Regular visits to the dentist to fill cavities used to be a shared ordeal for millions of American children and adults. The reason that hasn’t been the case for late baby boomers and subsequent generations is that the fluoridation of drinking water became common starting in the late 1940s and continuing today. So it’s right … Read more
Tommy | Digitalvision Vectors | Getty Images Dozens of the largest U.S. retailers and their bank partners jacked up interest rates on their store-branded cards to record highs in the months before the Federal Reserve began cutting rates, as the companies looked to pad profits during a stretch of sluggish sales. At least 50 companies … Read more
The Washington Post used to be one of the best gigs in journalism. No longer. In a business where it generally sucks to be an employee (except for the NY Post, of course), the “WaPo” as it is known in journalism circles, has really descended into the abyss, On The Money has learned. Top reporters … Read more
DALLAS — DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning back a significant share of travelers on a tight budget. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel-industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate … Read more
The fate of TikTok in the U.S. has been up in the air since 2020, when President Donald Trump moved to ban the popular video app because of national security concerns. That set off four years of back-and-forth between the app’s Chinese owners and the U.S. government, with a possible ban scheduled to go into … Read more
LONDON — Indigenous leaders from the Wampis Nation in Peru are urging lawmakers at the House of Commons in London to ban international banks’ support for Amazon oil activities they say harm their ancestral rainforests. HSBC bank, based in the United Kingdom, JPMorgan Chase in the United States and Santander in Spain helped finance the … Read more
HONG KONG — Higher tariffs on Chinese exports will backfire, just increasing prices paid by consumers, while China can manage to weather the impact of such “external shocks,” a senior Commerce Ministry official said Friday in Beijing. Responding to a reporter’s question about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose 60% tariffs on imports from … Read more
Retail sales fell last month as shoppers held back on spending ahead of the Budget, according to official figures. Sales volumes fell by 0.7% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, with clothing stores having a “notably poor” month. Speculation over which taxes might be increased ahead of last month’s Budget has been … Read more
Getty Images Energy bills for a typical household will rise by £21 a year in January, the energy watchdog has announced. It means someone paying by direct debit and using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,738 a year, which remains high compared with pre-Covid norms. Prices rose in October and with … Read more
A plan by Advance Auto Parts to stem deepening losses by closing hundreds of stores will result “in a complete exit of certain markets on the West Coast” as the company shutters California locations, its chief executive said. The national auto supply chain plans to close more than 725 locations around the country as well … Read more