Stock market today: Wall Street steadies as bond yields ease ahead of inflation report

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks meandered to a mixed close on Wall Street as traders made their final moves before several potentially market-moving reports later in the week. The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed, and the Nasdaq composite inched up 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market ahead of Wednesday’s highly anticipated update on inflation at the U.S. consumer level. This week will also bring other inflation data, and several big U.S. companies including JPMorgan Chase and Delta Air Lines will deliver their profit reports for the first three months of the year.

If you’re retired or about to retire, think carefully about your tax strategy

NEW YORK (AP) — Coming up with the best tax strategy in retirement can be much trickier than it seems, and tax pros agree that it is a time when people need to be especially careful. Experts say you should look at your entire financial picture before deciding on things like 401(k) withdrawal amounts and timing, or when to begin taking Social Security. For example, withdrawing a large amount to do something like pay off a mortgage could result in a dramatic increase in what percentage of your Social Security benefits will be taxed.

New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 200 chemical plants nationwide must reduce toxic emissions likely to cause cancer under a new Environmental Protection Agency rule. Officials say Tuesday’s rule advances President Joe Biden’s commitment to environmental justice with health protections for communities burdened by industrial pollution from chemicals. The rule applies to facilities in Texas, Louisiana, the Ohio River Valley, West Virginia, the upper South and elsewhere. The rule benefits a majority-Black Louisiana town EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited in 2021. Denka Performance Elastomer in LaPlace, Louisiana, is the largest source of chloroprene emissions in the U.S. and will have to reduce emissions. Denka says it has complied with air permitting requirements and opposes the EPA’s action.

From overcapacity to TikTok, the issues covered during Janet Yellen’s trip to China

BEIJING (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her team are returning to Washington after a visit to China where they tried to tackle the biggest economic issues between the countries. After the U.S. said large Chinese government subsidies for green energy technology threaten global financial stability, the two sides agreed to hold “intensive exchanges” on more balanced economic growth. Yellen and Chinese leaders also discussed issues related to money laundering, ownership of the social media app TikTok and her status as a food celebrity in China.

— Bulletin wire reports