Comment on PhillyInc: Confidence plays a role in economy - and there's a shortage of it

A home destroyed as fire tears through the Palisades area on January 8. Eric Thayer/Getty ImagesPolymarket lets people bet on a variety of things, like election outcomes and pop culture events. It's also taking bets on the Palisades fire in California — with at least nine different wagers. Polymarket says the wisdom of the crowd can lend "unbiased forecasts for the most important events impacting society."As the Palisades fire is still tearing through parts of the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, Polymarket — the prediction market platform — is allowing people to place wagers on certain elements of the disaster.

Microsoft is planning job cuts in the new year, Business Insider previously reported. RICCARDO MILANI/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty ImagesJob cuts are continuing into 2025 following waves of reductions last year. Companies like Microsoft, BlackRock, and Ally have all confirmed cuts. See the list of companies letting workers go in 2025.

AWS CEO Matt GarmanAmazonMatt Garman leads AWS with 11 executives amid rising cloud and AI competition. Garman, an Amazon veteran, became AWS CEO in June, succeeding Adam Selipsky. Julia White, ex-SAP and Microsoft, is the latest addition as AWS's chief marketing officer. A leaked Amazon Web Services organizational chart shows the 11 executives helping new CEO Matt Garman lead the unit through a period of intense competition in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesUS stocks closed mixed as traders took in the Fed minutes and adjusted their rates outlook. Central bankers saw inflation risks stemming from Trump's trade policy. Investors are pricing in one to two rate cuts over the next year, according to the CME FedWatch tool. US stocks closed mixed on Wednesday as investors took in the Fed's latest meeting minutes and adjusted their expectations for interest rates in the coming year.

A man talks on a phone as a wildfire approaches Carlsbad, California, in 2014. REUTERS/Mike BlakeSome homes affected by the Los Angeles wildfires might not have insurance. Insurers have been canceling plans and declining to sign new ones in the state. Years of worsening wildfires have increased payouts and other costs for insurers in California.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreHuckberry/GorewearWhen the temperatures drop and the chill gets into your bones, it's time to slip on some winter gloves. Like other cold-weather essentials, you need to consider what you'll use them for. Fine leather driving gloves won't cut it snowboarding, and thick ski gloves probably aren't the best for driving.