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☆ Amazon will halt construction of its planned $2.5 billion Virginia headquarters, as layoffs at the company continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon will halt construction at its planned Virginia headquarters, but workers will still move into nearly completed areas of the project, Bloomberg reported. According to Bloomberg, a nearly completed first phase of the headquarters called Metropolitan Park will continue as planned, and will house employees starting in June. "We're always evaluating space plans to make sure they fit our business needs and to create a great experience for employees," Schoettler told Bloomberg in a statement. Schoettler did not confirm a new start date for PenPlace construction, but told Bloomberg the second headquarters would always be a long-term undertaking. "Our second headquarters has always been a multiyear project, and we remain committed to Arlington, Virginia, and the greater Capital Region," Schoettler told Bloomberg.

☆ Democratic Senators urge Meta to halt launch of Metaverse app for teens, citing company's 'failure to protect' young users
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meta is preparing to open its app 'Horizon Worlds' to teens as early as this month. "Meta's plan to target young people with offerings in the metaverse is particularly concerning in light of your consistent failures to protect young users," the Senators wrote. According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta plans to release the Horizon Worlds app to teens in order to expand its user base. "Any strategy to invite young users into a digital space rife with potential harms should not be driven by a goal to maximize profit," the Senators wrote. "We call on you to immediately halt Meta's plan to bring teen users onto Horizon Worlds."

☆ KFC is getting rid of 5 menu items — but one fan favorite is finally coming back
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

KFC is getting rid of popcorn chicken, Kentucky fried chicken wings, and chocolate chip cookies. The chain is also bringing back its fan favorite bun-less fried chicken sandwich. "The Double Down is one of the most buzzworthy fast food menu items ever," KFC US Chief Marketing Officer Nick Chavez said in a statement. She did not name any new items, but the fast food chain rolled out some new items in recent weeks. On February 6, KFC announced it would add Kentucky Fried Chicken Wraps to the menu nationwide.

☆ Say goodbye to the iconic mail truck — the postal service is electrifying its fleet, beginning with more than 9,000 new vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The USPS will put more than 9,000 electric mail trucks on the road, electrifying America's oldest vehicle fleet. The postal service plans to spend nearly $10 billion on its electrification plan. The postal service will also install 14,000 charging stations at USPS facilities. "Electrification of our vehicle fleet is now an important component of these initiatives." The postal service has not yet announced where the first electric vehicles will be deployed, noting in a press release that it is still weighing the best routes for the new vehicles.

☆ McDonald's franchise owners push back against the Cardi B and Offset celebrity meal, claiming the rappers go against company values
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some McDonald's franchise owners are pushing back against the latest Offset and Cardi B celebrity meal. The Cardi B and Offset meal is the latest in McDonald's recent slate of celebrity meals, dubbed "Famous Orders." In its promotional material for the meal, McDonald's has focused on the celebrity couple and pushed its restaurants as a date-night destination. But some franchise owners said they fear association with Offset and Cardi B will diminish McDonald's family-friendly brand, the Journal reported. McDonald's told the Journal that its public perception remains a priority for the company.

☆ Your work's favorite happy hour spot wants you to come back to the office. Here's how remote work is costing big-city restaurants and bars billions.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Restaurants and bars in big cities are reducing hours and closing as remote work cuts in on weekday traffic, CNBC reported. The problem extends to smaller cities as well, like Baton Rouge. Hybrid and remote work is costing big cities billions in lost revenue, and restaurants and bars are bearing much of the brunt. Restaurants in Baton Rouge are offering customers deals like $15 three-course, dine-in lunches, WAFB reported. "It will have pros and cons," Jake Polansky, Baton Rouge Area Chamber's economic and policy researcher, told WAFB.

☆ 20-minute drive turns into 7-hour nightmare for stranded traveler after winter storm wreaks havoc across US
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alahn Ek, who lives just outside of Portland, Oregon, told Oregon Live a 20-minute drive to her friend's house wound up taking seven hours in heavy snow and standstill traffic. "It was like I blinked" and suddenly the snow was falling, she told Oregon Live. Hannah Schaferm a spokesperson for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, told Oregon Live the city is equipped for winter weather, but not in the face of a storm like the one that came this week. As parts of the country continue to experience severe weather, officials across the US are warning travelers to remain vigilant. "Snow & freezing rain are creating hazardous road conditions in parts of the state," New York Gov.

☆ Bats that help make tequila are endangered. Here's how climate change is coming for your margarita.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Mexican long-nosed bat is a key pollinator for the plant used to make tequila. The Mexican long-nosed bat, key to growing Weber Azul, is facing extinction. Native to Mexico and the Southeastern US, the Mexican long-nosed bat migrates between the two regions annually, according to New Mexico radio station KRQE. In the US, the bat is facing a lack of habitat, roost sites, and food, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. To combat the threats facing the long-nosed bat, the Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft plan last month to save the endangered species.

☆ A former California lawyer wants to 'CASH' in on his 50-year old vanity plates. He's selling them for $2 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Claude Arthur Stuart Hamrick, or "Cash," is selling vanity plates bearing his initials for $2M. The plates are listed to a website called The Plate Broker, which deals in unique and rare vanity plates. The plate is listed on Modecki's website, called The Plate Broker, for $2 million. "The Plate Broker thinks this plate is perfect for a high profile performer, investor, or socialite," the listing reads. "According to the owner (a retired Bay Area lawyer named Cash), he ran down to the DMV right when vanity plates were released," the listing reads.

☆ Man who lived on ketchup while stranded at sea for weeks has ducked out of sight - but Heinz wants to find him
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man who was stranded at sea in a sailboat survived on almost nothing but ketchup. Following his ordeal, Heinz, famous for its ketchup, wants to connect with Elvis Francois. His resourcefulness made headlines, focusing on how he lived on a bottle of ketchup, seasoning cubes and garlic powder. "Well, Heinz wants to celebrate his safe return home and help him buy a new boat… but we can't seem to find him." If Heinz gets in touch with Francois, the company said it hopes to help him get a new boat.

☆ Two weeks after toxic chemicals burned on a derailed train, Ohio residents fear for their safety. Here's what we know about the crash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio this month, leading to the release of toxic chemicals. Residents of the small town evacuated, and now many fear for their futures. The burn occurred after some of the derailed cars already ignited due to the crash, the Washington Post reported. About 1,500 residents — more than a quarter of the population of East Palestine — were evacuated during the burn, according to the Post. Here's the latest on the East Palestine derailment and fire, including the aftermath and resident reactions.

☆ KFC is getting rid of 5 menu items — including popcorn chicken
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

KFC is getting rid of popcorn chicken, Kentucky fried chicken wings, and chocolate chip cookies. Popcorn chicken, Kentucky fried chicken wings, Nashville hot sauce, strawberry lemonade, and chocolate chip cookies are being dropped from the menu. "We've narrowed down options for customers, making it easier for them to decide what to order and focusing on menu items that we do best," she said. On February 6, KFC announced it would add Kentucky Fried Chicken Wraps to the menu nationwide. "Wraps fans have been begging for fried chicken wraps to return, and we're answering the call with our new finger lickin' good KFC Wraps," said US chief marketing officer Nick Chavez.

☆ Look inside Super Nintendo World's Toadstool Cafe, where you can get a burger with Mario's hat and mustache for $17
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Super Nintendo World opened to the public at Universal Studios Hollywood this weekend. Its flagship Toadstool Cafe restaurant has themed foods from burgers to tiramisu. Loading Something is loading. Among the main attractions at the new park, which opened February 17, is Toadstool Cafe, a theme restaurant run by "Chef Toad." Take a look inside the new restaurant, which offers foods with names based on the Mario's world, including burgers and tiramisu.

☆ Travel nightmares in Europe continue after a strike at German airports leads to thousands of cancellations Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Workers at airports including Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt went on strike Friday. After an IT outage Wednesday, this is the latest nightmare for German airline Lufthansa. Workers at seven German airports, including Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg, took collective action Friday, according to CNN. The full-day strike halted Lufthansa's operations in Frankfurt and Munich Friday, affecting thousands of would-be passengers. In all, more than 2,000 flights were canceled on affected airlines, according to CNN, interrupting travel for more than 295,000 people.

☆ The 'He Gets Us' Jesus ads that ran during the Super Bowl preached a message of unity. Instead, they just made everyone more angry.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The $20 million pair of Super Bowl ads are part of a larger, $100 million campaign launched last spring, The Washington Post reported. "Something tells me Jesus would *not* spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads to make fascism look benign," Congresswoman Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez wrote in a tweet Sunday. "With the money the 'He Gets Us' people spent on their right-wing Jesus ads, they could permanently house 1,563 people experiencing homelessness," Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett chimed in. —Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) February 12, 2023The backlash extends beyond the two commercials that ran during the Super Bowl, and into the campaign more broadly. In the days following the Super Bowl, the campaign has responded to some of the backlash.

☆ Man arrested for stealing truck filled with $48,000 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man was convicted in England for stealing a truck filled with 200,000 Cadbury eggs. Prosecutors say he broke into an industrial park and took the truck. According to prosecutors, Joby Pool used a metal grinder to break into an industrial park in Telford, England on February 11, the Associated Press reported. Once inside, prosecutors said he made off in a stolen truck containing more than $48,000 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs, according to the AP. "Given the shrinkflation of Cadbury eggs over the years, I'd argue it's the moral thing to do," one person tweeted.

☆ Remnants of 5,000-year-old tavern discovered in Iraq include an oven, refrigerator, benches for customers, and even an ancient beer recipe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Archaeologists found the remains of a 5,000-year-old tavern in Iraq, CBS News reported. The site is known to be among the earliest urban centers of the Sumerian civilization. A primitive refrigerator and a recipe for beer were among items uncovered. Archaeologists also found a recipe for ancient beer at the site, CBS News reported. Pittman told AFP the archaeologists also found a refrigerator, as well as "hundreds of vessels ready to be served" and "benches where people would sit."

☆ You still can get a ticket to the Super Bowl on game day, but it'll cost you
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insider checked out a few last-minute Super Bowl ticket options and found some of the cheapest seats available. StubHub cracks the $3,000 barrierSuper Bowl tickets on StubHub StubHub/ScreenshotThe lowest Super Bowl ticket price before fees on StubHub Sunday morning was $3,035. Prices over the yearsSuper Bowl ticket data from VividSeats VividSeats/screenshotSuper Bowl ticket prices have dropped significantly in the past two years, according to VividSeats, but remain far above the cost of a ticket in the 2010s. The average ticket price for Super Bowl LVII rings in at $6,024, according to VividSeats data, slightly less than the price in 2022. The average cost for 2021's game — Tom Brady's final Super Bowl — was nearly $9,500.

☆ You might not find as many chocolates in that last-minute Valentine's Day gift box as you did last year — blame 'slack-filling'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal regulations prohibit slack filling, but some claim its happening with Valentine's Day candy, the Washington Post reported. Valentine's Day candy prices have gone up nearly 10%, according to the Post. Federal regulations prohibit companies from over-packaging goods, and even refer to the practice of slack-filling by name. Still, some consumers say the practice of slack-filling chocolates seems to continue unabated in the Valentine's Day candy aisles of grocery and convenience stores. "You used to get a box of candy and it was packed with the candy, one right next to the other."

☆ Oreo is selling $40 limited-edition NBA cookies ahead of the All-Star Game — and fans are not pleased at the price
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Priced at $40 for a pack of 12, some fans scoffed at the price tag. For $40, fans can buy a box of 12 cookies decorated with frosting, sprinkles, and their favorite team's logo ahead of the NBA All-Star Game next weekend. "$40 for 12 Oreos that have some NBA logos on them is the worst deal ever," one user wrote on Twitter. But NBA fans this time around seem a little less keen on novelty Oreos than Pokémon fanatics. "Yes of course I want these NBA logo Oreos.

☆ I asked ChatGPT to write a viral Super Bowl commercial. Here's what an advertising pro thought of the AI script.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The most generic beer commercial of all timeChatGPT writes a script for a beer commercial Screenshot/ChatGPTFor my first commercial, I told ChatGPT to "write me a beer commercial that would run during the Super Bowl." "This is the perfect beer for the Super Bowl," ChatGPT wrote as a line for one of the characters. The cast of 'Succession' sells a luxury SUVChatGPT writes a Lexus commercial ChatGPT/ScreenshotNext up, I asked ChatGPT to "write me a funny Super Bowl commercial for the newest Lexus SUV, starring the cast of Succession." Just like the beer commercial, Eastman told me this script seemed generic. A Skittles commercial that almost hits the markChatGPT writes a Skittles commercial ChatGPT/ScreenshotLast up, I asked ChatGPT to "write me a viral and crazy Super Bowl commercial for a candy of your choosing."

☆ Take a Look at Some of the Best Super Bowl Ads Ahead of the Big Game
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul return as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in one of the much anticipated Super Bowl commercials. This year some advertisers have released what appear to be full-length Super Bowl commercials early, posting them to social media and YouTube. The Super Bowl has long been a kind of, well, Super Bowl for advertisers, leading companies to go bigger every year with their ads. The commercial pokes fun at corporate "rock stars" by splicing real rock and heavy metal icons into everyday office situations. Diddy does hitsA commercial released this week shows musician Diddy in a meeting with marketers from Uber who are asking him to write a song for the Uber One membership service.

☆ Half of Americans say their financial position has worsened in the last year — the most since the Great Recession, Gallup poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

50% of Americans surveyed in a new Gallup poll said their financial situations are worsening. Lower-income Americans were the most likely to say their finances have deteriorated. Low-income Americans were the most likely to say their situation has deteriorated, according to Gallup, with 61% of respondents responding negatively. Upper-class Americans were more likely to say their situations remained the same or improved, per the poll. In 2020, 74% of respondents said they expected their financial situations would improve.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's psychiatrist was hired at FTX to 'coach' and counsel employees, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SBF's personal psychiatrist was on staff at FTX, according to the Wall Street Journal. Dr. George Lerner was hired to engage with employees as a "coach," not a medical professional, the Journal reported. In an email, Lerner told the Wall Street Journal he focused on creating a sustainable work environment while at the company. "They were amazing people — driven, brilliant, wanting to make a positive impact on the world," Lerner told the Journal. Following the collapse of FTX and amid charges of fraud against Bankman-Fried, Lerner told the Journal he's now focusing on rebuilding his private practice.

☆ Universal's new Mario Kart ride is receiving high marks, but critics say its size restrictions exclude some
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Early reviews have praised Universal's Super Nintendo World for bringing the Mario Bros. to life. Super Mario World is set to open in Florida February 17. But its flagship Mario Kart ride has spurred backlash, because its seat-size limits riders to those with a waistline smaller than 40 inches. "Man, Universal Studios' Mario Kart ride is a bummer for those of us who don't fit the size requirements!" one user wrote.

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