GOP AGs push Visa, Mastercard, AmEx not to track gun sales
A group of Republican attorneys general are pushing the major payment networks _ Visa, Mastercard and American Express _ to drop their plans to start tracking sales at gun stores, arguing the plans could infringe on consumer privacy and push legal gun sales out of the mainstream financial network.
Business grows skittish about Trump and GOP after riots
Businesses are rethinking political contributions in the wake of the deadly Capitol siege by President Donald Trumps supporters on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Citigroup confirmed Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, that it is pausing all federal political donations for the first three months of the year. Outside conservative groups, including those affiliated with Republican leadership, were the ones who dropped the lion's share of money that helped him oust former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Leading business groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce all condemned the insurrection. โThere was no big public push or pressure to get Marriott and others to announce they would no longer make campaign contributions.
Americans can pay their credit card bills, but for how long?
The coronavirus pandemic hasnt stopped Americans from keeping up with their credit card payments, thanks in large part to government relief programs passed by Congress earlier this year. โThe stimulus and unemployment benefits have definitely helped the lower end of (credit card borrowers),โ said Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst at investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. In some ways, whatโs going on in the credit card market also reflects the diverging fortunes of those impacted by the pandemic. Credit card executives have for months been bracing for the impact on their customers if there is no new aid. โAs a result, we do remain cautious about the potential for future shocks to the economy.โOne point of uncertainty is how banks are reporting their credit card loans.
Issa Rae urges participation in Small Business Saturday
The "Insecure" star is urging people to shop locally as part of Small Business Saturday, a couple days after Thanksgiving. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ With many small businesses struggling to hold on during the coronavirus pandemic, Issa Rae believes now is the time to support independent stores more than ever. The creator and star of HBO series โInsecureโ strongly encourages people to shop locally as part of Small Business Saturday, a couple days after Thanksgiving. She said the initiative created by American Express, for which she is a compensated endorser, can help give an extra push during the holidays to small businesses who have gone into survival mode. So far, during the pandemic, Rae has watched several businesses close down, which she says โbreaks my heart."
World shares post modest gains with focus on virus recovery
Shares were mostly higher Wednesday in Asia after a worldwide rally spurred by hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine will help the global economy return to normal. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)Stocks fell back across Asia on Thursday after gains for big technology shares pushed most Wall Street benchmarks higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4% to 25,459.13 despite a report that machinery orders fell in September, suggesting weakness in corporate investment. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.1% to 26,206.78 and the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.3% to 3,332.24. Strategists along Wall Street are raising their forecasts for stock prices on expectations that political control of Washington will remain split between the parties.
Coronavirus: Hilton, American Express offer 1 million rooms to health care workers
Hilton and American Express are teaming up to offer up to 1 million hotel room nights for free to front-line health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The rooms would give the workers a place to sleep, recharge or isolate to protect their families so money wonโt come out of their own pockets. Hilton is working with 10 U.S. medical associations to provide rooms to doctors, nurses, EMT's, paramedics and other medical professionals. American Express is helping cover the cost of the hotel room donations. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6โฒs coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.