Six southern governors oppose UAW organizing votes
While the UAW is working on a $40 million push to expand its presence in the South, six governors in the region voiced their opposition.
Cruise demand leaves pandemic in rearview with record passengers, more construction on tap
MIAMI BEACH — The COVID pandemic drove the cruise industry to a standstill, but numbers released Tuesday signal the years of comeback are officially over with more expansion on tap.
More than 31.7 million passengers took cruises worldwide in 2023, said Kelly Craighead, Cruise Line International Association president and CEO, speaking at the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference at Miami Beach Convention Center.
CLIA is the lobbying group for member cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC and most other major brands.
The pandemic shut down sailing from March 2020 with only a small number of ships coming back online 18 months later in summer 2021. Cruise lines didn’t return to full strength until partially through 2022, so it wasn’t until a full year of sailing in 2023 that the industry could get a real handle on just what the demand had grown to as people returned to vacation travel.
“We are an industry that’s resilient and thriving all around the world, breaking records in ways we might never have imagined,” she said.
What happens if I default on my car loan?
By Funto Omojola | NerdWallet
More Americans are defaulting on their car loans due to larger loan amounts, high interest rates, increased living costs and more.
The number of borrowers who fell more than 90 days behind on their auto loans rose to 2.66% in the fourth quarter of 2023 — a nearly 20% increase from the same time last year, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Why are more people defaulting on car loans?
Borrowers are struggling in part due to sky-high interest rates and increased expenses that have made it difficult for many to be current on their loans, according to Vince Shorb, CEO of the National Financial Educators Council.
“A lot of people are at that point now where they’ve been barely making ends meet,” he says. “They’ve just been getting trounced with inflation, trounced with higher interest rates across the board.”
Many auto lenders offer debt relief programs that can lessen the impact for struggling borrowers — but the key is to reach out before you’re underwater on your loan.
Tesla's global job cuts include leading markets U.S., China
Tesla cuts jobs in U.S. and China amid falling sales. The layoffs affect sales and service positions.
Kia poised to pull ahead in race to inexpensive EVs, exec says
Kia’s early moves position it to bring EVs to the U.S. mass market.