Casey Concedes in PA & “Glicked” Hits Theatres | Afternoon Update | 11.22.24

Lower-income Americans are cutting back on spending due to rising grocery and gas prices, inflation, and growing debt. In response to falling consumer spending, major retailers and restaurant chains are cutting prices and introducing budget-friendly options, while some smaller companies are struggling to survive.

Walmart faces intense competition from Amazon, which is rapidly gaining market share in the grocery sector and outpacing Walmart in non-retail areas like advertising and cloud computing. However, Walmart is leveraging cost-cutting, diversification, automation, and omni-channel sales growth strategies in an effort to maintain its retail dominance.

The home goods industry is seeing its worst downturn since the 2008 financial crisis due to inflation, a sluggish housing market, and shifts in post-pandemic consumer spending. In response, big retailers are cutting costs, changing marketing strategies, and diversifying product offerings. Recovery will depend on factors like interest rate cuts, the housing market outlook, and consumer spending.

In Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari uses concepts from biology, history, and economics to tell the story of us, Homo sapiens. We start 2.5 million years ago, when Sapiens make their historical entrance, and end in the future, when the creation of an artificially created superhuman race may mark the end of the Sapiens species. Along the way, we learn how our ability to create imagined realities led to our dominance over other species. We watch as the Agricultural Revolution, the Scientific Revolution, imperialism, capitalism, and the Industrial Revolution change our species in lasting, and not always positive, ways.

Ultimately, we’re left with one question: As we design our future, who do we want to become? Asking the right questions may be more important than finding the right answers. Read this summary to explore our history as a species—in doing so, you’ll see today’s world in an entirely new way.

In 2005, journalist Joshua Foer attended the US Memory Championships and became interested in memory. Over the next year, he interviewed mnemonists (master memorizers), researchers, and scientists; researched the history of memory; and trained with a grand master of memory, learning enough mnemonic techniques to win the US Memory Championships the following year.

Moonwalking with Einstein (the title is a mnemonic) is a record of everything Josh learned during his year of exploring memory. Most notably, he learned that a good memory isn’t an inherent talent—anyone can improve their memory if they employ the right techniques.

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason is a compilation of pamphlets offering financial advice that were distributed by banks and insurance companies in the 1920s. The book presents timeless principles for managing your money in the form of “Seven Cures for a Lean Purse” (how to acquire wealth) and “Five Laws of Gold” (how to preserve and grow wealth).

The simple principles are illustrated by parables set more than 4,000 years ago in the wealthy city of Babylon. Clason’s message is that if you work hard, save, live within your means, and invest wisely, you can become wealthy.

US holiday sales over Thanksgiving topped $10 billion online, but growth lags previous years. Shoppers are flocking to discount retailers, leaving traditional stores in the cold. “Buy now, pay later” programs are gaining traction, offering relief and risks for strained consumers.

Forget calling Grandma or the Butterball turkey hotline to stave off a holiday dinner crisis: From preventing overcooked turkey or deep-fried turkey disasters to navigating complicated family dynamics, AI offers a fresh perspective on common Thanksgiving dilemmas.

With inflation cutting into Christmas budgets and a recession possible next year, shoppers in many countries are checking their Christmas lists twice—and crossing off a few things. But rather than ruining the holiday, experts say pulling back from consumerism can be good for you. In this article we’ll discuss some non-financial reasons to avoid holiday excess, and give some tips for focusing on what’s important to you.