The Crazy Amount of Money America Spends on Valentine's Day
Americans are expected to spend a near-record $20 billion this Valentine's Day, but what are they shelling out all that money for? Lisa Rowan, Writer at The Penny Hoarder, joins Your Cheddar to discuss how you can keep the love in your wallet this Valentine's Day.
If you can believe it, Americans will spend $4.7 billion on jewelry, $3.7 billion on an evening out, $2 billion on flowers and $1.8 billion on candy! But because of supply and demand, a lot of the usual Valentine's Day gifts go up in price. Rowan says you may want to avoid going to a restaurant or booking a hotel room for a romantic evening because prices could increase up to 30%.
So what should you do if you don't want to break the bank but still want to give your partner a little something? Rowan suggests thinking about what their hobbies are and aligning with something they love to do. Maybe its a smaller gesture, but it will mean more than flowers or candy.
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Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Johnson & Johnson funded experiments on mostly Black men comparing the effects of talc and asbestos on their skin.
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President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
As airlines recover from COVID-19 and the industry becomes more competitive than ever, low-fare carrier Breeze Airlines is offering 35 new routes and reduced prices for its first-class experiences. CEO David Neeleman joined Cheddar News to talk about the rollout of services amid plenty of headwinds including high fuel costs. "We can limit a lot of costs because we're a technology company that happens to fly airplanes," he noted.
