A vivid overview of the country, its businesses, and its economy, as a whole, over the period from December 23 to 28 has been presented below:

American News

Government Shutdown Avert:

• The risk of the US government shutting down was averted on the 21st day of the 12th month of the year 2024.
• This was possible because the representatives had signed a spending amendment bill that Biden later enacted.
• As I have stated above, the US was on the brink of a government shutdown as there was a lot of discord over the signing of the bipartisan bill and the subsequent amendments.
• The bill was not signed, while the spending amendment was enacted to prevent the US from shutting down.

Biden’s Death Sentence Commutes

On December 23, 2024, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal inmates. The main goal behind this act was to reflect the current president’s stance on capital punishment in the US and widen the scope of justice in the legal system.

American Airlines Flight Delays

On September 24, 2024, Amer American faced a technical issue that delayed over 900 flights. The issues were resolved later that day, but the travel season was massively disrupted due to the holiday season, as flights were grounded nationwide.

Business News

Retail Store Closures:

• 2024 proved to be the year when America officially disintegrated into a retail apocalypse, as it saw the closure of hundreds, if not thousands, of retail stores and chains.
• Estimates suggest that in November, about 7,100 stores in the US closed, a considerable 69% jump from the previous year.
• Some notable closed stores included Family Dollar, CVS Health, Big Lots, and Walgreens, which closed 677, 586, 580, and 259 stores, respectively.
• Big Lots closed all 963 remaining stores because the deal between them and Nexus Capital Management LP did not go through.
• Furthermore, CVS and Walgreens have also shut down multiple stores and are planning to expand the closures.
• The stock market’s performance was unsatisfactory for the S&P 500, which lost 1.1% on Friday, resulting in a loss of yet another 1% for the month.
• The index rose 25% throughout the year, with a 5.7% increase in November.
• The tech sector performed extremely well, especially the Magnificent Seven, which includes Apple, Tesla, Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia.
• Apple’s valuation reached close to $4 trillion.
• Strong software and AI performers, including Palantir Technologies and AppLovin, brought growth stocks to the forefront of 2024.
• Sezzle topped the performer’s list after its stocks rose beyond 1000% because of its rising revenue.

Broader stock market leadership, compared to 2023, was observed, with several industry groups performing well.

Economic News

Consumer Confidence Data:

• Compared to November, the American consumer confidence level has decreased with a ratio of 81.1, where 80 would be recession indicative.
• This depicts a recessionary trend due to the steep decline in short-term expectations of over a dozen points in income, business, and the upcoming job market.
• The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index dropped to 104.7 from 112.8 beating analysts expectations for 113.8.
• However, despite consumer confidence declining over the three months, retail store sales increased by 0.7%, indicating that consumers could still be positive for the economy.

US Productivity Improvement

The United States seemsseemsis following on the edge of potential productivity improvement, similar to the internet boom in the mid-1990s. Worker productivity lately has started showing positive growth trends and has recorded over 2% growth. Further, investments in labor-saving technologies and post-COVID better job-role matches also contribute to the growth. Economists have predicted further advances in these developments, especially in AI, improving productivity growth in the 1990s era from 2.5% to 3%. This increase in productivity is essential for the country in managing its debt and economic well-being.

US Economic Policy Forecast

If the US Republican party wins the 2024 elections, as they appear to do, the economic outlook will change noticeably.

Donald Trump, the president-elect, has plans to grow the American economy through policies such as lowering taxes, tightening immigration laws, raising tariffs, and loosening regulations. Thanks to the Republican majority in Congress and in the Senate, there will be very few problems implementing these policies. It is a crucial juncture to predict since the facets of the policies after the election can vary. However, the economy will be impacted greatly by the elections.