A look at the events that are sure to make the market move next week — the final week of 2019!
Illinois is ringing in the new year by legalizing pot. On January 1st, residents that are at least 21 years old will legally be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana flower, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate and products infused with half a gram of THC. Non-residents will be allowed to purchase half of those amounts. Stores are planning to open their doors as early as 6am Wednesday to manage the anticipated rush.
Next week is a big travel week as the holiday season comes to a close. AAA says a record 115.6 million Americans will have traveled between December 21st and Wednesday, January 1st. More than 90 percent will travel by car, the most on record. But AAA doesn't expect many delays from the influx in travelers — unless you're in big cities like New York or Washington DC. Traffic in those cities will triple next week.
There's also been a 5% jump in air travel, the biggest year-over-year increase since AAA began tracking this data in 2000.
Not everyone was happy with their holiday presents this year. On January 2nd, National Returns Day, people are expected to deposit 1.9 million packages according to UPS. That's an increase of 26% from last year. Thursday is set to mark the seventh consecutive record National Rreturns Day, following growing e-commerce gift purchases. A rise in returns spells out bad news for retailers, costing up to millions of dollars in lost sales.
In a daring daylight robbery on Sunday, thieves used a basket lift to scale the Louvre’s facade, smash display cases, and steal eight priceless jewels.
The Trump administration has agreed to resume processing student debt cancellations under two key income-driven repayment plans it had previously limited.
Millions of protesters flooded cities nationwide on Saturday for “No Kings” demonstrations denouncing what they call President Donald Trump’s authoritarian turn
Cynthia Chen, CEO of Kikoff, shares how their membership app helps users build credit with zero fees, no interest, and smart tools that make every point count.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
CNN is launching a new “All Access” streaming subscription in the U.S. on October 28th, priced at $6.99 a month, or just $69.99 if you sign up for a full year.
