Kroger & Walmart Tighten Gun Restrictions, NBC is Cutting Commercial Time
Kroger and Walmart are raising the minimum age for those buying guns to 21, following in the footsteps of Dick's Sporting Goods. Up until now, Kroger sold guns at 43 of its Fred Meyer locations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Both companies released statements saying the tightening of gun restrictions is in reaction to the Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead. Kroger and Walmart both stopped selling assault-style weapons a few years ago.
NBC Universal will cut the number of ads it airs in primetime by 20%. The media giant owns networks such as NBC, Telemundo, USA, MSNBC, E!, and others. Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising and client partnerships, says this is a necessary move to retain customers who are increasingly turning towards streaming platforms without commercials. The changes will go into effect by the fourth quarter.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
Elon Musk’s X has reached a tentative settlement with former employees of the company then known as Twitter who’d sued for $500 million in severance pay.
