*By Carlo Versano*
Stocks bounced back Friday with the Dow Industrials opening higher by 400 points and a strong showing from the FAANG stocks.
At the open, shares of Facebook ($FB), Amazon ($AMZN), Apple ($AAPL), Netflix ($NFLX), and Google parent Alphabet ($GOOGL) added $100 billion to the companies' collective market cap, erasing half the losses from the past two days.
The rally follows a bruising two-day sell-off on Wall Street. A bevy of factors has contributed to the worst week for stocks since February. Among them, worries over tightening monetary policy and the effects of a trade war with China starting to show themselves.
The White House dispatched top officials to quell concerns over the turmoil, even as the president extended his attack on Fed Chair Jerome Powell for what he called "loco" rate hikes.
Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin said on CNBC Friday that the markets were seeing a "natural correction" after riding so high since Trump's election. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow [told Cheddar](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/kudlow-tech-still-aint-bad-even-with-correction) tech stocks still "ain't bad" despite leading the markets downward.
Bitcoin is once again having a moment. On Monday, the world's largest cryptocurrency soared past $41,000 for the first time in over a year and a half — and marking a 150% rise so far this year.
Tree farmers are raising prices for Christmas trees.
Analysis shows smaller businesses are hiring more people.
Applying for financial aid for college is a long process but there's a new streamlined application for federal student aid. Mark Kantrowitz, student loan expert, joined Cheddar News to explain the FAFSA form and what kind of changes are expected.
With all of the stress surrounding the holiday season with gift-buying and planning family gatherings, it could be a chaotic time for all members of your family, including pets. Cesar Milan and Michael Ehrman, co-founders of Halo Collar, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to keep your pets stress-free for the upcoming holiday season.
Going home for the holidays can be pretty expensive, especially if you're a student. Cheddar News senior reporter Michelle Castillo provided tips on how to save ahead of the holiday season.
Alaska Airlines is buying Hawaiian Airlines, stocks finished at their highest level on Friday and are on the way to concluding 2023 on a positive note as Bitcoin surged. And Spotify is laying off workers, again.
United Airlines has introduced a new self-serve snack bar on its flights allowing economy passengers to help themselves to free snacks instead of relying on a flight attendant to get them.
You might want to rethink your plan to get a big tax refund. Tax expert Karla Dennis explains.
More retailers are enacting the Keep It policies when it comes to item returns.
