Money

By Alicia Wallace, CNN (CNN) — The corks have been popped, the calendar pages turned and a day that promised fresh starts also brought with it some pay bumps for millions of Americans. Hourly minimum wages increased in 21 states on Wednesday, as part of ongoing efforts to have pay keep up with the rising

By Juliana Liu, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — An economic downturn is supposed to drive spending on small luxuries like going out to the movies. But the world’s second-largest economy, currently mired in a slump, is challenging that long-held theory. Last year, China’s box office receipts plummeted by 23%, compared to 2023, to just 42.5

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The nation’s debt ceiling was reinstated Thursday, giving congressional Republicans yet another divisive challenge to contend with in 2025. President-elect Donald Trump is demanding that GOP lawmakers address the limit before he takes office on January 20, but lawmakers have some time since the US is likely months away

By Kosta Gak, Alex Stambaugh and Anna Cooban, CNN Kyiv/London (CNN) — Ukraine has made good on its promise to halt the transport of Russian gas to Europe through its territory after a key deal with Moscow expired on Wednesday. Ukraine’s refusal to renew the transit deal was an expected but symbolic move after nearly

By John Towfighi, CNN New York (CNN) — Stocks had a blockbuster 2023 and 2024. Will 2025 be a three-peat? After two years of substantial gains, Wall Street expects the good times for markets to keep going this year — just not on the massive scale investors have been spoiled with lately. Wall Street forecasts

By Anna Cooban, CNN London (CNN) — A US government fund created to compensate thousands of people scammed by the late Bernie Madoff in history’s biggest Ponzi scheme is making its final batch of payments — and it has now made up nearly all of their losses. The Madoff Victim Fund has started distributing more

By Chris Isidore, CNN New York (CNN) — Boeing’s very bad year ended tragically on Sunday, as a 737 flown by Korean discount carrier Jeju Air crashed, killing 179 passengers and crew on board. It’s not yet clear what caused the jet to crash, and the investigation could take months. There’s no evidence at this

By Ramishah Maruf, CNN New York (CNN) — Historically, “Ladies’ Nights” have been great for business. The discounted drinks or meals tend to draw a large crowd of women, which in turn tends to draw more men — which then leads to packed bars and increased sales for the business. But a family-run restaurant in

By Michael Nam, CNN (CNN) — It may surprise some people unfamiliar with the comic book industry, with its multibillion-dollar movie tie-ins, that it’s been on the verge of collapse multiple times over the decades. Now AI tools are adding new fears of a death knell. From political censorship in the 1950s to a sales

By John Towfighi, CNN New York (CNN) — US markets wrapped up a blockbuster 2024 by marking an achievement so rare that it’s only ever happened a handful of times. Despite US stocks closing lower Tuesday in a disappointing December that saw the Dow drop over 2,000 points, or about 5%, and the S&P 500

By Alexandra Skores, CNN (CNN) — Moments before the crash of Jeju Air flight 2216, a passenger aboard texted a friend that the Boeing 737-800 aircraft had struck a bird. “Wait a minute… we can’t land because a bird (or birds) caught in our wing,” the passenger said at 9 am local time, on a

By Auzinea Bacon, CNN (CNN) — Budget-conscious buyers looking for luxury alternatives have flocked to Walmart’s Birkin bag look-alike, nicknamed the “Wirkin.” The leather handbag available on Walmart’s website is a more affordable alternative to French luxury goods maker Hermès’ Birkin bag. Many Wirkins appear to have sold out after buzz on social media. Luxury

By Matt Egan, CNN (CNN) — The US Treasury Department notified lawmakers on Monday that a China state-sponsored actor infiltrated Treasury workstations in what officials are describing as a “major incident.” In a letter reviewed by CNN, a Treasury official said it was informed by a third-party software service provider on December 8 that a

By Anna Cooban, CNN London (CNN) — Anxious airline flyers may well remember 2024 as the year their worst fears about the safety of air travel felt confirmed, as a series of unprecedented, and in some cases fatal, airplane incidents captured headlines. Three separate incidents last week — aboard South Korean, Canadian and Azerbaijani airliners

By Ramishah Maruf, CNN New York (CNN) — Whether it’s the first or the last day of the year, there are usually some errands to be run. This year, New Year’s Eve is on Wednesday and New Year’s Day falls on Thursday. Many retailers, grocery stores and pharmacies will be open on New Year’s Eve

By Matt Egan, CNN New York (CNN) — More good news is coming to inflation-weary drivers: Gas prices are expected to drop in 2025 for the third straight year, according to GasBuddy projections shared exclusively with CNN. GasBuddy, which has accurately forecasted gas prices the past several years, expects the national average for regular gas

By Auzinea Bacon, CNN (CNN) — Jolt Cola, the soda brand that gained attention in the 1980s for offering “all the sugar and twice the caffeine,” is heading back to stores in 2025. This time, it’s promising more than twice the original caffeine content. Once marketed as an alternative to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Jolt Cola

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — You might’ve indulged in some of the final bites and slurps of your favorite food and drinks without even realizing it. This year marked the end for many foods and drinks, most notably Panera’s controversial Charged Lemonade. We also said goodbye to a newly launched flop from

By Auzinea Bacon, CNN (CNN) — Big Lots, the discount chain that filed for bankruptcy in September, said Friday that it agreed to a sale transaction with an investment firm, allowing hundreds of stores to stay open by transferring its property to other retailers and companies. The Columbus, Ohio-based company recently announced it was preparing