Headline News from The Associated Press
AP Headline News - Feb 27 2024 13:00 (EST)
AP News, I'm Ed Donny. The numbers show the economy has been strong, but the public's view is different according to numbers that show consumer confidence is down. Here's the AP's Haya Panjwani. The conference board, which is a business research group, said its consumer confidence index is down over four points this month, since January. It went from 110.9 to 106.7. The index is a way to measure Americans' assessment of economic conditions in its outlook for the next six months. Economists pay close attention to consumer confidence, since consumers spending accounts for about 70 percent of American economic activity. The index was improving for three straight months before this decline. The drop comes as a bit of a surprise, since the economy has shown resilience at higher interest rates and inflation. Haya Panjwani, Washington. At the White House, leaders from the House and the Senate are meeting with President Biden. There is the threat of a partial government shutdown, funding for Ukraine is being held up by Republicans in the House. I think the consequences of inaction every day in Ukraine are dire. Before the meeting, House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about the possibility of a partial shutdown. I'm going to prevent you from working on it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia and met with the Kingdom's powerful Crown Prince to push for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war from Russia. European military heavyweights Germany and Poland are affirming they would not be sending troops to Ukraine after reports some Western countries may be considering doing so. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are marching toward their respective presidential nominations, but Michigan's primary today could reveal significant political perils for both of them. Trump faces a block of stubbornly persistent GOP voters who favor his lone remaining rival, Nikki Haley. President Biden is confronting an energized movement of disillusioned voters upset with his handling of the war in Gaza. So far, Wall Street stocks have cooled after reaching record levels. This is AP news. A big retailer is downsizing. Macy's is closing almost a third of its stores as the veteran retailer shifts its focus to luxury. About 150 of Macy's namesake stores will be closing over the next three years. The plan comes as Macy's also reported a loss for the last three months of 2023 and declining sales. Macy's says it will upgrade the 350 stores it has left. It also plans to add more salespeople and more visual displays. At the same time, the company is also pivoting to luxury goods, which have fared better than its Macy's branded stores. That means opening 15 of its high-rend Bloomingdale stores and 30 of its blue mercury cosmetics locations. Seth Sootel, New York. The owners of a quirky 18th-century British pub, The Crooked Pub, unlawfully bulldozed after a mysterious fire last year were ordered by a local council to rebuild it and to stick to its original lopsided dimensions. It's known for its leaning walls and tilting foundation. I'm Ed Donahue, AP news. Hello, Saver. Whether you're saving for that trip to the tropics or saving for an emergency, now is the time to take advantage of Wells Fargo's savings options. How does Savergo offer savings accounts that can help you save towards your goals? So, what are you saving for? Visit a Wells Fargo branch or Wells Fargo dot com slash save to open a savings account today. Wells Fargo Bank, NA member FDIC. If you only have a 401k, you're not getting the most for retirement. Wait, what? Add a Robinhood IRA on top, then they'll boost it by 3%. You can do that. Transfer in any retirement account. You get 3% on top of that. Is there a limit to the match? No limit. 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