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Asian shares are mixed in directionless trading following a U.S. holiday, as optimism about a deal on the U.S. debt was dented by worries about the regional economy TOKYO -- Asian shares were mixed in directionless trading Tuesday following a U.S. holiday, as optimism about a deal on the U.S. debt was dented by worries about the regional economy . Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% to 31,328.16. Australia's S &P/ASX 200 edged down 0.1% to 7,209.30. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.0% to 2,584.90. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up less than 0.1% at 18,553.22. The Shanghai Composite fell less than 0.1% to 3,221.01. Analysts say investors remain concerned about the a possible “second wave” of COVID-19 cases in China, although the economic impact is expected to be more limited than from the earlier pandemic wave. China's recovery from virus-related disruptions during the past several years appears to be faltering, adding to worries over the regional economy. “To s...

"Start Here" spoke with an economic expert about the proposal made by the FTC chair to end non-compete agreements from worker contracts. Millions of Americans have had to struggle to find a new jobs due to a measure in their contracts that prevents them from working for a direct competitor following a set period of time. These non-compete agreements have been controversial for years, as some economic experts contend they hurt competition within the labor market. Lina Khan, the chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, openly called for ending those clauses in a New York Times op-ed published on Monday. ABC News' "Start Here" podcast spoke with Sarah Miller, the executive director of the American Economics Liberties Project, a non-profit that advocates for antitrust regulations, about this proposal. STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images START HERE: Sarah, you’ve applauded this move. Why? SARAH MILLER: Absolutely so. Last week, the FTC proposed a new rule that would ban fu...

Rising U.S. consumer prices moderated again last month, bolstering hopes that inflation’s grip on the economy will continue to ease this year and possibly require less drastic action by the Federal Reserve to control it WASHINGTON -- Rising U.S. consumer prices moderated again last month, bolstering hopes that inflation’s grip on the economy will continue to ease this year and possibly require less drastic action by the Federal Reserve to control it. Inflation declined to 6.5% in December compared with a year earlier, the government said Thursday. It was the sixth straight year-over-year slowdown, down from 7.1% in November. On a monthly basis, prices actually slipped 0.1% from November to December, the first such drop since May 2020. The softer readings add to growing signs that the worst inflation bout in four decades is steadily waning. Gas prices, which have tumbled, are likely to keep lowering overall inflation in the coming months. Supply chain snarls have largely unraveled. That...