Joe Raedle / Getty ImagesThe move toward a $15 minimum wage is gaining steam, with 21 states raising minimum wages in 2019 and more increases on the way in 2020. Critics have argued that minimum wage hikes can hurt small businesses and cause job losses, yet hiring remained robust in 2019’s tight labor market. Some municipalities, like New York and Seattle, have already succeeded in raising their minimum wages to $15 an hour. In 2020, even more wage increases are slated to go into effect. Nearly

Gold rose to its highest in more than 1-1/2 months on Tuesday, as a dip in equity markets and weak U.S. data improved demand for bullion in subdued trading ahead of the holidays. Spot gold prices hit their highest since Nov. 7 at $1,489.52. Asian shares edged lower, while U.S. stock futures darted in and out of losses on Tuesday, as the holiday lull tempered optimism that a U.S.-China trade deal will boost exports and corporate earnings. “Gold was in a range and trading with a downside bias beca

The dollar edged higher against the euro in holiday-thinned trading on Tuesday, ahead of the Christmas holiday, while the British pound looked set to snap a five-day streak of losses against the U.S. currency. “The U.S. dollar is showing a firmer profile against most of the major currencies,” Chandler said. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major currencies, was up 0.06% at 97.715. The Australian dollar, while about flat on the day against the dollar, remained close to a

Oil prices rose on Tuesday in thin pre-Christmas trading after Russia said cooperation with OPEC on supply cuts would continue and amid optimism that the United States and China could finalize a trade agreement. Still, OPEC needs to do more to balance the market on a sustainable basis, Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil market research at Rystad Energy, said in a note. A deal signed on Tuesday between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on the Neutral Zone between the two countries could add to supply next year

GMSEATTLE — Demand from automakers for Amazon’s voice-enabled technology is “through the roof” heading into 2020, according to Ned Curic, vice president of Alexa Auto. Automakers started partnering with Amazon for rudimentary tasks such as starting the vehicle remotely through Alexa in-home devices in 2016. The sides have since expanded those collaborations to embed Alexa into vehicles, allowing Alexa to control some vehicle functions. Arianne Walker, Amazon chief evangelist of Alexa Auto, said

Democratic Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg addresses the press from his Philadelphia field office on December 21, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg’s campaign hired a contractor that used prison labor to make phone calls for the former New York mayor’s White House bid. The Intercept first reported that ProCom, a New Jersey-based company hired by the Bloomberg campaign through a third-party vendor, operates two call centers out of state

Here are a bunch of tips and tricks to get you going with your new Amazon Echo. Now ask Lyft or Uber for a ride by speaking “Alexa, ask Lyft for a ride” or “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride.” Here’s how to use one: Say, Alexa set an oven timer for 30 minutes. To do this, just speak one of two commands: To change the rate at which Alexa responds, just say “Alexa, speak slower” or”Alexa, speak faster.” If you want, you can always return to the default setting by saying “Alexa, speak at your defau

The gaming industry headed into 2010 having generated about $20 billion in revenue. It’s a factor that now influences how publishers market games, according to Michael Sepso. In the last decade, the way that you market games has flipped on its head and it has disrupted the entire retail and games component of the industry.” A longer life for gamesAriel Horn, former Riot Games head of esports content and upcoming VENN gaming network founder, said esports is contributing to the longevity of games.

A scene from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Source: Star WarsThe result was “The Last Jedi.” To be sure, the original Star Wars trilogy had some sloppy storytelling arcs, but that was because it was never guaranteed that any of them would get a sequel. Matt Singer, from Screen Crush, wrote Monday in piece about the number of ancillary materials required to understand the latest Star Wars film. Star Wars movies, as Lucas has said repeatedly, are meant to be for kids. The show is based in the Star War

But, there’s a whole lot more you can do with your new iPhone, thanks to the latest iOS 13 update that rolled out in September. Since iOS 13 works all the way back to the iPhone 6S, most of these will work on old iPhones, too. Play Spotify with SiriAsk Siri to play Spotify Todd Haselton | CNBCSiri can finally control third-party music apps. Todd Haselton | CNBCThe new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro/iPhone 11 Pro Max have a wide-angle lens. Todd Haselton | CNBCThis is one of those tips that’s pretty

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, December 9, 2019. The value of global equities began the year just under $70 trillion but has now surpassed $85 trillion, according to a chart from Deutsche Bank’s Torsten Slok. Global stock markets have been on a torrid run in 2019, adding more than $17 trillion in total value, according to Deutsche Bank calculations. The global trade outlook — in turmoil since the election of Donald Trump and the vote for Brexit in the United Kingdom —

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that North Korea’s cryptic “Christmas gift” to the U.S. may be a “beautiful vase” — rather than a missile test, as some experts fear. Trump, speaking to reporters after finishing a Christmas Eve video call with U.S. troops from his Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, joked about the nuclear-armed dictatorship’s rhetoric even with the threat of a long-range missile test looming over the apparent tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. “We’ll see what happens,” Trum

If the S&P gains more than 29.6% for the year, that would be the biggest gain since 1997’s 31% gain. There’s little to stand in the way of the rising stock market at this point as it drifts, higher, for the most part, into year-end. But come January, analysts say, there should be some tax-related selling, and the broader market may even pull back, after its heady 2019 gains. As investors celebrate the outsized gains they made in the stock market in 2019, they may be getting ready to sell some of

“There was a huge cultural gap,” Niinami told CNBC’s Christine Tan in a recent episode of “Managing Asia.” When Takeshi Niinami was appointed CEO of Japanese drinks company Suntory Holdings in October 2015, he had a major task on his hands. In particular, Niinami noted a striking difference between the two companies’ business tact. That caused a clash early on, when Beam’s CEO believed he had received approval for his budget while Suntory insisted he had not, said Niinami. For that, the CEO said

Take-up rate of Grade A office space — or offices in premium locations — has been robust in recent years. Trade war effectTaiwanese firms have for years set up businesses and manufacturing facilities on mainland China, but many have been returning home in recent years due to rising costs in China, as well as incentives by the Taiwanese government — even before the U.S.-China trade war. Despite the U.S.-China trade war, the Taiwanese economy has been resilient this year in part due to a trend of

Here are a bunch of tips and tricks to get you going with your new Amazon Echo. Now ask Lyft or Uber for a ride by speaking “Alexa, ask Lyft for a ride” or “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride.” Here’s how to use one: Say, Alexa set an oven timer for 30 minutes. To do this, just speak one of two commands: To change the rate at which Alexa responds, just say “Alexa, speak slower” or”Alexa, speak faster.” If you want, you can always return to the default setting by saying “Alexa, speak at your defau

The measure also called for the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government body specifically devoted to serving as a consumer watchdog. One of the big misses this decade, investor advocates argue, is the failure to establish a fiduciary rule. The regulation was aimed at getting brokers and investment advisors to adhere to a higher standard when providing advice for clients. Efforts to put together a joint fiduciary rule created an ongoing saga over the past decade. Despit

The gaming industry headed into 2010 having generated about $20 billion in revenue. It’s a factor that now influences how publishers market games, according to Michael Sepso. In the last decade, the way that you market games has flipped on its head and it has disrupted the entire retail and games component of the industry.” A longer life for gamesAriel Horn, former Riot Games head of esports content and upcoming VENN gaming network founder, said esports is contributing to the longevity of games.

But, there’s a whole lot more you can do with your new iPhone, thanks to the latest iOS 13 update that rolled out in September. Since iOS 13 works all the way back to the iPhone 6S, most of these will work on old iPhones, too. Play Spotify with SiriAsk Siri to play Spotify Todd Haselton | CNBCSiri can finally control third-party music apps. Todd Haselton | CNBCThe new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro/iPhone 11 Pro Max have a wide-angle lens. Todd Haselton | CNBCThis is one of those tips that’s pretty

A scene from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Source: Star WarsThe result was “The Last Jedi.” To be sure, the original Star Wars trilogy had some sloppy storytelling arcs, but that was because it was never guaranteed that any of them would get a sequel. Matt Singer, from Screen Crush, wrote Monday in piece about the number of ancillary materials required to understand the latest Star Wars film. Star Wars movies, as Lucas has said repeatedly, are meant to be for kids. The show is based in the Star War