Newsletter Sep 16, 2022

3 things you must know

US retail sales see a surprise surge, led by auto purchases
U.S. consumers buying cars and going to restaurants and bars in August drove a surprise bounce in retail sales, even as spending on gasoline fell as prices at the pump dropped, according to government data Thursday. Americans flush with savings have been a key driver of the U.S. pandemic recovery and the Federal Reserve is keeping a careful eye on economic data as it battles to quash red-hot inflation without tipping the world's largest economy into recession. August retail sales rose 0.3% compared to July.
SEE HOW JOBLESS CLAIMS DROPPED AGAIN IN AUGUST

US railroad strike averted with tentative deal before deadline
U.S. railroads and unions secured a tentative deal after 20 hours of intense talks brokered by the Biden administration to avert a strike that could have impacted food and fuel supplies nationwide. Without a deal, a rail shutdown could freeze almost 30% of cargo shipments by weight, stoke inflation, cost the U.S. economy as much as $2 billion per day, and cause transportation nightmares..
SEE THE INTENSE TALKS THAT AVERTED A RAIL STRIKE

Amazon closing warehouses as pandemic demand wanes
Amazon is looking to reduce the number of warehouses in its U.S. real estate portfolio after expanding rapidly due to high demand during the pandemic. The surge in demand in 2020 prompted Amazon to add warehouses quickly to keep up with increased orders. Amazon is now shuttering as many as 71 warehouses, which have been closed, canceled, or delayed as of this week.
HOW MANY AMAZON WORKERS WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS?

Markets

DJIA	30,961.82	-0.56%
S&P 500	3,901.35	-1.13%
Nasdaq Composite	11,552.36	-1.43%
Japan: Nikkei 225	27,567.65	-1.11%
UK: FTSE 100	7,255.56	-0.36%
Crude Oil Futures	85.55	0.53%
Gold Futures	1,670.40	-0.41%
Yen	143.36	-0.09%
Euro	1.00	-0.14%
* As of market close

GOP election deniers positioning for 2024

Several Republican candidates for governor and secretary of state in midterm congressional races are election deniers in battleground states that play a decisive role in presidential elections. All back former President Donald Trump's false claims that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Voting rights groups and many Democrats worry that if the candidates win their races in the midterms, they will be in key positions to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election and other critical races.

THE THREE STATES THAT COULD FEEL THE BIGGEST IMPACT

What to expect from new COVID boosters

The latest COVID booster shot has now been authorized for use by the FDA for protection against Omicron-specific variants and is currently rolling out across the country. The shot from Pfizer is authorized for use in people 12 and older, while the Moderna shot can be administered to those that are 18 and older. The CDC has said that individuals need to wait at least two months after their latest round of vaccines to receive the booster and three months after testing positive for the virus.

WHY WHO OFFICIALS SAY THE END OF PANDEMIC IS 'IN SIGHT'

iOS 16 update unlocks new iPhone features

The iOS 16 update is now available for download, and iPhone users will discover a treasure trove of handy new tools. The Apple update includes several new features and improvements, including an added home screen widget, a newer version of CarPlay in vehicles and more. The most notable additions are a customizable lock screen, options to unsend and edit text messages, ways to remove people, pets or things from your photos, and more hidden features that users will enjoy.

FIND OUT 5 HIDDEN FEATURES AND TRICKS IN THE NEW iOS 16

Human touch

Who is credited with inventing touch-screen technology and what year?

Thursday's answer: Internet entrepreneur Zhang Yiming of China created the video sharing platform TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly.