Over and under image of Green Sea Turtle off Olowalu, MauiThe Supreme Court seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Clean Water Act during oral arguments in a major environmental law case on Wednesday. The court’s four liberals seemed disinclined to agree with arguments put forward by the Trump administration and Hawaii’s county of Maui that indirect pollution should not require Clean Water Act permits. In a plurality opinion in the case, the late justice noted that

An employee secures the lid of a Valspar Corp. paint can for a customer inside a Lowe’s store in Burbank, California. Low mortgage rates and increased home improvement spending are going to help lift Lowe’s stock, according to Credit Suisse. The firm upgraded the stock to outperform from neutral and hiked Lowe’s 12-month price target to $129 per share from $114 per share.

Apple CEO Tim Cook arrives for Apples “The Morning Show” global premiere at Lincoln Center- David Geffen Hall on October 28, 2019 in New York. Bank of America sees Apple shares climbing even further in the next year, as the coming launch of a 5G-enabled iPhone is projected to begin a new period of strong sales for the tech giant. Shares of Apple are up 63% this year as of Tuesday’s close of $257.13. Bank of America has a buy rating on Apple’s stock with a $270 price target.

The IRS has raised the limits for how much you can put away in your retirement accounts in 2020. Next year, you will be able to save up to $19,500 in your 401(k), up from $19,000 in 2019. The catch-up contribution for workers ages 50 and over will increase to $6,500 for next year, up from its current limit of $6,000. So- called SIMPLE retirement accounts will have a new savings threshold of $13,500, up from $13,000. But the changes, which are based on cost-of-living adjustments, will not apply t

“Some of the cities with the highest real estate appreciation have the lowest internal rates of return from the homeownership perspective,” said Nick Holeman, a certified financial planner at Betterment. The median amount of property tax paid for all U.S. homes with a mortgage is $2,709, Betterment found. There’s also limited tax relief for homeowners shelling out for hefty property taxes. Further, with a roughly doubled standard deduction, fewer taxpayers are itemizing and claiming those proper

Mattel stock slumped more than 3% Wednesday after a report surfaced purporting that the toy company and its auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers obscured an accounting error. The accounting error had to do with Mattel’s ownership of “Thomas & Friends,” an animated children’s show. The error was tied to a $562 million valuation allowance that Mattel created against its deferred tax assets in September 2017. Notably, the Journal pointed out that PwC earned more than $9 million in fees from Mattel last y

DETROIT – Federal prosecutors have charged retired United Auto Workers Vice President Joseph Ashton, a former board member of General Motors, as part of its corruption probe into the union. Ashton, who resigned from the GM board in December 2017 after reportedly being linked to the investigation, was charged with fraud and money laundering conspiracies. Ashton was charged Wednesday in a criminal information filing, which indicates a guilty plea is expected. Nor was the company aware that “he all

The Trump administration will announce its highly anticipated policy on flavored e-cigarettes “very soon,” President Donald Trump’s senior counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters Wednesday. Trump and top health officials on Sept. 11 said the administration was readying a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and would introduce the policy within weeks. The administration initially said it would ban both flavors, though most industry observers expect the administration to exempt menthol, along with toba

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader on Wednesday indicated there could be a path for Boeing to get its 737 Max back in service — in an apparent softening of his previous position that the jets should never fly again. The entire worldwide 737 Max fleet was grounded just days after the Ethiopian disaster. Investigators looking into the cause of the crashes point to an issue with the 737 Max flight-control program, known as MCAS. In Wednesday’s interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Nader said, “What Boeing r

Target’s biggest bull on company’s turnaroundScott Mushkin, R5 Capital Founder and CEO, and CNBC’s Courtney Reagan join ‘The Exchange’ to discuss Target’s turnaround and where the stock could be headed.

Uber – Shares of ride hailing company Uber dipped 3% lower as the company’s post-IPO lockup period expired. Coty — Shares of the cosmetics maker surged 14% after the company beat earnings estimates and re-affirmed its full-year guidance. CVS Health — Shares of drugstore chain gained more than 4% following quarterly results that topped analyst estimates. Altice USA – Shares of Altice USA tanked nearly 20% on disappointing quarterly results and lower guidance. Plantronics – Shares plummeted a whop

Tiffany & Co. has asked Bulgari owner LVMH to raise its $14.5 billion acquisition offer, arguing that it significantly undervalues the U.S. jewelry chain, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Tiffany informed LVMH it could open its books and provide confidential due diligence if the French luxury group sweetens its offer, the sources added. LVMH remains engaged and is considering a new offer, according to the sources. However, LVMH believes Tiffany needs to spend more on reinventin

The House will hold its first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump next week as the probe progresses. “Those open hearings will be an opportunity for the American people to evaluate the witnesses for themselves, to make their own determinations about the credibility of the witnesses,” Schiff told reporters Wednesday. The announcement furthers the House Democratic effort to move its investigation of Trump into the public eye after weeks of interviews behind close

Louis Armstrong New Orleans Int’l Airport terminal Source: Louis Armstrong New Orleans Int’l AirportFrom New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, many airports around the country are in the middle of high-profile renovation and expansion projects. But with the official opening early Wednesday morning of the new $1.3 billion terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), the U.S. gets its first major airport opening since the opening of new termi

Some big names in Hollywood, however, supported Scorsese’s original comments, while others vehemently disagreed. Ed Norton, the writer, director and actor of the upcoming “Motherless Brooklyn,” falls squarely in between. “It was almost a Valentine to my film,” Norton said told CNBC on Wednesday regarding Scorcese’s op-ed. The actor portrayed the Incredible Hulk in the 2008 Marvel film and Scout Master Ward in Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom.” “But I think it’s important, too, to recognize that

In this market environment, the ongoing passive versus active investing debate really comes down to one thing, experts say: fees. Passive funds — including both exchange-traded and mutual funds — surpassed active funds in terms of assets under management in September, according to Morningstar, with passive funds racking up about $4.37 billion in assets by the end of the month and active funds attracting about $4.27 billion. “That’s why, when the first active ETF came to market with the ticker YY

Acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor arrives on Capitol Hill before a closed-door hearing with members of Congress in Washington, October 22, 2019. House Democrats released his testimony a week before he was slated to appear at the investigation’s first public hearing on Nov. 13. “He said that President Trump wanted [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky in a box by making public statement about ordering such investigations.” Lawmakers have also tried to determine whether Trump withhe

A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a new rule, not yet in effect, that allowed health care providers to refuse participation in abortions and other services on moral or religious grounds. The decision came after 19 states, the District of Columbia, three local governments, health organizations and others sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Health and Human Services and the Justice Department are reviewing the ruling but “will not comment on the pending litigation at this

A meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign an interim trade deal could be delayed until December as the two parties look to agree on the terms and a new venue. The official cast doubt on a signing summit in Sweden or Switzerland, which Reuters reported as under consideration, but did not rule it out entirely. The U.S. suggested to host the meeting in Iowa to feature the agricultural benefits of the potential deal in a critical swing state. At earlier stages

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon testify against Trump’s longtime political advisor and confidante Roger Stone, prosecutors said Wednesday. Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster,” is accused of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the the House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee. This case is not about whether Roger Stone had any communication with any Russians. Former top Trump campaign official Rick Gates was also set to testify against Stone. Gates, w