Business

Diesel Is a Bigger Problem for Consumers Than Gasoline. Here’s Why. If the conflict in Iran drags on, consumers will soon feel the impact on their wallet. Diesel has gone up in price more than even gasoline. Such an increase will make everything on the market more expensive. You can just go to any airline’s website and see right away that flight tickets are absurdly expensive now. The government knows that. Since it’s a mid-term year, lawmakers will be incentivized to do something about affordability as it is THE key topic among voters.

Microsoft CFO’s AI Spending Runs Up Against Tech Bubble Fears. CFOs at tech companies face a daunting task: how much they should invest in AI. The technology’s ROI is exceedingly difficult to estimate, but a lack of investments can lead to loss of market share, of billions in revenue and of investors’ trust. Amy Hood made great decisions, but also was responsible for pulling back investments on OpenAI; which put Microsoft in a position where they could not meet demand. For most of her CFO tenure, she was the co-champion, along with Satya Nadella, that transformed Microsoft. Now, the company’s value dropped a lot in recent months and its strategic position is put into question.

United Airlines hikes checked bag fee by $10 as fuel prices continue to climb. If passengers pay for bags, United wins because each bag is netting the airline another $10. If passengers get a United credit card for the sole purpose of having free bags, United still wins because Chase will pay a finder’s fee. I won’t even be surprised if United cuts back the baggage allowance in 2-3 years to force passengers to pay up more or get them to acquire higher credit cards. And who would believe that United would roll back the increase once fuel prices decline? Exactly nobody. And it’s not just United. Give it 2 weeks and the other airlines will follow through.

Amazon’s Rural Delivery Push Slams Into Walmart. “Small business owners craving extra cash are on the front lines of an ambitious Amazon.com Inc. initiative: bringing the quick delivery popularized in cities and suburbs to America’s remote outposts. Many rural online shoppers are used to waiting half a week or longer for purchases to arrive. Amazon, which disclosed its $4 billion rural delivery push last year, has narrowed that to less than 24 hours for 1 in 5 rural and small-town households, according to a Bloomberg analysis of delivery times for commonly purchased items. The company offers 48-hour delivery to 62% of rural households, the analysis found. Amazon’s biggest obstacle is Walmart Inc., which claimed the heartland decades ago during an aggressive expansion on its path to become the world’s largest retailer. Walmart has spent years training rural shoppers to come to its stores for groceries and then snag clothes, TVs and crockpots while there. It has a big head start on Amazon in proximity, with stores and Sam’s Clubs located within a 10-mile drive of nearly two-thirds of rural households, Bloomberg’s analysis shows“

Other Stuff I Found Interesting

An interesting website on sands.

Trump Slashed Science Funding. Now the U.S. Could Face a Costly Brain Drain. If I were a leader in Europe, I’d seize this gift by the US and attract as many scientists as possible to the continent and make sure that they’d stay there. This also has ramifications long into the future. Those that migrate today can inspire the next generation to come to Europe.

Student Debt Burdened Them, So They Moved Abroad and Stopped Paying. There is a lot to unpack in this. First of all, it’s crazy how our high education is so expensive that people graduate burdened with debt. I get that quality education comes with a price and it’s an investment into the future. But there has to be a limit. Top schools receive a lot of endowments. They don’t need to charge arms and legs for tuition. On the other hand, I don’t condone this trend of fleeing overseas to avoid paying debts. It’s irresponsible to sign up for something and not honor it. Additionally, there are downsides to leaving the country such as distance from family and friends, new environment, lower pay and no likelihood that those that left can ever come back.

A Downturn in Las Vegas Could Signal Tough Times for the Nation. What is happening in Las Vegas is an example of a K-shaped economy. Some operators on the strip still welcome high-net-worth individuals on private jets while other smaller businesses are struggling to pay bills and cover expenses. That is the trend across industries. Businesses rely on high-spending customers for growth while waiting for the economy to get better. At the same time, lower-income households are prioritizing value and savings; things that just cannot be found in Las Vegas.

Professor Patrick Winston’s wonderful talk on “how to speak”. He believes that our success is determined by our ability to speak, ability to write and the quality of our ideas, in that order. He also provides some suggestions on how to be an effective communicator.

Stats

Over 18% of Omahans under age 35 own their homes (the ninth-highest young homeownership rate in the country)

“The volumes for just credit cards issued in the U.S. by those card companies climbed a lesser 6.1% last year over 2024 to $6.51 trillion”

Frequent flyers might pay from 2% to 12% more for an itinerary on their preferred airline