Business

Kelsey, Kristen and Kaylen Kassab of The K3 Sisters Band in front of the Barbie Theater at World of Barbie at Stonebriar Centre Mall on in Frisco, Texas.

From Swiftie beads and Barbie to Beyonce, girls ran the world economy in 2023

9:08am December 27, 2023

by Pallavi Gogoi

Girl spending was one of the most powerful economic forces in 2023. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concerts boosted local and national economies. World leaders begged Taylor Swift to come and perform.

Christmas is the busiest day for texting

7:22am December 27, 2023

Cellular giant T-Mobile says 3 billion text messages were sent last year on December 25, Axios reports. AT&T told NPR that Christmas Day 2022 saw the most texts of any day over a 12-month period.

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A customer shops for holiday gifts in a Target store on Dec. 21 in Austin, Texas. Holiday shopping was up 3.1% over 2022, a lower figure than the pandemic years but still a healthy one, economists say.

Economy

Holiday spending is up. Shoppers are confident, but not giddy

5:12am December 27, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

Consumer spending from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve rose 3.1% year over year, new data show, a figure in line with the decade leading up to the pandemic and another positive sign for the economy.

Biden doesn't seem to be benefiting politically from relatively strong economy

5:12am December 27, 2023

The state of the economy can determine presidential elections — but that doesn't mean President Biden is getting credit for positive changes.

Sofia (Danielle Brooks) and Celie (Fantasia Barrino) in the 2023 film reincarnation of The Color Purple.

'The Color Purple' is the biggest Christmas Day opening since 2009

5:01pm December 26, 2023

by Bob Mondello

The Color Purple is now the second biggest Christmas Day opening in history — $18 million on day one of its release.

National

How AI is already impacting jobs in the U.S.

4:43pm December 26, 2023

Whether or not artificial intelligence is coming for your job, it's almost certain to change it. Here's how Americans are dealing with AI at work.

A person holds a sign at a rally to raise the federal minimum wage, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 4.

Minimum-wage workers in 22 states will be getting raises on Jan. 1

8:57am December 26, 2023

by D. Parvaz

While that's great news for the almost 10 million workers affected, 20 other states still pay minimum-wage workers the federal rate of $7.25 an hour.

The hottest Christmas gift of 2024 could be a moody, gloomy one that lives forever

7:32am December 26, 2023

Lego has plans for a Twilight themed set based off the work of a fan submission. Whether you're team Jacob or team Edward, you can soon enjoy playing with miniature versions of the main characters.

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Resellers pick through stores' bargain bins in search of items to flip for profit

5:01am December 26, 2023

When unwanted gifts are returned, they often don't go back to the original seller. We get a behind-the-scenes look at two women who make a living off of returned merchandise.

Coming off big wins at the bargaining table, what's ahead for unions in 2024?

5:01am December 26, 2023

by Andrea Hsu

From autoworkers to actors. Nurses to newspaper reporters. More than half a million workers went on strike this year, and many emerged with big wins. Is this a union comeback?