During a video conference at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Elon Musk said that he's looking to "find someone else" to lead Twitter by the end of 2023. Between now and then, he said his goal is to "stabilize the organization" and make sure "it's financially in a healthy place."
Musk hinted in December that he would step down eventually but didn't provide specifics.
EU GAS-POWERED CAR BAN
The European Union has approved a law that will ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles from the trading bloc by 2035. In addition, the EU will require cars sold by 2030 to cut emissions by 55 percent from 2021 levels. While some automakers are resisting the rule, others are being proactive. Volkswagen said it will only produce EVs in Europe by 2033.
SUBWAY EXPLORES SALE
After weeks of speculation, Subway has confirmed that it is considering a sale. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that it had hired advisors to look into a deal that could value the company at more than $10 billion. However, "there is no indication of timing or assurance that a sale will occur," the company said in a press release. "J.P. Morgan is advising the company and will conduct the sale exploration process." Subway has more than 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Same-store sales in North America were up 7.8 percent in 2022.
Disney has secured a patent for a digital world simulator for headset-free augmented reality expected to be accessible in parks by tracking smartphones and projecting personalized 3D displays, an indication that the entertainment giant is gearing up for its entry into the metaverse.
It has been a record year for luxury automaker Rolls-Royce despite the industry struggling to meet demand overall due to the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös joined Cheddar to discuss the driving factors behind the company's 2021 success. He said after the pandemic forced the closure of factories in 2020 and people stopped making large purchases, they were open to spending more in 2021. "The entire luxury sector was fueled by there's money available, and people are prepared to spend money," he said.
John Deere is getting on board the autonomous vehicle craze with its own self-driving tractors. The farming and forestry equipment manufacturer made the announcement at the 2022 CES convention in Las Vegas. Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer at John Deere, spoke to Cheddar about the shift to self-driving to agriculture and how it will help farmers produce even more food as the world's population continues to grow. "It's all about trying to do more with less in farming," he said. "Labor's already a problem on the farm, and it's only getting to be more of a problem in the future. And we really view autonomy as a way to solve that problem."
John Grant, a senior analyst at OAG, and Jonathan Root, an airline analyst at Moody's, joined Cheddar to provide some insight into how mass cancellations are affecting both travelers and airlines after more than 5,000 U.S. flights were scrapped over the weekend. In addition to staff shortages linked to COVID-19, inclement weather reportedly also played a major role in the canceled flights, but Root downplayed the effect on revenues. "We're not concerned about the financial impact, which is going to be very manageable," he said. "We see these conditions as temporary with a favorable outlook as we pass the omicron wave."
Analytics firm Needham is predicting 2022 to be the "year of grocery" for the ride-hailing and food delivery company Uber. Despite early predictions of a drop-off in the food delivery sector, it has remained Uber's top-earning sector.
President Biden's disapproval rating hit a new high in December according to a poll from CNBC and Change Research, as Americans expressed their disapproval over the current state of the economy. This comes just months after the president signed a historic infrastructure bill back in November that was promised to bring a surge of jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector.
Change Research Senior Pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz spoke to Cheddar News about just what is driving the President’s disapproval rating.
