rates surge higher, further hurting demand

By Breck Dumas  | Fox Business Mortgage rates jumped markedly this week, sending demand down for a second straight week. Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage surged to 6.32% from last week's reading of 6.12%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 7.57% a year ago. "Following the release of a stronger-than-expected September jobs report, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage saw the largest one-week increase since April," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.  READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
Vance vindicated: Egg prices are up nearly 40% as food inflation surges again
Breitbart, National

Vance vindicated: Egg prices are up nearly 40% as food inflation surges again

By John Carney  | Breitbart J.D. Vance was right: the price of eggs is soaring. The vice presidential hopeful made headlines last when he pointed to the rising price of eggs as evidence of the failed economic policies of the Biden-Harris administration. “Look at the prices here. Things are way too expensive, and they’re way too expensive because of Kamala Harris’ policies,” Vance said.“Eggs, when Kamala Harris took office, were short of $1.50 a dozen. Now, a dozen eggs will cost you around $4, thanks to Kamala Harris’ inflationary policies.” Critics attacked Vance, arguing that egg prices were not as high as he claimed. But Vance was more correct than his critics, who were relying on old data. READ THE FULL STORY AT BREITBART
Natural Grocers says theft, safety issues behind closure of Colfax Avenue location in Denver
CBS Colorado, Local

Natural Grocers says theft, safety issues behind closure of Colfax Avenue location in Denver

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado Natural Grocers will close its downtown Denver store at the corner of Colfax and Washington at the end of the month. The company says the decision was made after careful consideration of its operating challenges, including theft and safety issues. The store is located in a crime hotspot for the Denver Police Department. A Walmart further east on Colfax in Aurora also closed this year for issues related to crime. In a statement, Kemper Isely, Co-President of Natural Grocers, said: "We have been actively working to address the theft and safety issues impacting our store at Colfax and Washington for some time. Despite our investment in security and loss prevention strategies over the years, these factors have continued to challenge our ability t...
UC-Colorado Springs economic expert weighs in on port strike impact
CBS 11 KKTV, State

UC-Colorado Springs economic expert weighs in on port strike impact

By Blake Sammann | CBS 11 News As the dock workers strike at ports across the East and Gulf Coast, a Southern Colorado economist weighs on how it will affect local consumers. The strike involves up to 25,000 workers at 14 ports demanding better wages and job security. It’s expected to have an impact on the availability and prices of certain goods like imported fruit and cars. Bill Craighead, director of the UCCS Economic Forum, said he doesn’t think the strike will affect life for Southern Colorado consumers. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS 11 NEWS