The cost of child care has risen so high in recent years that some parents can’t afford to work. As of September, the average household spent more than $700 a month on child care, up 32% from 2019, according to a recent report from the Bank of America Institute. The sharply higher costs are driving […]
Category: Business
Christmas creep is earlier than ever this year
Toss that pumpkin-flavored latte in the trash, because it’s time for twinkly lights and oversized reindeer. That is what some big box stores want people to believe. It is called the “Christmas creep,” and it has arrived. “I’m trying to shop for Halloween animatronics,” Jamie Hails of Avalon said. “Not shopping for Christmas trees.” Hails […]
2023 Halloween candy prices ‘Not Boo-tiful’
Spooked by the high price of Halloween candy? There’s not much relief in sight. For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. Candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% this month compared to last October, more than double the 6% increase in all […]
Auto loan delinquencies at 3 decade high
A growing number of Americans are falling behind on their car payments, an ominous sign for the U.S. economy as high auto prices and stubborn inflation strain household budgets. Car repossessions tumbled in the early days of the pandemic as the government sent trillions in stimulus money to American homes and businesses. But repossessions have […]
Bidenomics is going ‘belly-up’ fast
President Joe Biden’s dogged focus on “Bidenomics” is starting to cost him. For months, Biden has built up his economic platform as the central tenet of his reelection pitch, even in the face of worsening polling and as some national Democrats have urged the president to reframe his campaign message. The president’s team has argued […]
Health Insurance Premiums are through the roof
Workers and their employers are paying a lot more for job-based health insurance this year. The annual cost of family health insurance coverage at work soared to an average of nearly $24,000 this year, according to KFF’s Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Wednesday. That’s up 7% from last year. Employees are shelling out an average […]
Pharmacy chain Rite Aid files for bankruptcy
Major U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid said Sunday that it has filed for bankruptcy and obtained $3.45 billion in fresh financing as it carries out a restructuring plan while coping with falling sales and opioid-related lawsuits. In 2022, Rite Aid settled for up to $30 million to resolve lawsuits alleging pharmacies contributed to an oversupply […]
End of an era; say goodbye to CDs & DVDs
Customers are slowly running out of places to buy DVDs and Blu-rays as digital and streaming services become the preferred viewing option. With websites such as Netflix and Paramount+ becoming the predominant sources for movies and television, users are buying fewer physical copies of the films and television they love. This development is forcing some […]
Here comes another Postal rate hike; 5th in 2 yrs
The U.S. Postal Service wants to boost the cost of postage in January, which would mark the fifth rate increase since 2021 and come on the heels of a July postage hike. Some critics are decrying the plan, saying that the rapid price increases are “unprecedented” and causing customers to stop using the mail. The […]
Businesses using ‘Skimpflation’ to keep profits up
Amid inflation, businesses are cutting services and quality. It’s called skimpflation, and you may not even notice it’s happening.Products on shelves are getting quantifiably smaller, yet you’re paying the same price: a practice known as ‘shrinkflation’. But in addition to shrinking products, businesses are also cutting back on the quality and availability of their services, […]
Largest health care strike in US history begins
More than 75,000 healthcare workers began a strike Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. and will continue until Friday morning, making it the largest healthcare strike in American history. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing healthcare workers and support staff for one of the largest not-for-profit medical systems, announced last week that it would strike […]
Venice to charge tourist entry fee to city in 2024
Every day, Federica Chiuch, a Venetian resident and professional tour guide, takes visitors around Venice’s landmarks. When she gets to Saint Mark’s Square, home to Venice’s cathedral and former government palace, she finds it hard to find a quiet spot to stop. “Between May and October, the square is always overcrowded,” she explained. “It’s hard […]