Marilyn Geewax

Flight Delays Push Congress To End Controller Furloughs

Marilyn Geewax — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:14:44 +0000

The U.S. Congress — a body not exactly known for its swift feet — raced Friday to complete legislation to help travelers avoid delays at airports.

The House voted 361-41 to approve legislation that the Senate passed without objection late Thursday.

Airport Delays Raise Questions About Controller Furloughs

Marilyn Geewax — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:35:01 +0000

Some air travelers faced delays Monday as furloughs of air traffic controllers began taking effect.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that with fewer eyes on the skies, it was forced to delay some flights.

Tax Tips For Procrastinators, And You Know Who You Are

Marilyn Geewax — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:47:02 +0000

Still haven't filed your taxes, eh?

Well, you have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to get it all done — or at least file for an extension that gets you off the hook until Oct. 15. To help all of you procrastinators, here are answers to a few of your questions.

If I'm filing by mail, can I come skidding into the post office at 11:58 p.m. and still make the deadline?

Maybe — depending on where you live. Most post office locations will keep regular hours; some will stay open until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. to make sure tax returns get postmarked before midnight.

U.S. Job Growth Slows As Jobless Face Benefit Cuts

Marilyn Geewax — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:12:29 +0000

The 11.7 million Americans searching for work got discouraging news Friday morning when the Labor Department said employers created only 88,000 jobs in March. The weak job growth comes at the same time benefits for the long-term unemployed are shrinking.

The smaller-than-expected increase in payrolls was a big disappointment, coming after a long stretch of much better results.

Economists See Budget Cuts Putting The Recovery At Risk

Marilyn Geewax — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:27:47 +0000

Getting economists to agree with each other isn't easy. But Congress and the White House have managed to unite them.

More than 95 percent of top U.S.

How The American-US Airways Merger Might Affect You

Marilyn Geewax — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:05:55 +0000

American Airlines and US Airways on Thursday announced they plan to merge to create the country's largest airline, with a route network stretching from coast to coast, and covering large swaths of Latin America, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and Africa.

The merger would knit together American's parent company, Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp., and Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc. to form a new company worth about $11 billion.

Obama's Call For Higher Minimum Wage Could Have Ripple Effect

Marilyn Geewax — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:18:51 +0000

So maybe the Great Recession really is over.

After more than five years of recession and painfully slow recovery, President Obama has sent a powerful signal that he thinks the U.S. economy is now in much better shape — good enough, at least, to provide workers with raises.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Obama called upon Congress to boost the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour by 2015, up from the current $7.25.

With Gasoline Prices Rising, Consumers Are Having A Tough Year

Marilyn Geewax — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:05:41 +0000

Business leaders involved in homebuilding, oil drilling or automaking are happy about the way 2013 has kicked off. Lower- and middle-income consumers, on the other hand, are feeling like the year has kicked them in the head.

"Consumers have not rebounded with the arrival of the new year," says Ed Farrell, director of consumer insight at the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

As 2013 Begins, A 'Pretty Positive' Job Outlook

Marilyn Geewax — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:48:06 +0000

If you're searching for work in this new year, the Labor Department's final jobs report for 2012 suggests: The trend is your friend in 2013.

The jobs outlook is actually "pretty positive," said John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an employment consulting firm.

Challenger said that, after 34 straight months of job growth, the positive trend is well established and likely to continue.

A Jolly Christmas? Retailers Count The Extra Days

Marilyn Geewax — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:57:34 +0000

For merchants, the stars are lining up — at least so far.

Online shopping jumped more than 28 percent on Cyber Monday compared with a year ago, according to IBM Benchmark. And the National Retail Federation says Thanksgiving weekend spending shot up to $59.1 billion, nearly 13 percent more than last year's $52 billion.

Fortunately for retailers, those good numbers may keep coming because the heavens have lined up in such a way that the 2012 calendar "is a real plus," says Chris Christopher, an economist with IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.