Markets
Lending Tree Chief Economist calls bitcoin a pyramid scheme
Although Bitcoin has seen more ups than downs in the past decade and successfully emerged as the best performing asset class by surpassing some ever-popular investment options like gold and stocks, it has seen its share of harsh critics who don't miss an opportunity to pull it to pieces. [Full Article...]
Bill Gates ends decade pushing for higher taxes on the rich
Gates argued the US needs to raise taxes to fulfill its obligations, as it collects 20 percent of GDP in taxes but spends 24 percent. The billionaire argued that most of this money needs to come from a capital gains tax on investments as opposed to a tax on wages and salaries. [Full Article...]
British Airways dropped from top 20 in annual airline safety ranking
Etihad came next, followed by Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. In making its evaluation of the safest airlines in the world, AirlineRatings.com takes into account a comprehensive range of factors that include: audits from aviation's governing and industry bodies, government audits, airline's crash and serious incident record, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet a... [Full Article...]
Oil starts 2020 higher on trade optimism, Mideast tensions
The U.S. military carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Katib Hezbollah militia group over the weekend. "Oil prices still have room for further upside as many analysts are still having to upgrade their demand forecasts to include a rather calm period on the trade front", Moya said, referring to the warming trade relation between China and the United States. [Full Article...]
Turkey Manufacturing Activity Stable In December
The headline PMI rose from 49.2 in November to 49.8 in December, to signal a seventh consecutive deterioration in the health of the Asean manufacturing sector, thanks to a further modest improvement in suppliers' delivery times and falls in both employment and input inventories. [Full Article...]
Juul employees vape at their desks even after e-cigarette ban
While staffers cut back a bit after the policy was imposed, some - including founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen - have continued to "openly" vape at work, and the tent was never set up, the Journal reported. Last year , the leader of the e-cigarette market prohibited its staff from vaping in most of its US offices, saying it had to do so to comply with local and state laws as well as some of ... [Full Article...]
Final Week Price Drop At Pumps
A gallon of gas in the OC is 1 cent less than one week ago and 23.1 cents lower than one month ago, but 19.4 cents higher than one year ago. In 2019, the national gas price average was $2.61, which is ten cents cheaper than the 2018 average of $2.71. [Full Article...]
United States stock indexes open higher on first trading day of 2020
Germany's DAX Index is at 13369.33, up 120.32 or +0.91% and in France, the CAC is trading 6058.94, up 80.88 or +1.35%. The S&P 500 .SPX opened higher by 13.89 points, or 0.43%, at 3,244.67. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.05 per cent. USA trading was closed Wednesday for the New Year's holiday and opens Thursday. At 11:19 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI was up 169.27 points, or 0.... [Full Article...]