MoneyWatch

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard noted Thursday that recent reports show high inflation in the United States is easing and suggested it was possible that price acceleration may cool without causing significant job losses. Speaking in Chicago, Brainard sketched out a more optimistic outlook for inflation than some some …

Southwest Airlines, which angered customers with thousands of flight cancellations over the holidays, is offering 25,000 frequent-flier points to travelers who were affected by the epic meltdown.  Southwest CEO Bob Jordan wrote in a letter to impacted travelers that the 25,000 points have a value of more than $300, will …

A measure of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve slowed last month, another sign that a long surge in consumer prices seems to be easing. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier, down from a revised 6.1% increase in …

Twitter on Wednesday suspended an account that used publicly available flight data to track Elon Musk’s private jet, despite a pledge by the social media platform’s new owner to keep it up because of his free speech principles. Then, hours later, Musk brought back the jet-tracking account after imposing new …

New York — Hundreds of journalists and other employees at The New York Times began a 24-hour walkout Thursday in the first strike of its kind at the newspaper in more than 40 years. Newsroom employees and other members of The NewsGuild of New York say they’re fed up with …

About 40% of cannabis products sold at unlicensed storefronts in New York City contained bacteria, heavy metals and pesticides, finds a recently released report. Marijuana, edibles and vaporizers purchased from 20 illicit shops in August were tested and found to contain varying levels of eight contaminants, including E. coli, salmonella, …

Americans looking to get a jump-start on their holiday shopping Thursday have fewer options than before the pandemic, with more retailers now closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day.  The practice by major retail chains of launching in-store Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving came to an abrupt end in 2020, when COVID-19 …

For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration is giving the green light to meat grown in a laboratory. The agency said in a notice on Wednesday that a “cultivated chicken” product made by Upside Foods is safe to eat. The FDA “evaluated the information submitted to the agency …

Twitter employees on Friday braced for widespread layoffs as part of new owner Elon Musk’s broad overhaul of the social platform. In a letter to employees obtained by multiple media outlets, the company said that workers would find out by 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time if they had been laid …

With the holidays around the corner and inflation still running hot, many consumers are starting their shopping early this year. Because overall product prices are up about 10%, shoppers are likely make fewer purchases and give fewer gifts, while spending roughly as much as they did collectively last year. That …