American retail sales were surprisingly dreadful in December
CNN
Americans shopped less in December, causing the first drop in retail sales since the summer.
Sales dropped 1.9% compared with November, adjusted for seasonal swings, the Census Bureau reported Friday.
The decline in sales coincided with the surge in Covid cases due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. In July, the last time sales dropped, it was on the back of cases rising due to the Delta variant.
A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X for trying to punish a critic’s speech will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal and policy experts say — and could have implications for US democracy, as researchers track hateful and misleading speech online ahead of the 2024 election.
When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market. The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – it was Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.