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Jobless Claims Hit Four-Month High, Adding To Inflation And Recession Fears Jobless Claims Hit Four-Month High, Adding To Inflation And Recession Fears
Jobless Claims Hit Four-Month High, Adding To Inflation And Recession Fears Unemployment claims have surged to their highest level since October 2024, adding to growing concerns over job security and the broader economy. Initial jobless claims jumped by 22,000 to 242,000 for the week ending on Saturday, Feb. 22, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in data released on Thursday, Feb. 27. The previous week's total was revised up slightly to 220,000. The rise in claims comes as consumer confidence took its steepest monthly dive since August 2021 amid concerns over inflation, tariffs, and the labor market. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Recession Fears Rise As Consumer Confidence Sees Steepest Drop Since 2021 Recession Fears Rise As Consumer Confidence Sees Steepest Drop Since 2021
Recession Fears Rise As Consumer Confidence Sees Steepest Drop Since 2021 Consumer confidence took its biggest dive in more than three years, adding to growing concerns over inflation, job security, and the broader economy — as Americans grapple with high prices and uncertain financial conditions. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell 7.0 points in February to 98.3, the nonprofit business research group said on Tuesday, Feb, 25. That marks the metric's steepest monthly decline since August 2021. The Expectations Index also dropped 9.3 points to 72.9. That number gauges consumers' outlook on jobs, income, and business conditions. Fo…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
New Poll Shows Approval Drop In Trump's Handling Of Economy New Poll Shows Approval Drop In Trump's Handling Of Economy
New Poll Shows Approval Drop In Trump's Handling Of Economy As economic uncertainty looms, a new poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating has slipped, with growing numbers of Americans expressing concern over the nation's financial direction. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 4,145 US adults nationwide over a six-day period ending Tuesday, found Trump's overall approval rating at 44 percent, down from 45 percent in a poll conducted Friday, Jan. 24 to Sunday, Jan. 26.  His disapproval rating climbed to 51 percent, a notable increase from 41 percent in polling taken just after he returned to the White House on Monday, Jan. 20 to T…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
PA Shoppers Spend Bigger Share Of Paychecks On Groceries Than Most Northeast States: Study PA Shoppers Spend Bigger Share Of Paychecks On Groceries Than Most Northeast States: Study
PA Shoppers Spend Bigger Share Of Paychecks On Groceries Than Most Northeast States: Study Inflation and soaring grocery prices are squeezing US households at the beginning of 2025, but a new study says Northeast families are spending less of their income on food than other parts of the country. A study from WalletHub called States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Groceries was released on Thursday, Feb. 13. Despite higher food costs, residents in many Northeast and mid-Atlantic states spend a smaller share of their incomes on groceries compared to others. WalletHub said the cost of groceries has surged more than 25 percent since 2019, straining household…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Retail Spending Slips As Inflation Climbs In January, Adding To Economic Concerns Retail Spending Slips As Inflation Climbs In January, Adding To Economic Concerns
Retail Spending Slips As Inflation Climbs In January, Adding To Economic Concerns After a solid holiday season, US retail sales took a surprising step back to start 2025, snapping a streak of growth and fueling worries about the economy. Retail and food services sales fell 0.9 percent in January, according to Census Bureau data released on Friday, Feb. 14. The decline reversed the trend from December 2024's revised increase of 0.7 percent, signaling that consumers may be feeling the squeeze from rising prices. Economists had predicted only a slight decline, with Dow Jones estimating a 0.2 percent drop, NBC News reported. The sales totals were seasonally adjusted but…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees
Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees President Donald Trump is calling for the elimination of federal income tax, advocating for a shift to a tariff-based revenue system.  He argues that this approach, which he says previously made the US “richer” and a more “powerful” economy, would mark a pivotal turning point for the nation. "America is going to be very rich again, and it's going to happen very quickly," Trump said during a speech in Florida on Monday, Jan. 27 at the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami. "Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich foreign nations, we should be tariffing an…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Here's Where Philly Ranks Among 10 Worst Cities For Traffic In US Here's Where Philly Ranks Among 10 Worst Cities For Traffic In US
Here's Where Philly Ranks Among 10 Worst Cities For Traffic In US Traffic jams continue to plague urban centers across the United States, leading to lost time, increased costs, and frustration for millions of commuters.  The 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard sheds light on the cities most affected, providing valuable insights into the challenges faced by drivers. Here are the 10 cities with the worst traffic, according to INRIX: New York City – The Big Apple leads the nation, with drivers losing countless hours in traffic. Chicago – The Windy City ranks second, with congestion remaining a major issue. Los Angeles – LA’s infamous gridlock earns it…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Majority Of Americans Limit Political News Amid Fatigue, Overload, Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Limit Political News Amid Fatigue, Overload, Poll Finds
Majority Of Americans Limit Political News Amid Fatigue, Overload, Poll Finds In an era of 24/7 news cycles and social media saturation, most Americans are stepping back from political news to combat fatigue and information overload.
 According to a brand-new nationwide poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 65 percent of adults feel the need to limit their consumption of government and political news.
 This sentiment crosses party lines, but Democrats are slightly more likely than Republicans to feel overwhelmed (72 percent vs. 59 percent). Additionally, 50 percent of respondents cited the need to cut back on news about overseas conflicts.
 Around…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm
Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm Fewer high school graduates began college this fall, with enrollment in that age group dropping 5 percent from last year, according to an analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.  Four-year institutions were hardest hit, with public colleges seeing an 8.5 percent drop in first-year enrollments and private nonprofit colleges reporting a 6.5 percent decline.  This trend poses significant challenges for colleges and universities, particularly those reliant on tuition revenue.  As the competition for students intensifies, institutions face mounting pressur…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Election 2024: Trump Reclaims Presidency By Securing Wins In Key Battleground States Election 2024: Trump Reclaims Presidency By Securing Wins In Key Battleground States
Election 2024: Trump Reclaims Presidency By Securing Wins In Key Battleground States Crucial triumphs in the key battleground states have lifted former President Donald Trump back to the White House. The 78-year-old Trump was declared winner of the 2024 election against Vice President Kamala Harris just before dawn on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Trump has been projected to win all three "Blue Wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. With big additional wins in North Carolina and Georgia, he has secured the 270 electoral votes needed to reclaim the presidency, becoming the first president who will serve non-consecutive terms since former Democratic New York Gov. Grover…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
PRESIDENTIAL POLL: Harris Leads Trump In PA Battleground PRESIDENTIAL POLL: Harris Leads Trump In PA Battleground
Presidential Poll: Harris Leads Trump In PA Battleground The latest Franklin & Marshall College poll of registered voters finds Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leading former President Donald J. Trump by 49% to 46%.  The state of the economy was a leading concern, the Lancaster-based poll found after analyzing the responses of 890 voters. The poll was released on Thursday, Sept. 19. Pennsylvania is the largest of seven key battleground states in the presidential race, with 19 Electoral College votes. A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the Nov. 5 election. Voting began this week in Pennsylvania with the mailing of pape…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump came out swinging at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in their first and possibly only presidential debate before the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election. Harris made the first move by shaking Trump's hand on stage — in their first face-to-face encounter. Political observers noted how Harris "baited" the former president, prompting him to look increasingly angry. But Trump entered the "spin room" less than an hour after the debate, saying, "I think it was the best debate, personally, that I've ever …

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee President Joe Biden has just announced he is pulling out of the 2024 race against Republican nominee Donald Trump. In a letter to "My Fellow Americans" released just before 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, Biden said: “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” The news comes amid concerns over the 81-year-old Biden's health, which were loudly …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Costco Raising Membership Fees In US, Canada Costco Raising Membership Fees In US, Canada
Costco Raising Membership Fees In US, Canada The Costco Wholesale Corporation has announced membership hikes in the US and Canada for the first time in seven years, according to a news release by the company issued on Wednesday, July 10.  Costco opened the release sharing a June sales growth in the US of 5.6%, which is higher than the past 44 weeks of just 4.4%, the company experienced a decrease in revenue internationally.  On the heels of sharing that news, the company made the announcement about raising the membership fees in both the US and Canada beginning Sept. 1.  Annual memberships are rising $5 making them $65…

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by Jillian Pikora