Category: Business

US Air Travel Rises to Highest Levels Since Start of Pandemic

Air travel across the United States is recovering more quickly from the depths of the pandemic, and it’s showing up in longer airport security lines and busier traffic on airline websites. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1.3 million people both March 12 and March 14, setting a new high since the coronavirus outbreak…


Icy Weather Sends Industrial Production Down 2.2 Percent Last Month

WASHINGTON—Industrial output fell sharply in February as severe winter storms battered much of the country, disrupting a wide range of manufacturing activities from autos to chemical plants. The expectation is that the drop will be temporary although there are concerns about growing global supply chain problems. The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that industrial production fell…


February Retail Sales Fall 3 Percent After Soaring the Month Before

NEW YORK—Americans spent less last month, partly due to bad weather in parts of the country that kept shoppers away from stores. Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 3 percent in February from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. The decline comes after retail sales soared in January as people spent $600…


February Retail Sales Fall 3 Percent After January Surge

NEW YORK—Americans spent less last month, partly due to bad weather in parts of the country that kept shoppers away from stores. Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 3 percent in February from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said March 16. The decline comes after retail sales soared in January as people spent…


US Housing Construction Tumbled 10.3 Percent in February

WASHINGTON—U.S. homebuilding dropped to a six-month low in February as severe cold gripped many parts of the country, in a setback for a housing market that remains supported by extremely lean inventories amid strong demand for larger homes. Housing starts fell 10.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.421 million units last month,…


What to Do If You Are a Victim of Unemployment Fraud

Unemployment fraud in the United States has reached dramatic levels during the pandemic—the Labor Department inspector general’s office estimates that more than $63 billion has been paid out improperly through fraud or errors since March 2020. Criminals are seizing on the opportunity created by the pandemic. Using data stolen from prior data breaches, the criminal…


Amazon Union Battle Arrives in Washington

The push to unionize in an Amazon warehouse in Alabama will be a major focus of a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. Amazon worker Jennifer Bates is slated to testify to the Senate Budget Committee in an 11 a.m. hearing titled “The Income and Wealth Inequality Crisis in America.” Bates is an organizer attempting…


Toys ‘R’ Us Parent Sells Controlling Stake to Management Company WHP Global

New York-based brand acquisition and management firm WHP Global said on Monday it had taken a controlling interest in Toys ‘R’ Us parent, Tru Kids Inc., more than three years after the toy retailer filed for bankruptcy. Tru Kids, owned by investment funds including Solus Alternative Asset Management, had taken charge of assets including Toys…


Virgin Voyages Mandates CCP Virus Vaccines for All Crew and Passengers

Virgin Voyages, the cruise line founded by billionaire business magnate Richard Branson, will require all crew and passengers to get a CCP virus vaccine, the company said. Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times that the company’s goal is to provide “the safest travel experience, which means…


Texas Power Retailer Griddy Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Texas power retailer Griddy Energy LLC on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the state grid operator cut off the company’s access to customers for unpaid bills following a rare deep freeze in the state. Griddy sold power to customers at market rates. When power prices spiked to $9,000 per megawatt hour (MWh) and…