A massive winter storm has led to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in the United States, the highest since July 2023, affecting 12 states. The 737 Max 9 grounding, mandated by the FAA after a fuselage panel incident on an Alaska Airlines flight, contributed to the disruptions. Southwest Airlines tops the list with 401 cancellations, followed by SkyWest at 358.
The situation is compounded by severe storms in the South and potential flooding in the Northeast. Chicago's major airports, O'Hare and Midway, are particularly affected, with approximately 40% and 60% of departing flights canceled.
As the storm moves east, a major arctic blast will bring bitterly cold temperatures, affecting millions across the country.
2024 Girl Scout Cookie Season Launches
The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) officially started their annual cookie program on January 9, marking the beginning of cookie sales for the year. This year's cookie lineup boasts a dozen tempting flavors, including classics like Thin Mints and Tagalongs, along with exciting newcomers such as Adventurefuls and Toast-Yay! This year the popular Raspberry Rally cookie has been discontinued.
The tradition of selling Girl Scout cookies dates back to 1917, just five years after the organization's inception in the US by Juliette Gordon Low. Today, close to 200 million boxes are sold annually, generating an impressive $800 million, with the cookie season typically running from January to April.
Prices for the 2024 season will range from $5 to $7 per box, with each of the Girl Scout councils setting their prices.
Tough Times for Employees
Despite being early in 2024, layoffs have already begun, impacting hundreds of individuals.
Twitch will reduce its workforce by 35% (around 500 employees), according to CEO Dan Clancy.
On the same day, Amazon revealed intentions to reduce the workforce at its Prime Video and MGM Studios divisions by "several hundred" employees. Amazon's audiobook division, Audible, has also implemented layoffs, impacting around 100 employees.
Language learning app Duolingo reduced its contract workforce by 10%, with the exact number of affected workers not immediately specified.
Discord disclosed this week that the platform is trimming 17% of its workforce, amounting to about 170 employees.
Unity Software, the video game software developer, revealed its decision to reduce its workforce by 25%, equating to around 1,800 jobs.
Citigroup (Citi) has announced a plan to cut 20,000 jobs over the next two years, addressing a "clearly disappointing" quarter that led to a $1.8 billion loss.
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, plans to cut about 3% of its workforce, roughly 600 positions.
AI startup Humane announced a 4% reduction in its workforce, affecting 10 employees.
Hertz to Sell 20,000 Electric Vehicles
Hertz Global Holdings, a major player in the rental car industry, is set to sell approximately 20,000 electric cars, including Teslas, from its U.S. fleet due to higher expenses related to collision and damage repairs for EVs. This comes just two years after Hertz's ambitious pledge to purchase 100,000 Teslas and an additional 65,000 electric cars from Polestar for its rental fleets.
The key factor behind this move, as stated by Hertz, is the substantial increase in expenses related to collision and damage repairs specifically associated with EVs.
This follows a broader trend where carmakers like General Motors and Ford scale back EV production plans due to a slowdown in sales growth.
High Noon's Hard Seltzer Becomes Top-Selling Spirit
High Noon Tequila Seltzer has emerged as the best-selling 'spirit' by volume in the United States. High Noon sold 21.4 million cases in 2023, a growth of over 30% compared to the previous year.
The ready-to-drink (RTD) market experienced substantial growth in 2023, with 60 million cases sold, marking a rise from just 10 million in 2019 and capturing a noteworthy portion of the entire U.S. spirits market, which accounted for nearly 300 million cases last year.
High Noon's success outshines stalwarts like Tito's Vodka, which leads in retail dollars with nearly $2.5 billion in sales but lags in volume with just over 12 million cases. Jack Daniel's experienced a 4% decrease, selling about 6.5 million cases.
Things to Know:
Microsoft has overtaken Apple as the world's most valuable publicly traded company for the first time since 2021. Microsoft's market capitalization reached $2.89 trillion, surpassing Apple's $2.87 trillion. Both Microsoft and Apple were part of the powerful rally in 2023 with Microsoft experiencing a 3.3% rise, driven by positiveness about artificial intelligence, and Apple faced a 3.4% decline.
The US and the UK conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, responding to the Iran-backed group's threats to international maritime vessels in the Red Sea. The strikes, supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, were initiated by President Joe Biden, who emphasized the need to protect freedom of navigation in a crucial waterway. Ongoing Red Sea attacks are impacting global shipments and businesses, exemplified by Tesla suspending production for two weeks at its European factory due to supply disruptions and transport route adjustments.
Bud Light brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has become the first beer brand to sponsor the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the partnership, spanning the next three Summer and Winter Games from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028. Corona Cero, the non-alcoholic variant of AB InBev containing less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, has been chosen as the global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games. The financial terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed.
Alabama's iconic head coach, Nick Saban, has officially announced his retirement after a 17-year tenure with the Crimson Tide. Saban, 72, leaves behind an unparalleled legacy, having steered the Crimson Tide to six national championships during his tenure. Saban's last contract, expected to run from 2022 through the 2029 season, was reported to be worth $93.6 million. His earnings for the past season alone were reported to be $11.41 million.
Lynn Yamada Davis, the beloved TikTok chef renowned for her "Cooking with Lynja" videos, passed away at the age of 67. With over 17 million TikTok followers, Davis gained popularity for her quirky cooking style, incorporating dance, expressions, and explosive special effects into her videos.