CNN – Business/Consumer

By Bryan Mena, CNN Washington (CNN) — Mortgage rates drifted higher this week, and could increase further, in a sign that America’s affordability crisis isn’t letting up. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.88% in the week ending April 11, up from 6.82% the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data released Thursday. A year ago,

By Parija Kavilanz, CNN New York (CNN) — California just raised the minimum wage for the state’s fast food sector workers by $4 to $20. As if on cue, it raised a familiar refrain that those workers would be replaced by technology, such as self-service kiosks. That’s likely to happen in some instances where business

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — Lyft and Uber have reversed plans to leave Minneapolis on May 1 after a new minimum wage for rideshare drivers, originally set to go into effect that day, was delayed two months after the city council passed a measure Thursday to extend the deadline. The issue stems

By Alicia Wallace, CNN (CNN) — A key US inflation gauge increased last month at its fastest pace since April 2023, showing that underlying price pressures remain persistent. The Producer Price Index, a closely watched measure of inflation at the wholesale level, rose 2.1% for the 12 months ended in March, up from a 1.6%

By Chris Isidore, CNN New York (CNN) — It’s been a brutal six years for Boeing, with two fatal jet crashes kicking off a series of safety crises — and raising concerns about the quality and safety of the planes rolling off its assembly lines. As Boeing scrambles to repair its reputation, some critics and

By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN New York (CNN) — These are tough times for two big US dollar store chains. In the past month, Family Dollar said it will close nearly 1,000 stores and 99 Cents Only said it will go out of business. Both companies said inflation and shoplifting have contributed to their troubles. While

By Matt Egan, CNN New York (CNN) — Tariff Man could be back in the White House next year – and he’s promising the sequel will be even bigger than the original. Former President Donald Trump, who labeled himself “Tariff Man” in 2018, has made clear he wants to pursue a more aggressive trade strategy

By David Goldman, CNN New York (CNN) — The Anti-Defamation League has graded 85 American universities for their policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus. It gave Harvard and 12 other schools an “F.” Just two schools got an “A.” Reports of antisemitism on college campuses across the United States have surged after

By Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN (CNN) — Instagram is aiming to make it harder for potential scammers and criminals to coerce teens into sending nude photos and extort them for money. The company announced on Thursday it is testing new features to curb an alarming trend called financial sextortion, which often targets kids and teenagers.

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN New York (CNN) — Feeling seen and accepted, and having your skills and talents appreciated, are both key ingredients for job satisfaction and employee retention. That’s one reason why it’s notable that a new study finds a full 40% of Hispanic and Latino/a professionals in corporate America say they feel it

By Bryan Mena, CNN Washington (CNN) — Federal Reserve officials said during their March policymaking meeting that inflation will likely continue to slow this year, according to minutes released Wednesday, but some still fretted over the possibility that inflation could remain stubbornly high. Those fears have now worsened, at least on Wall Street, which means that

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Rome (CNN) — A potato chip commercial that features nuns receiving the crispy snacks for communion is “blasphemy” and should be taken off the air, according to an Italian Catholic organization. The spot by Amica Chips features doe-eyed young nuns inside a convent delighting that their communion wafer, known as

By Nicole Goodkind, CNN New York (CNN) — US stocks fell sharply Wednesday after inflation data for March came in higher than expected. The blue-chip Dow closed 422 points, or 1.1% lower. The S&P 500 lost 1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.8%. US consumer prices picked up again last month, vaulting to a 3.5%

By Brian Fung, CNN (CNN) — The US government says that next month it can only pay about half of what low-income Americans are eligible for under a popular federal benefits program that is running out of money — a crisis that threatens to plunge millions of households into economic distress within weeks. The announcement by

By Alicia Wallace, CNN (CNN) — Surging gas prices and sky-high mortgages and rent sent inflation rising more than expected in March, adding to Americans’ prolonged and painful battle with high costs. That could force the Federal Reserve to keep its punishing rates higher for longer. US consumer prices picked up again last month, vaulting to a 3.5% increase for the

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — Stamp prices are set to increase — again. The US Postal Service filed a notice with its regulators to increase prices on First-Class “Forever” stamps to 73 cents from 68 cents, marking yet another price hike for the financially beleaguered federal agency. If approved by the Postal

By Chris Isidore, CNN New York (CNN) — Delta Air Lines reported vastly improved earnings in the first quarter, and the company said results should remain strong the rest of the year. The Atlanta-based airline said its adjusted earnings came in at $380 million, or 45 cents a share, up from $217 million, up 75%

By Oliver Darcy, CNN New York (CNN) — Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here. CBS News is overhauling its streaming platform. The Tiffany Network’s news division announced Tuesday that it will invest more deeply into its digital offering, entirely rebranding

By Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN New York (CNN) — Progress on inflation is moving in the wrong direction. The latest Consumer Price Index, released Wednesday, showed that annual inflation ticked up to 3.5% in March from 3.2% in February. That marked the largest annual gain in half a year. Even though the current inflation rate is

By Brian Fung, CNN (CNN) — The next time you go shopping for a home or mobile internet plan, you’re going to see a new label lay out exactly what you can expect to pay, the typical download speeds you’ll get and information about the internet provider’s policies. That information will now be standardized across