Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots
By ALI SWENSON and BARARA ORTUTAY
Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms.
The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse?
By HALELUYA HADERO
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce novel and detailed online reviews with almost no work has put merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory, watchdog groups and researchers say.
An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump
By PAUL WISEMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hours for Orlando stores, theme parks
What time do Orlando grocery stores and retail stores close on Christmas Eve, and are they open on Christmas Day? What about our famous theme parks?
Here’s what you need to know about holiday operating hours in Central Florida:
Supermarkets
Publix: closing at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Winn-Dixie: closing at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Walmart Neighborhood Markets: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Aldi: Most stores close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Trader Joe’s: Closes at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Whole Foods Market: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
The Fresh Market: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Sprouts: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Sedano’s: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Family Dollar: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Big box and warehouse stores
Walmart: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Savings rates stay strong despite dips: A 2024 recap and what’s next for 2025
By Margarette Burnette, NerdWallet
If you kept money in a high-yield savings account this year, congratulations. Thanks to elevated interest rates, you probably enjoyed strong returns on those funds. And if you didn’t, don’t despair: Savings rates should remain solid through at least the beginning of 2025.
As we head into the new year, here’s a recap of what happened with savings rates in 2024, what it means for your wallet and how to prepare for whatever changes may occur in 2025.
A high-yield savings advantage
The Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate remained relatively high this year, though there were some rate decreases in the second half of 2024. The initial elevation came after a series of 2022 and 2023 rate hikes designed to combat inflation. This translated into better yields on bank accounts, particularly high-yield savings accounts. Although the national average rate for savings accounts was just 0.47% in January 2024, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., many high-yield accounts offered annual percentage yields (APYs) north of 4%.