2019 | Common News Update

Jan152021 by adminNo Comments

U.S. retail sales declined in December, but were better than 2019, Commerce Dept. says

Business

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Retail sales in the United States continued to slide in December for the third straight month, the Commerce Department said in is monthly economic assessment Friday. Seasonally adjusted retail and food sales for December totaled $ 541 billion, a decline of 0.7% from November, the department said in its report. Advertisement The overall non-adjusted sales figure, however, is still 3% better than it was in December 2019. The report also said total sales for all 12 months of 2020 was up 0.6% over 2019. The report also revised its November estimate down from the initially reported 1.1% decline to 1.4%. Economists expect the $ 900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package that Congress passed last month to improve retail sales for January. Retail sales in the United States have been a...

Dec102020 by adminNo Comments

WHO: Heart disease, stroke leading causes of death in 2019

Health

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Noncommunicable diseases accounted for seven of the world's 10 leading causes of death in 2019, according to the World Health Organization, with heart disease continuing to top the list. Published Wednesday, the WHO's 2019 Global Health Estimates said noncommunicable diseases, such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and cancers, made up seven of the 10 leading causes of death last year, accounting for 44% of all lives lost. Advertisement This represents an increase from 2000 when noncommunicable diseases only took up four of the 10 spots. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said these estimates highlight the need to intensify global focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. "They highlight the urg...

Dec92020 by adminNo Comments

Consumers are spending more in 2020 than they did in 2019, says Bank of America CEO

Finance

Consumers are spending more via Bank of America accounts this year, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, than they did in 2019, according to CEO Brian Moynihan."When you look at what they're spending year-to-date, they've spent more in 2020 than they did in 2019, and that is now across $ 2.7 trillion in money moved by our consumers," Moynihan told CNBC's Wilfred Frost in a Wednesday interview.Moynihan's commentary is the latest indication that, despite a record level of infections and a mounting death toll, many Americans are showing a surprising financial resilience. Earlier in the pandemic, U.S. banks set aside tens of billions of dollars for loan losses, but defaults have yet to materialize. That's in part due to unprecedented federal actions to stabilize markets and inject money ...

Nov232020 by adminNo Comments

Joshua Wong, 2 others plead guilty over 2019 Hong Kong protest

World

Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Joshua Wong and two other prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty on Monday over their involvement in protests in the summer of 2019. Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam pleaded guilty and were jailed ahead of sentencing next week when they each face up to three years in prison, the Hong Kong Free Press reported. Advertisement The trio pleaded guilty to charges in connection to a June 2019 demonstration when protesters surrounded the police headquarters in opposition to police brutality. Protesters had taken to the streets against a controversial extradition bill that summer but rallies and marches intensified in response to the violent crackdown by police. Wong, who has previously served prison terms over his activism, told reporters before heading into the ...

Sep112020 by adminNo Comments

Still haven’t filed your 2019 tax return? Penalties are about to get steeper

Finance

Getty ImagesPenalties are about to get way steeper for taxpayers who still haven't filed a 2019 income tax return and owe the IRS a balance.July 15 was the deadline to submit your return and pay any taxes owed, as the Treasury Department pushed back the due date in light of the coronavirus pandemic.While taxpayers can ask for a filing extension until Oct. 15, they still needed to pay Uncle Sam by July 15.More from Personal Finance:How many weeks of extra $ 300 unemployment benefits are coming?Second $ 1,200 stimulus checks could be a longshotThe CDC banned evictions, but some renters are still vulnerableNormally, taxpayers who fail to file on time face a penalty of 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month that the return is late, up to 25% of the unpaid tax. Interest also ...