Retail Sales Drop as Consumers Pull Back on Spending: 6/20/2025
Earlier in the year, American consumers were spending money more freely in an attempt to be ready for sweeping tariffs being put in place by the White House. Not so much recently, as figures released by the Commerce Department this week show. Consumers pulled back from that kind of spending last month, precipitating a 0.9% dropped in sales at retail stores and restaurants, after seeing a 0.1% drop in April, both of which came after a 1.5% increase in March. The May numbers were affected by a steep drop
Ford Launches New Philanthropic Effort to Help Nonprofits
Ford Motor Company launched a new philanthropic initiative company officials said will meet the “rapidly evolving” needs of local communities in an effort they say continues a 122-year effort to stand with communities through good and bad times. In a statement posted to the company’s website, officials announced “Ford Building Together,” which increases volunteer hours and provides some $7 million in grants to nonprofits from its philanthropic arm. “Across the country, we hear from our Ford dealers,
Fed Leaves Key Interest Rate Unchanged
Despite pressure from the White House to cut interest rates, Federal Reserve officials decided again to leave rates where they are for now, while indicating at least a couple of cuts could be coming later this year. For the fourth straight meeting, the Fed kept its key rate unchanged, but said despite expectations that inflation will rise, they’re still thinking the rate will be cut twice by the end of the year, acknowledging in their report the U.S. economy is growing at “a solid pace.” It’s the same
DOJ's Civil Division Targets DEI Programs, Gender-Related Health Care and Immigration
DOJ Announces Aggressive Use of Civil Enforcement Tools to Promote Administration Policies Following leadership changes at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division, Brett Shumate, recently confirmed as the assistant attorney general, issued a memorandum directing DOJ attorneys to “use [their] enforcement authorities to advance the administration’s policy objectives” (the “Civil Enforcement Memo”). The June 11 Civil Enforcement Memo — which follows an earlier Criminal Division enforcement memo —
‘Highly Engaged Team’ Key to OxBlue’s Success
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That old adage – or at least a derivative of it – is a priority for maintaining the workplace culture for the folks at OxBlue, an Atlanta-based technology firm that specializes in cameras for construction jobsites. OxBlue, whose stated mission is to “deliver exceptional service and a quality product that improves project delivery and enhances team communications has formulated success since its founding in 2001 using a team of highly engaged employees,” Briana Phillips,
Influencing the legal landscape
Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker PLLC Joins Kerr Russell Kerr Russell and Barris Sott, two long-standing Detroit-based law firms, have combined effective April 1, 2025.https://www.kerr-russell.com/kerr-russell-and-barris-sott-announce-combination/ Kerr, Russell and Weber PLC and Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker PLLC, two long-standing Detroit-based law firms, announced today that they are combining effective April 1, 2025. The resulting firm will have more than 60 attorneys working in Kerr Russell’s Detroit
