Keeping up with America

ID, please - Costco testing scanners at entrances to keep non-members out: Costco confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that several locations 'are scanning Costco membership cards at the entrance,' calling it an effort to improve member experience.

Winter storm - Arctic blast continues freezing conditions across U.S: Wind chills taking the temperature to below minus 30 could extend into the South, reaching the Mississippi Valley.

Top Federal Reserve official says inflation fight seems nearly won, with rate cuts coming: A top Federal Reserve official said Tuesday that he is increasingly confident that inflation will continue falling this year back to the Fed’s 2% target level, after two years of accelerating price spikes that hurt millions of American households.

US judge blocks JetBlue from $3.8bn Spirit Airlines takeover: Ruling marks victory for Biden government and its effort to preserve lower cost airline tickets for American consumers.

Republican Asa Hutchinson ends 2024 presidential campaign: The decision came after a dismal performance in the Iowa caucuses.

Around the World

Israel Gaza war - Deal reached on aid to Gaza, including to hostages: Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to allow more humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Gaza, Qatari mediators say.

With ‘God’s-eye view,’ secretive surveillance flights keep close watch on Russia and Ukraine: Off in the distance, Ukraine, fighting for its survival. Seen from up here, in the cockpit of a French air force surveillance plane flying over neighboring Romania, the snow-dusted landscapes look deceptively peaceful.

Lets Talk Business and Tech

Artificial intelligence helped scientists create a new type of battery: It took just 80 hours, rather than decades, to identify a potential new solid electrolyte using a combination of supercomputing and AI

Business thought leaders grapple with Michigan's population challenge, share insights

'It hasn't delivered': The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology

Richer, Wiser, Happier

Don't Overlook This Critical Financial Trend for 2024: Unemployment is projected to move higher this year. Here's how to get your finances ready no matter what happens.

How to Save Money on Groceries with These 50 Supermarket Tricks | Erica Finamore, Reader's Digest. If you feel like your grocery runs are costing more lately, you’re not wrong. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited that at-home food prices (meaning, nonrestaurant spending) increased 12.4% between October 2021 and October 2022, thanks, in part, to continued inflation and supply chain issues.

Sports and Showbiz Shenanigans

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills picks, predictions, odds: Who wins NFL Playoffs game? | NBA Fines Kings’ Mike Brown for Using Laptop to Criticize Officiating After Loss

Director of Johnny Depp Film Fined $435 for Spitting on French Journalist in Restaurant | 16 Directors Praise 2023’s Best Films: Alfonso Cuarón on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ Jane Campion on ‘Priscilla’ and More

James Dolan Named In Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Involving Harvey Weinstein | Apple to make changes on Watches to avoid US ban

 Life Hacks to Hack Your Life

How Wind Phones Are Helping People Connect With Lost Loved Ones

Homesteading: Embracing a Simpler Life

Quick tech tips on how to save printer ink, avoid malware, speed browsing — and more

How to Exercise Outside in the Summer Heat