Money

By Samantha Delouya, CNN (CNN) — Mickey Mouse no longer belongs solely to the Walt Disney Company. On January 1, 2024, an early version of the entertainment company’s mascot, featured in Walt Disney’s 1928 short film, “Steamboat Willie,” entered the public domain for the first time. The good-humored rodent, which has been synonymous with the

By Laura He and Simone McCarthy, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — China’s businesses are struggling and job seekers have trouble finding work, President Xi Jinping acknowledged during his Sunday New Year’s Eve speech. This is the first time Xi has mentioned economic challenges in his annual New Year’s messages since he started giving them in

By Nadia Kounang, CNN (CNN) — On Sunday, the US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers of possible bacterial contamination of Reckitt/Mead Johnson’s Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Powdered Infant Formula Products. The specialty formula is a hypoallergenic infant formula used by infants allergic to cow’s milk. The manufacturers voluntarily recalled 675,030 cans of the formula on December

By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN New York (CNN) — Shoppers and retailers had a lot to contend with in 2023. From the financial fallout over Adidas’ breakup with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, over his antisemitic comments, to high-profile bankruptcies, it was a tumultuous year for retail businesses. Here is a look back at a

By Anna Bahney, CNN Washington, DC (CNN) — Housing economists offering forecasts were wrong about 2023. Few thought home sales would fall off a cliff the way they did this year, dropping by about 17% from their high in February to their low in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. Most thought home

By Nouran Salahieh, CNN (CNN) — The Powerball jackpot swelled to an estimated $810 million after the final drawing of 2023 yielded no grand prize winners Saturday night. The big prize will be up for grabs Monday night, and if won, the lucky player will have the option to ring in the new year with

By Eva Rothenberg, CNN New York (CNN) — When the AMC 24 Hamilton closed in November 2020, many local New Jersey residents may have collectively sighed or shrugged it off as another foregone casualty of the pandemic economy. But for the neighboring businesses, the theater’s absence was a tough pill to swallow. “We were down

By Kelly Murray, CNN (CNN) — More than three-quarters of a billion dollars – an estimated $760 million – is up for grabs Saturday, after Wednesday’s Powerball drawing yielded no winners. The numbers drawn Saturday were 10, 11, 26, 27, 34 and Powerball 7. It’s been over two months and no one has won the

By Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN New York (CNN) — The writing was on the wall for a recession in 2023. At this time last year, sky-high inflation was barely budging, leaving the Federal Reserve with no choice but to continue hiking interest rates. The S&P 500 was well into a bear market. Layoffs, especially in tech,

By Alicia Wallace, CNN Minneapolis (CNN) — January 1 is usually one of the busiest days of the year at the Hi-Lo Diner here. Patrons — some still in a state of revelry from the night before — pack the booths and order up from the menu of American classics, including the brunch staple: the

By Ramishah Maruf, CNN New York (CNN) — After ringing in the New Year, many people will also have errands to run, whether that’s making returns or heading to the grocery store. Many retailers, grocers and pharmacies will be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, though some have modified hours. This year,

By Samantha Delouya, CNN (CNN) — In just a few short days, an early version of Disney’s most iconic character will join the public domain for the first time. For nearly a century, the image of Mickey Mouse has been married to the Walt Disney Company brand, but on January 1, 2024, Disney’s copyright of

By Samantha Delouya, CNN (CNN) — The Securities and Exchange Commission will decide by next spring on a rule to make public companies disclose how much they generate in greenhouse gases and how climate change could hurt their businesses. The rule, which comes amid the Biden administration’s efforts to tackle climate change, has been met

By Ramishah Maruf, CNN New York (CNN) — US prosecutors submitted a letter to a New York federal court Friday saying that they don’t plan to proceed with a second trial against Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of crypto exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried was found guilty in November on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy related

By Matt Egan, CNN New York (CNN) — Harvard was due to respond by Friday to a demand from lawmakers for wide-ranging documents linked to the plagiarism controversy swirling around embattled President Claudine Gay. But it has been given more time to turn over its information. The university’s expected response to the House Education and Workforce

By Nicole Goodkind and Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN New York (CNN) — Wall Street hit record high after record high in 2023, a year investors had feared would be a washout as elevated interest rates threatened to grind the economy to a halt. But a resilient job market, robust consumer spending and easing inflation kept investor confidence high — helping

By Anna Cooban, CNN London (CNN) — There was one conspicuous no-show at this year’s global stock market party: China. While 2023 has been the best year for global stocks since before the pandemic, with markets in the United States, Europe, Japan and India enjoying strong rallies, investors have soured on China. A string of

By Matt Egan, CNN New York (CNN) — The Harvard brand, one of the most prestigious among all universities, took nearly 400 years to build. But it’s taken just three months to call that brand very much into question. The university’s initial response to the October 7 terror attack on Israel was criticized, even by

By Melissa Alonso, CNN (CNN) — A popular line of portable blenders could pose a danger to customers, and the brand is asking owners to stop using them immediately, because they can catch fire or slash people. BlendJet is voluntary recalling 4.8 million of its BlendJet2 blenders, according to statements from the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The