Google releases its year in search: a look at the most-searched words, names and phrases of the year. Top results include Hurricane Irma, Matt Lauer, and Megan Markle.
Two of the biggest social media platforms are rolling out major changes. Twitter is officially launching a 'threads' feature which allows users to more easily send off tweetstorms. Instagram now allows users to follow hashtags, instead of just accounts.
And McDonald's is permanently adding the McVegan to its menu in Sweden and Finland. The soy-based burger exceeded expectations in a trial run. It's the latest sign that fast food is embracing veganism. Pizza Hut recently launched vegan pizza in the UK.
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases. And National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says those delays are “unconscionable.” Erin M. Collins said in the report released Wednesday that overall the 2024 filing season went smoothly, though IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are worsening. It took nearly 19 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases as of January, and Wednesday's report states that now it takes 22 months to resolve these cases.
Amazon.com Inc. surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time in afternoon trading on Wednesday. The push higher for Amazon’s stock market valuation comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. Nvidia’s chips are used to power many AI application and its valuation has soared as a result. Amazon has also been making big investments in AI as global interest has grown in the technology. Most of the company’s focus has been on business-focused products.
Climate change doesn’t just mean more extreme weather – it also leads to billions of dollars in lost productivity, tourism, and stresses infrastructure.
It’s an annual tradition: the Fed’s banking ‘stress test.’ A year after the regional banking crisis, there are good reasons to make sure they’re prepped.
