| From the Editor's Desk
What is 'Shrinkflation'? If it feels like there are fewer chips in your Doritos bag these days, you're not imagining things. There are, and it's all thanks to a pesky and enduring business practice known as "shrinkflation." Here's everything you need to know:
When the cost of doing business goes up, one way companies compensate is by shrinking package and product sizes without actually lowering prices — meaning consumers are paying the same or more but getting less. It's a phenomenon dubbed "shrinkflation," and it's essentially "the inflation you're not supposed to see," per The Associated Press. While the practice is usually common in times of rising prices, "we happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment," shrinkflation expert Edgar Dworsky told AP, as manufacturers work to "balance" the increased costs of gas, labor, and supplies against sales and profit, he added in a separate conversation with The New York Times.
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WorkWork� WorkWorkUS storm: freezing week ahead with dozens of lives lost so farStorm-related deaths were reported in recent days all over the country: 12 in Erie County, New York, ranging in age from 26 to 93 years old, and another in Niagara county where a 27-year-old man was overcome by carbon monoxide after snow blocked his furnace; 10 in Ohio, including an electrocuted utility worker and those killed in multiple car crashes; six motorists killed in crashes in Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky; a Vermont woman struck by a falling branch; an apparently homeless man found amid Colorado’s subzero temperatures; and a woman who fell through Wisconsin river ice. � WorkUK retailers face quieter Boxing Day amid cost of living crisisHowever, the expected tricky start to the post-Christmas sales will pile more pressure on retailers already suffering from a lacklustre winter hit by transport and postal strikes, snow and soaring bills for energy and food which have limited spare cash for spending on presents and treats. Work� WorkWork� WorkWork� WorkMarkets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed; Dogecoin fallsU.S. equities finished higher on Friday but still booked a weekly loss last week amid looming recession fears. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.5%, the S&P 500 Index gained 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.2%. Work� WorkWork WorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWhere To Look For Unrealized Value In Oil MarketsInvesting in the OFS sector and particularly in the Drilling Contractors, the premier one being Helmerich & Payne, is an excellent way for investors to take advantage of a discount currently being offered on shares of these companies. When the market turns back to concerns about supply, as I think it is now in the process of doing, shares of H&P and PTEN could rerate higher quickly. For now, our top pick to play this segment rotation is H&P. WorkWorkBusloads of migrants dropped off near Kamala Harris's home on Christmas Eve \"This terrible crisis for border communities in Texas is a catastrophe of your own making,\" Abbott wrote in a letter to the president on Dec. 20. \"These communities and the state are ill-equipped to do the job assigned to the federal government – house the thousands of migrants flooding into the country every day. With perilous temperatures moving into the area, many of these migrants are at risk of freezing to death on city streets.\" WorkWorkMonster winter storm across U.S. claims at least 34 livesThrough heavy, wind-driven snow, he brought about 15 people to the church in Buffalo on Saturday, he said, including a family of five transported one-by-one. He also got a man in need of dialysis, who had spent 17 hours stranded in his car, back home, where he could receive treatment. WorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkHow Ukraine's Zelenskyy went from comedian to wartime hero\"Over 90% [of Ukrainians] approve of his performance, they think that he has managed to mount quite a substantial opposition to withold Russian aggression in Ukraine, but has also mobilized western support in this conflict and this is comething that is highly appreciated iby Ukrainians and they believe that his personal behavior â by staying in Kyiv and not fleeing the country â was able to stabilize the country.\" WorkRussia ready to resume gas supply to Europe via Yamal-Europe gas pipeline | CNN In May, only 44 hours after Ukraine reduced the flow of natural gas across its territory into Europe, blaming interference by Russian troops, Gazprom stopped supplies through the Yamal-Europe pipeline running across Poland and stopped sending gas to a distributor in Germany. According to state news agency RIA Novosti, Gazprom was forced to suspend supplies due to sanctions on its parent company, EuRoPol GAZ. WorkWorkWorkBidens Pick to Lead F.A.A. Faces Murky Road to ConfirmationSenator John Hickenlooper, Democrat of Colorado and a former Denver mayor, credited Mr. Washington for his leadership of the city’s airport and said there was nothing in the Los Angeles investigation that diminished his suitability to lead the F.A.A. WorkWorkThe UKs best winter walksHome to Glyndebourne Opera House, Glynde is a quintessential East Sussex downland village – and the start and finish of this six-and-a-half mile walk. The route quickly segues into a National Nature Reserve, with the Iron Age fort Mount Caburn peaking above the horizon to the south. Soak in views of the Elizabethan manor house Glynde Place, as well as panoramas of the South Downs National Park, Ouse Valley and Lewes. Just one mile to the south is the chocolate-box village of Firle, situated at the foot of Firle Beacon, one of the highest points in the South Downs National Park. Here, tuck into a meal at The Ram Inn – a friendly country pub serving hearty British fare beside a warming fire. WorkWorkWorkReasons for Optimism in 2023This giant fan is sucking tons of carbon dioxide out of the sky in Iceland. The Department of Energy and a bevy of investors are racing to bring the technology, called direct air capture, to other parts of the world. WorkHeavy snow in Japan leaves at least 17 dead and dozens injuredHeavy snow knocked down an electric power transmission tower in Japan\'s northernmost main island, leaving about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, though electricity was restored in most areas later that day, according to the economy and industry ministry. WorkKathy Whitworth, Record-Holder for U.S. Golf Wins, Dies at 83In her later years, Whitworth lived in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound, gave golf lessons, conducted clinics and organized a junior women’s tournament in Fort Worth. A wooden case at her home course, Trophy Club Country Club in Roanoke, Texas, houses numerous trophies and 88 nickel-plated plaques engraved with details of her victories. WorkPlanting seeds of peace: Bosnian war stories are brought to the stage"Stories are a re-humanising experience," Moffat adds. "Groups of strangers sit together and they experience something together. They feel powerful emotions together. We want this play to inspire them to go out and, in their own ways, plant those little seeds of peace and humanity." WorkDemocrats, Feeling New Strength, Plan to Go on Offense on Voting Rights“These people are claiming fraud when there is none, these people mounted an insurrection on the Capitol, they’re the ones who have broken the trust,” she said in New Orleans. “You can’t coddle these people that have been misled by the people they have upheld as leaders. These so-called leaders need to be held accountable.” WorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkUS storm: freezing week ahead with dozens of lives lost so farStorm-related deaths were reported in recent days all over the country: 12 in Erie County, New York, ranging in age from 26 to 93 years old, and another in Niagara county where a 27-year-old man was overcome by carbon monoxide after snow blocked his furnace; 10 in Ohio, including an electrocuted utility worker and those killed in multiple car crashes; six motorists killed in crashes in Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky; a Vermont woman struck by a falling branch; an apparently homeless man found amid Colorado’s subzero temperatures; and a woman who fell through Wisconsin river ice. WorkWorkWorkWorkRodgers happy Pack playing 'meaningful games'It wasn\'t all ribbons and bows on Sunday, though. The Packers were ineffective in the red zone (converting just two of five trips into touchdowns) and lost two of their most explosive players to injuries in the first half -- receiver Christian Watson (hip) and kick returner Keisean Nixon (groin). Neither could finish the game, but coach Matt LaFleur had no updates after the game. The Packers also lost right tackle Yosh Nijman (shoulder) and defensive tackle Dean Lowry (calf). Running back Aaron Jones\' touches also appeared to be limited, as he has dealt with multiple injuries in recent weeks. Work'Fun playing on Christmas': Tatum nets 41 in win\"It\'s definitely an honor. I\'ve said many times how much I love being here and what it means to play on Christmas -- sixth year in a row and something I never want to take for granted,\" Tatum said after the game. \"As a kid, that was part of the tradition: Eat, be with family, watch all the games and try to envision myself playing out there one day. Now I get to do that.\" WorkWorkBowl season takeaways: Middle Tennessee wins despite minus-66 (!) rushing yardsWhat a finish for Troy first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, closing out a 12-2 season by scoring 18 unanswered points to beat UTSA on Friday for the Trojans\' 11th straight win. Troy had just 153 total yards and did not cross midfield in the first half, but five takeaways -- including two interceptions and a forced fumble on UTSA quarterback Frank Harris, who was sixth in the FBS in passing coming into the game -- was too much to overcome for the Roadrunners. The Trojans became the first team to win a bowl game with less than 175 yards of offense since UCLA in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl against New Mexico. -- Wilson |
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