Newsletter Dec 16, 2021

In an admission that inflationary trends are more than transitory, Fed Chair Jerome Powell unveiled a more aggressive plan to address the problem.

3 things you must know

The Fed shifts gears in plan to head off inflationary trends
The Federal Reserve announced its plan to take a more aggressive stance against inflation, and the stock markets responded favorably to the news. Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced the central bank's intentions to speed up the process of ending its bond-buying program, allowing it to raise interest rates by the middle of next year.
FIND OUT HOW THE STOCK MARKETS REACTED TO THE PLAN

Disappointing retail numbers point to concerns of stagflation
The retail industry wasn't nearly as excited as Wall Street about The Fed's decision after getting some bad news earlier in the day. New numbers show retail is down despite high hopes for the holiday shopping season amid fears that the economy is entering stagflation.
SEE HOW INFLATION IS AFFECTING THE RETAIL INDUSTRY

Costco launches new CN program to compete with Amazon
Tough times for retailers are making the competition for dwindling dollars even stronger as Costco unveiled a program to give it a leg up on Amazon. Costco Next is intended to strengthen the company's membership program against online giant and rival Amazon Prime.
CHECK OUT THE EXPANDED BENEFITS OF COSTCO NEXT

Markets

DJIA	35,927.43	1.08%
S&P 500	4,709.85	1.63%
Nasdaq Composite	15,565.58	2.15%
Japan: Nikkei 225	29,066.32	2.13%
UK: FTSE 100	7,236.68	0.92%
Crude Oil Futures	71.54	0.95%
Gold Futures	1,786.90	1.27%
Yen	114.11	0.07%
Euro	1.13	0.20%
* As of market close

US bracing for surge in Delta, Omicron cases

Medical experts are anticipating a surge in Delta and Omicron variant cases in the U.S. as the holidays draw closer and cold and flu season approaches. The White House insists that lockdowns will not be needed due to the availability of the vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci told Americans that we already have the weapon needed to fight both -- vaccine boosters.

SEE HOW QUICKLY THE VARIANTS ARE SPREADING IN THE US

JFK assassination documents declassified

Conspiracy theorists of the JFK assassination got a dump of declassified documents to pour over Wednesday, but they may not find the smoking gun they're looking for. The 1,500-page report reveals some interesting info on Lee Harvey Oswald, but nothing to contradict that he acted alone.

FIND OUT WHY THE RELEASE OF THE FULL REPORT WAS HALTED

Will Spider-Man come to theaters' rescue?

Spider-Man could become a real-life superhero this weekend when his next movie comes to the rescue of struggling theaters nationwide. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is released in the U.S. on Friday, and early projections say the film could set box-office records during the pandemic.

SEE THE MOVIE AND BUSINESS REVIEWS FOR THE NEW RELEASE

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Arachnid acting

Actor Tobey Maguire was first to play Spider-Man on the silver screen, but who originally played the superhero on TV, and what year did he debut?

Wednesday's answer: Eric Dickerson holds the NFL single-season record for rushing with 2,105 yards. O.J. Simpson had 2,003 in two fewer games.

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