Things To Do In SW Florida

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Financial markets are churning on Friday as investors try to figure out what President Donald Trump’s new nominee to lead the Federal Reserve will mean for them.

The early reactions have been uneasy and sometimes quick to change because of the uncertainty. U.S. stocks fell modestly, with the S&P 500 down 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 440 points, or 0.9%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.

The value of the U.S. dollar, meanwhile, climbed but only after swiveling a couple times following Trump’s announcement. And some of the wildest action was again in precious metals markets, where the price of gold went through more cycles of tumbling sharply and retracing some of its losses.

Whoever leads the Fed has a big influence on the economy and markets worldwide by helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. Such decisions lift or weigh on prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S. job market humming without letting inflation get out of control. Trump has been pushing for lower interest rates, which usually help goose the economy but can also lead to higher inflation. read more

By Sarah Boden, Drew Hawkins, Gulf States Newsroom, KFF Health News

Last year was a tough one for farmers. Amid falling prices for commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, rising input costs for supplies like fertilizer and seeds, as well as the Trump tariffs and the dismantling of USAID, many farms weren’t profitable last year.

And now, the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that many Americans, including farmers, relied on to purchase health insurance are gone, having expired at the end of December.

James Davis, 55, who grows cotton, soybeans, and corn in northern Louisiana, said he didn’t know how he and his wife would afford coverage. Their share of their insurance premium quadrupled for 2026, jumping to about $2,700 a month.

“You can’t afford it,” Davis said. “Bottom line. There’s nothing to discuss. You can’t afford it without the subsidies.”

More than a quarter of the agricultural workforce purchases health insurance through the individual marketplace, according to an analysis from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. read more

By Tommy Tindall, NerdWallet

Are you feeling financially stressed or fiscally encouraged this year?

Over a third of Americans said they feel optimistic (35%) and/or confident (35%) about their finances going into 2026, according to NerdWallet’s 2026 Consumer Outlook Report. But nearly as many feel anxious (32%) and/or stressed (30%).

If you’re in camp nervous, looking for clever ways to cut expenses could chill you out.

I’m no genius, but these couple of money traits keep me clever:

• I’m curious enough to question the value of the services I pay for.
• I’m willing to try a new service, plan or strategy when potential savings are compelling.

I’ve also gotten more comfortable being uncomfortable. These subtle shifts saved me thousands.

I switched my cell phone plan and sacrificed nothing

I think $90 per month for two lines of cell phone service is too much. That’s about what I was paying for two lines of T-Mobile service. One of my most impactful money moves was leaving T-Mobile proper for its lower-cost Mint Mobile brand a couple years back. I’ve saved hundreds in the time since.

My biggest worry — that I might lose my precious phone number during the change over — was unfounded. Fortunately, the process of porting your number when you change providers has become easy to do yourself. read more

NEW YORK (AP) — The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus is closing most of its Saks Off 5th locations to focus on its iconic department stores and raise money to pay off its debts during its Chapter 11 bankuptcy reorganization.

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  US producer prices rose 0.5% in December, more than expected, on uptick in services inflation

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  Warsh’s challenge: Navigating Fed independence and Trump’s demands

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  Public hearing today for Blue Origin’s wastewater plans for Indian River Lagoon

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  US stocks dip and gold swings as markets react to Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve

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  Farmers now owe a lot more for health insurance

Saks Global operates 70 Saks Off 5th locations and plans to shutter all but 12 stores, the company said Thursday. The remaining outlets will serve primarily as a selling channel for residual inventory from Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, it said.

The company will close the remaining five Last Call stores, which are outlet locations that serve as a discount channel for Neiman Marcus. read more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he will nominate former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Fed, a decision likely to result in sharp changes to the powerful agency that could bring it closer to the White House.

Warsh would replace current chair Jerome Powell when his term expires in May. Trump chose Powell to lead the Fed in 2017 but this year has relentlessly assailed him for not cutting interest rates quickly enough.

“I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump posted on social media. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”

The appointment, which requires Senate confirmation, amounts to a return trip for Warsh, 55, who was a member of the Fed’s board from 2006 to 2011. He was the youngest governor in history when he was appointed at age 35. He is currently a fellow at the right-leaning Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. read more