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☆ Home Depot Using TikTok-Famous Theme Song to Reach Younger Customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Home Depot hopes to connect with Gen Z and younger generations through its social media. In a TikTok in 2019, Valencia Community College student Chris Alicea danced to the Home Depot beat in his dorm room. With Generation Z dominating TikTok, Home Depot is finding ways to connect with younger audiences through the catchiness of its theme song, Cushing said. The social media engagement helps Home Depot "connect with younger generations and the next generation of homeowners and doers." And later in the month, Home Depot posted a video of musician and influencer Joe Porter re-creating the company's theme song solely using products in Home Depot's store.

☆ A Chick-fil-A restaurant's traffic got so bad that city officials ordered it to be demolished and plan to build a new drive-thru-only location
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chick-fil-A restaurants average $8 million a year in sales. The city's solution to the restaurant's traffic-clogging line was to add more drive-thru lanes and eliminate the dining room. The two drive-thru lanes wrap the restaurant, according to the proposal approved by the Charlotte City Council last month. A Chick-fil-A in Charlotte, North Carolina, is being rebuilt as a drive-thru only restaurant to address traffic in the retail center. "Chick-fil-A restaurants in Charlotte always strive to be a good neighbor and have been strong supporters of their local communities."

☆ Tom Brady Retires: The Revised Edition
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ben Shpigel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is retiring from football. His seven Super Bowl titles are more than any single organization has won. He was twice foiled in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants. Brady racked up yardage but Tampa Bay fired its offensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich. Look again, though, at the piercing final play from that game: A 30-yard Rams field goal, the ball snapped from the Tampa Bay 12-yard line.

REUTERS/Charles PlatiauCHICAGO/DETROIT, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The companies that produce goods at the heart of the U.S. consumer economy - SUVs, washing machines, heavy equipment and hamburgers - kept rolling along at the end of 2022. Bellwethers including McDonald's (MCD.N), General Motors, Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), appliance maker Whirlpool (WHR.N) and delivery giant United Parcel Service (UPS.N), posted results that exceeded estimates. That's a good sign for the broader economy, according to Lori Calvasina, equity analyst at RBC Capital Markets. The economy's performance may depend on whether price pressures that have afflicted consumer and business spending start to wane. "As we go into 2023, there is going to continue to be inflation," said Christopher Kempczinski, McDonald's CEO, on the company's earnings call Tuesday.

☆ UPS Prepares for Slowdown in Global Delivery Volumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Esther Fung | Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Parcel Service Inc. is girding its business against a slowdown in global delivery volumes as it advised that annual revenue could decline for the first time in years. The Atlanta-based delivery company said Tuesday that it expects revenue of between $97 billion and $99.4 billion in 2023, down from $100.3 billion last year.

☆ UPS Earnings Show Drop in Holiday Sales on Fewer Shipments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Parcel Service Inc. posted a decline in fourth-quarter revenue after delivering fewer items during the holidays and projected that its top line will fall in the current year amid a slowdown in global trade. The Atlanta-based delivery company said Tuesday that it expects revenue of between $97 billion and $99.4 billion in 2023, down from $100.3 billion last year. UPS last posted an annual sales decline in 2015, according to FactSet.

☆ Homebuilder PulteGroup's quarterly profit beats estimates on higher house prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. homebuilder PulteGroup Inc (PHM.N) on Tuesday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on the back of higher house prices in a tightening market. Higher prices have helped U.S. homebuilders offset the impact from rising prices of commodities, labor shortages and ongoing supply chain disruptions over the past year. Pulte's sales rose nearly 19% to $5.17 billion for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2022. The homebuilder's quarterly net income rose to $882 million, or $3.85 per share from $663 million, or $2.61 per share, a year earlier. Analysts, on average, had expected PulteGroup's quarterly net income to be $2.93 per share on a revenue of $4.59 billion, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Growth in U.S. labor costs smallest in a year in fourth quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. labor costs increased at their slowest pace in a year in the fourth quarter as wage growth slowed, offering a boost to the Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation. The Employment Cost Index, the broadest measure of labor costs, rose 1.0% last quarter, the Labor Department said on Tuesday. That was the smallest advance since the fourth quarter of 2021 and followed a 1.2% gain in the July-September period. Labor costs increased 5.1% on a year-on-year basis after advancing 5.0% in the third quarter. Wages and salaries increased 1.0% in the last quarter, also the smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2021, after rising 1.3% in the third quarter.

In protests that followed the killing and the police sweeps, six people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism. In December, the same charges were filed against five people after law enforcement moved in to clear barricades and confront protesters. But in a number of states, including Georgia, domestic terrorism laws include a wide range of offenses outside those motivated by hate. The Atlanta Solidarity Fund said that the state of Georgia was trying to “set an alarming precedent” with the charges. “If they are successful, protesters across the country could be facing similar speech-chilling ‘domestic terrorism’ charges,'” it said in a statement this week.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

☆ The timeline of Tyre Nichols' death, from being stopped by Memphis cops to officers being charged with his murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tyre Nichols died after he was beaten by Memphis police officers, his family's attorneys say. The Memphis Police Department has not released many details about the case, but Police Chief Cerelyn Davis condemned the incident as "heinous, reckless, and inhumane." January 10: Nichols diesThe Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that Nichols had "succumbed to his injuries." January 20: Memphis Police says five officers firedMemphis police officers Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Dean, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin, and Desmond Mills Jr. are facing murder charges. Wells added that the footage showed Nichols repeatedly calling out for his mother, according to The Washington Post.

What began as a peaceful protest and vigil in Atlanta honoring a slain activist ended in property damage and several arrests on Saturday. The chaotic night came after nearly two years of organizers and activists imploring city leaders, raising awareness and protesting the city’s plans to build a sprawling police training center in a forest near Atlanta. We went through City Council, we’ve taken the legislative route, we’ve done tons of advocacy, we’ve sent in letters, and all we’ve been responded with is force,” said Matthew Johnson, a supporter of Defend the Atlanta Forest, one of the movements opposing plans for the new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. It has become the focus of protests in several cities across the country to “Stop Cop City.” In recent weeks police shot and killed an activist, demonstrators destroyed property, and several protesters were arrested and face steep charges. Here is how the tension over Atlanta’s “Cop City” reached a boiling point.

☆ Shoplifters have set fire to two Walmarts and a Target in Atlanta to create diversions while they steal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fires at two Walmarts in December and a Target on Monday are being investigated as arson. Officials tell local media the blazes appear to have been used as diversions for shoplifting. Officials in Atlanta confirmed to local media Tuesday that a fire at a Target on Monday was being investigated as arson, along with a pair of similar incidents at local Walmarts in December. The three blazes appear to have been set by shoplifters in order to distract attention from their heists, the Atlanta Fire Department said. Similar theft-related fires have broken out in cities and towns across the US, mostly at big-box stores including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot.

☆ The Wall Street Journal ranked US airlines from worst to best. See the list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Wall Street Journal has revealed its annual list of the best and worst airlines in the US. Delta Air Lines took the top spot, while JetBlue Airways lagged behind competitors. According to aviation data company Anuvu, which provided the numbers for WSJ's rankings, Delta had the best on-time arrival rate of 81.7%. Here's a closer look at the WSJ's list of the best and worst airlines in the US. Delta Air LinesDelta Air Lines.

Jan 23 - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked President Joe Biden's administration to weigh in on whether it should review Republican-backed laws in Texas and Florida that would undercut efforts by major social media companies to curb content deemed objectionable on their platforms, actions the states call impermissible censorship. Supporters of the laws have argued that social media platforms have silenced conservative voices while advocates for the judicious use of curbing content have argued for the need to stop misinformation and advocacy for extremist causes. Florida is seeking to revive its law after a lower court ruled largely against it, while the industry groups are appealing a separate lower court decision upholding the Texas law, which the Supreme Court had blocked at an earlier stage of the case. The Texas law forbids social media companies with at least 50 million monthly active users from acting to "censor" users based on "viewpoint." Circuit Court of Appeals in 2022 upheld the Texas law, concluding that it "chills no speech whatsoever.

☆ Atlanta protest against shooting death of activist briefly turns violent
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Cheney OrrATLANTA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A protest in Atlanta briefly turned violent on Saturday as demonstrators set a police car on fire and smashed windows of buildings. A Reuters photographer saw a protester who was carrying a banner being handcuffed by law enforcement. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Teran shot a state trooper and was shot and killed by officers returning fire. On Friday, GBI released a photo of a handgun police say was in Teran's possession at the time of the shooting. Reporting by Cheney Orr in Atlanta, writing by Maria Caspani, Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The 10 best cities to buy a home in 2023 are all in the South
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The median price of homes in some of these markets isn't cheaper than the national median of $398,500. However, these cities scored high on other metrics such as job growth or housing supply. Here are the 10 best places to buy a home in 2023, according to NAR:1. However, this fast-growing market has strong migration gains and job growth that is nearly twice the national average. Just under 30% of renters can afford a typical home with a 10% down payment, which is almost twice the national average.

☆ Ohio woman arrested at Atlanta airport for spraying cops with fire extinguisher after refusing to pay food bill, witnesses say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jennifer Holder, 27, was caught on video spraying a fire extinguisher after a confrontation with airport staff. Witnesses say workers approached Holder after she skipped out on her dinner tab, according to reports. Witnesses said the incident began when Holder allegedly dined and dashed on her bill from Buffalo Wild Wings, according to Inside Edition. The Atlanta Police Department said in a news release officers responded to a report that a "suspicious female" was attempting to open secured doors inside the airport on Tuesday night. According to the National Capital Poison Control Center, fire extinguishers generally have "some risk for mild respiratory, skin, or eye irritation."

☆ Bosses are increasing RTO requirements, but experts say it won't stick: 'We're at an inflection point'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

More corporate bosses could follow Iger's lead with fresh RTO mandates, says Caitlin Duffy, director of research at Gartner. Plans to boost in-office days unlikely to pan outSo far, most hybrid policies expect workers in offices two to three times a week. But requirements increasing in-office days are unlikely to become a norm, experts say. As of January, workers say they want to work from home for 2.8 days on average, versus employers planning to allow 2.3 days remote. Some leaders are expanding remote work to keep their workers happy with their jobs and pay, Bloom says.

☆ You can bounce back after a job loss — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Rebecca Knight | Catherine Henderson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

And recovering from a job loss takes time, effort, and self-awareness. He said that while it's common to experience feelings of disappointment, betrayal, and shame after a job loss, "You have to remember: A layoff is something that's beyond your control." Still, recovering from a job loss takes time, effort, and self-awareness. Take a breatherIn the immediate aftermath of a job loss, Pohl recommended taking a little time off. That's why it's important to make sure that throughout your search, you're getting plenty of rest, exercise, and fresh air.

☆ Earnings could keep the market on edge in week ahead as investors wait for Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

I do think that will happen even more in the week ahead as the Fed is in a blackout period. S & P Global PMI data is released for both services and manufacturing Tuesday. "The market continues to think the Fed does not have to administer as much medicine as the Fed tells us they plan to. Earnings, earnings, earnings Stocks were lower in the past week, with the S & P 500 off by 1.8%. "It's a mild earnings recession, but it's an earnings recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is set to again slow the pace of its interest rate increases at a Jan. 31-Feb. 1 policy meeting while also signaling that its battle against inflation is far from over. Throughout last year, the Fed's rapid series of rate hikes were announced in a statement that also promised "ongoing increases" until rates were "sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2%." Fed officials were surprised in 2021 by the persistence of inflation that at one point was more than triple their 2% target. The unemployment rate is currently 3.5%, a level seen only rarely since World War Two. "Thus, I anticipate the need for further rate increases."

☆ Man killed and trooper shot as ‘Cop City’ protesters cleared from a planned Atlanta police training center
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

One person was killed and a Georgia trooper was injured Wednesday as officials cleared out the site of a controversial proposed law enforcement training center in Atlanta. Tensions have been rising in the city over the proposed Public Safety Training Center: a sprawling stretch of 85 acres of forested land in DeKalb County that will have a shooting range, amphitheater and a mock city that will be used for training. Opponents have called the center "Cop City" and protesters have camped out in the area of the proposed site to decry construction. Other law enforcement officers returned fire, hitting the man, who died at the scene, the GBI said. A movement called “Defend the Atlanta Forest," which opposes the training center plans, contradicted the GBI’s account, saying: “Police killed a forest defender today, someone who loved the forest, someone who fought to protect the earth & its inhabitants.

☆ Southwest Airlines pilot union calls for strike authorization vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co's (LUV.N) pilot union has called for a strike authorization vote, weeks after a tech meltdown at the carrier left tens of thousands of passengers stranded across the United States. Casey Murray, president of Southwest Airlines Pilot Association (SWAPA), said in a statement. The strike authorization vote will take place beginning May 1 and will be counted at the end of that month, said SWAPA, which represents more than 10,000 pilots. Southwest pilots have been locked in talks over a new contract with the airline for nearly three years. Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wall Street 2023 Predictions Already Wrong: Recession, Inflation, China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Across Wall Street, finance workers of all stripes are returning to work after skiing, gallivanting around the Caribbean, or just visiting Mom for the holiday season. Of course, there's some uncertainty in all this, and Wall Street could still be proved right. Already some Wall Street economists are revising their predictions given the strong economy, even if they're not backing off their priors quite yet. It may take years to get the Chinese consumer, on which Wall Street has placed so many hopes, back to the strength of yesteryear. Don't hatchet your chickens before they countTo be fair, not every Wall Street analyst is looking sheepish right now.

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