Here is a rundown of Cheddar News' top trending market stories of the day.
POWELL ON INFLATION
Despite inflation cooling down in recent months, Fed Chair Jerome Powell in a speech on Wednesday said the U.S. economy still has a long way to go. “The disinflationary process, the process of getting inflation down, has begun and it’s begun in the goods sector, which is about a quarter of our economy," he said. That means more rate hikes are coming down the pike, though likely at a slower pace than last year. The Fed raised its benchmark rate just a quarter of a percent earlier this month, compared to a number of 50 and 75-basis point hikes last year.
SOUTHWEST MELTDOWN
In the wake of the meltdown at Southwest Airlines, Democratic senators have introduced a bill to create an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. The law would require airlines to provide a full refund on tickets (as well as other benefits) when delays or cancellations are caused by the airlines. In the case of an oversold flight, for instance, airlines would have to pay a minimum of $1,350 to passengers who are denied boarding.
META MANAGERS
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a stern message for managers: Get back to actually making things or leave. That means stepping back into "individual contributor" roles, rather than their current roles focused primarily on management. The process is known internally as a "flattening," which is designed to make the company more efficient. The tech giant laid off about 13 percent of its workforce in late 2022. Zuckerberg is calling 2023 the "Year of Efficiency."
ROKU & DOORDASH PARTNER
Roku has struck a multi-year partnership with DoorDash giving users a six-month trial of DashPass, which offers $0 delivery fees and other deals. In addition, DoorDash merchants can now buy interactive ads that allow customers to directly click through to get offers. The first restaurant to participate is Wendy's, which is offering $5 off purchases of $15 or more.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced that 100,000 businesses have signed up for a new database that collects ownership information intended to help unmask shell company owners. Yellen says the database will send the message that “the United States is not a haven for dirty money.”
A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is available for the 2024-2025 school year, but only on a limited basis as the U.S. Department of Education works on a redesign meant to make it easier to apply.
A steep budget deficit caused by plummeting tax revenues and escalating school voucher costs will be in focus Monday as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature return for a new session at the state Capitol.
The first U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years is on its way to the moon. The private lander from Astrobotic Technology blasted off Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, catching a ride on United Launch Alliance's brand new rocket Vulcan.
Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oil fell last year from record highs in 2022, when Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors helped worsen hunger worldwide, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.
Wall Street is drifting higher after reports showed the job market remains solid, but key parts of the economy still don’t look like they’re overheating.
The Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a pandemic payment freeze.
The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American job market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates.
A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of unlawfully firing employees who penned an open letter critical of CEO Elon Musk and creating an impression that worker activities were under surveillance by the rocket ship company.
