Category: News
Despite Headwinds: Airlines On Track For A Record Year
Despite Headwinds: Airlines On Track For A Record Year
The global airline industry is on track to hit new revenue and profit records in 2025 and 2026.
As Statista’s Felix Richter details below, according to the latest industry outlook from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), commercial airlines, including passenger and cargo airlines, are expected to surpass $1 trillion in revenue for the first time this year, showing resilience in the face of significant headwinds.
This is especially true for the air cargo sector, which successfully weathered the storm after the Trump administration’s new tariff policy shook up global trade. Tariff front-loading and subsequent re-routing of global trade flows posed significant operational challenges in 2025, despite which cargo revenue is expected to grow 2.6 percent this year. Despite non-fuel cost pressures, mainly in the form of rising labor and maintenance costs, airline profit margins have recovered from their 2024 dip, promising new industry records in terms of total profit for this year and 2026.
While hailing the industry’s performance in a challenging operating environment, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh bemoaned airline profit margins, which he doesn’t consider well-aligned with value the industry creates.
“They [airlines] stand at the core of a value chain that underpins nearly 4 percent of the global economy and supports 87 million jobs. Yet Apple will earn more selling an iPhone cover than the $7.90 airlines will make transporting the average passenger,” Walsh argued.
Looking ahead, the IATA expects industry revenues to reach a historic high of $1.05 trillion in 2026, up 4.5 percent from the expected 2025 total.
You will find more infographics at Statista
Passenger revenue is projected to reach $751 billion in 2026, as 5.2 billion passengers are expected to board a commercial plane next year.
“Airlines are expected to generate a 3.9 percent net margin and a $41 billion profit in 2026. That’s extremely welcome news considering the headwinds that the industry faces – rising costs from bottlenecks in the aerospace supply chain, geopolitical conflict, sluggish global trade and growing regulatory burdens among them. Airlines have successfully built shock-absorbing resilience into their businesses that is delivering stable profitability,” Willie Walsh concluded.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 20:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/despite-headwinds-airlines-track-record-year
Aspirante argentino a liderar ONU: “En 2026 ganaremos el Mundial de fútbol y la secretaría general”
Por DÉBORA REY
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Con seis años de experiencia al frente de la agencia de vigilancia atómica de Naciones Unidas, el diplomático argentino Rafael Grossi se considera con la suficiente espalda para llevar adelante una profunda reforma del organismo multilateral como segundo secretario general de origen latinoamericano en su historia.
“Las Naciones Unidas tienen que recordar para qué fueron creadas”, remarcó Grossi el lunes al lanzar formalmente en Buenos Aires su candidatura al máximo cargo de Naciones Unidas para el período 2027-2031.
“Frente al mundo que tenemos hoy, cuando observamos el mapa del mundo, desde Sudán hasta Gaza, Ucrania y Rusia, Armenia y Azerbaiyán, Ruanda y el Congo, Tailandia y Camboya, ante todos estos conflictos tenemos una constatación que nos entristece y que nos preocupa: es la ausencia de Naciones Unidas”, afirmó.
El diplomático, de 64 años, dirige desde 2019 el Organismo Internacional de la Energía Atómica (OIEA). Busca convertirse en el segundo secretario general de ONU de origen latinoamericano después del peruano Javier Pérez de Cuellar.
“Necesitamos un secretario general que se ponga las botas y vaya donde existe el problema, necesitamos un secretario general que cruce la línea del frente, aunque haya una guerra… Este es mi compromiso personal, que asumo desde mi propia experiencia”, remarcó el diplomático, quien también se mostró abierto a llevar adelante una política de austeridad atendiendo las críticas al manejo financiero del organismo multilateral.
En la misma ceremonia, Grossi recibió el respaldo formal a su candidatura por parte del gobierno de Javier Milei.
“Argentina propone un liderazgo probado y virtuoso. Sereno, confiable y orientado hacia proceso de modernización que el sistema multilateral necesita”, expresó el canciller Pablo Quirno.
Para el próximo período, también han sido postulados otras dos representantes latinoamericanas. Chile postula a su expresidenta Michelle Bachelet, mientras que Costa Rica a la exvicepresidenta Rebeca Grynspan. Ambas aspiran a convertirse en la primera mujer en ocupar la secretaría general.
“Hoy más que nunca nos hace falta unas Naciones Unidas que funcionen. Y eso no es algo imposible de lograr. En el 2026 vamos a jugar el Mundial y creo que vamos a ganar los dos”, sentenció Grossi.
Pittsburgh Steelers WR DK Metcalf suspended 2 games following altercation with a fan in Detroit
PITTSBURGH — The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an in-game altercation between Metcalf and a fan during the team’s victory over Detroit.
The league ruled that Metcalf’s actions violated league policy, which specifies that “players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and … if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable.”
Metcalf will be eligible to return to the Steelers’ active roster on Monday, Jan. 5, following the team’s games in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns and Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, Metcalf may appeal the suspension. A prompt hearing will be held by the commissioner or his designee.
CBS-TV cameras caught Metcalf and Ryan Kennedy, a Lions fan wearing a blue wig and a blue and black shirt that aligned with Detroit’s colors, having an exchange along the rail in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 victory.
Kennedy leaned over the railing during the exchange, and the blue wig fell forward to cover his face. The interaction ended with Metcalf reaching toward Kelly’s head with his right arm, though he didn’t appear to make much, if any, contact.
Metcalf remained in the game, finishing with four catches for 42 yards. He was unavailable to reporters afterward and did not appear at his locker on Monday during the club’s 45-minute media availability. Metcalf has regularly spoken on Wednesdays during the season.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday that he “heard about” the exchange but didn’t see it and at that point hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss it with Metcalf.
Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said during a podcast he co-hosts with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe that Metcalf told him the fan used a racial slur and disparaged Metcalf’s mother.
A statement released to The Associated Press on Kennedy’s behalf by a Michigan law firm on Monday said Kennedy “categorically denies” using a slur or any other derogatory statement during the exchange.
The statement released by Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm called the allegations “completely false.”
“At no point before, during or after the incident did Mr. Kennedy use racial slurs or hate speech of any kind,” the statement read. “The claims suggesting otherwise are untrue and not supported by video evidence, eyewitness accounts or any contemporaneous reporting.”
The statement said Kennedy would have no further comment because “this matter will now likely be the subject of formal legal proceedings.”
The statement added that Kennedy, who told The Detroit Free Press he is from Pinckney, Michigan, about an hour west of Ford Field, has been subjected to “harassment, threats and messages advocating violence” in the aftermath.
Kennedy told the newspaper that Metcalf ripped his shirt during the incident. Kennedy also told the Free Press that he was calling Metcalf by his given name, DeKaylin.
The incident is hardly the first between a professional athlete and a fan during a live sporting event.
The exchange between Metcalf and the fan came five months after Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball following a confrontation with a fan at a game between the Pirates and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, which is a block down from Ford Field.
The most notorious incident between players and fans came in 2004 when several members of the Indiana Pacers — including guard Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) — fought fans inside the now-demolished Palace in a game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons in what is known universally as “ The Malice at the Palace.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/pittsburgh-steelers-detroit-lions-dk-metcalf-suspended/
5 things we learned from the Chicago Bears on Monday: ‘All these games are playoff games’
The Chicago Bears have bucked the odds all season, but they outdid themselves during Saturday’s 22-16 overtime win against the Green Bay Packers.
Their 10-point comeback tied their largest rally in a fourth quarter (Week 10 against the New York Giants).
The defense held the Packers to 0-for-5 in the red zone.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bears’ win probability dipped as low as 0.5% before Josh Blackwell’s onside kick recovery sparked an improbable rally.
And what are the chances that Aaron Rodgers (the Bears’ old nemesis) would lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a wild, controversial win against the Detroit Lions (coach Ben Johnson’s old team) to help the Bears secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2020?
For once, the Bears have odds in their favor: The Bears now have an 89% chance to win the NFC North division, according to ESPN and The Athletic.
After getting to 11-4, “step two is we want to win this division,” Johnson said. “We want to have at least one home playoff game. And then step three would be (to) clinch a No. 1 seed.”
The Athletic gives the Bears a 14% chance of winning the No. 1 seed, which comes with a first-round bye; ESPN, 11.4%
“So, there’s a lot of things still out there to play for,” Johnson said. “Our guys know that. We talked about it a few weeks ago, just a big picture view of where we stood in relation to the last five games of the season and what we needed to accomplish to achieve those goals. So they get it.
“Not a whole lot needs to be said about it, but those goals are still out there, and we continued pressing forward.”
The Bears can clinch the division by beating either of their final two opponents — the San Francisco 49ers or the Lions — or if the Packers lose one of their final two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings.
Earlier in the season, Johnson said he wanted the Bears to be playing their best football in December, and certainly, the Packers game had the tone of a playoff game.
But the coach admitted Monday that the Bears aren’t “necessarily playing at the level that we’re capable of yet.
“That’s the beautiful thing about this season, and we’re all still getting better at what we’re doing.”
Having stakes to play for in the final two games provides a fertile training ground for a roster that has several key players who have never been to the playoffs.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds played in four straight postseasons with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Bears in 2023, so he knows what playoff football is about.
“Even these games coming up now, all these games are playoff games,” he said. “Just the importance of how you take care of yourself on and off the field, the mindset, the preparation, those are the things that take you over the hump.
“For the guys that haven’t been to the playoffs yet, luckily for us, the way that our schedule has been, these last couple games we’ve been playing have been giving them that (playoff) feel.”
Here are five things we learned from the Bears on Monday.
1. How much of an advantage is Soldier Field?
Chicago Bears fans cheer during overtime against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Dating back to 2001, the Bears are 3-4 in playoff games at Soldier Field, including two losses in their last three home playoff games.
Still, for this season’s Bears, it’s about home feel.
They certainly felt the wind at their backs from howling Bears fans at Soldier Field during high-stakes games against the Cleveland Browns and Packers.
When Bears wide receiver DJ Moore was told by a reporter after Saturday’s rematch against the rival Packers that Soldier Field’s attendance was a season-high 60,152, he squinted as if to say, “That can’t be right.”
“Yeah, it’s not a big stadium,” he was told.
“Felt like a big stadium,” Moore replied.
Ben Johnson agreed.
“I felt that crowd and I was so blown away by the impact that they had on Saturday night that I think that we all want to be playing a playoff game in front of them so they can have that same impact there,” he said Monday. “So that’s going to be our focus. We’ve got to win this division (and) earn that right to play a home playoff game.”
As a playoff veteran of six Bills playoff games, three on the road, Tremaine Edmunds gave his Bears teammates the opposite perspective.
“The easiest thing for me even communicating that is telling guys, ‘Hey you remember how that Green Bay game felt, right?’” he said, referring to the hostile reception the Bears received at Lambeau Field during a 28-21 loss to the Packers in Week 14.
“That was a playoff atmosphere this past Saturday” at Soldier Field, Edmunds said. “Guys are going to understand what it feels like. Guys are going to see the atmosphere, the emotion, everything that goes behind it.
“It should motivate you.”
2. Tremaine Edmunds comes up with a big play in his return.
Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) celebrate the overtime win over the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Edmunds, one of the Bears’ top two linebackers, missed four games while recovering from a groin injury.
In his first game back Saturday, he had 10 tackles and he recovered Packers running back Josh Jacobs’ fumble, stripped by cornerback Nahshon Wright, in the third quarter.
“From the time the injury took place until now, it’s been a long four weeks for me in general, just not being out there and just wanting to be out there helping my guys whatever way that I could,” Edmunds said. “I can’t take all the credit, a lot of it goes to the training staff and just the program they have me on.”
He credited trainers for pushing him while being “smart about it.”
Edmunds also shared credit with Wright for his first fumble recovery and fifth overall takeaway this season.
“(Wright) did a good job of pulling the ball out, and I was in the area and was able to find a way to come up with it,” Edmunds said.
3. In retrospect, Ben Johnson would have managed the clock better.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks the sideline in the first quarter of a game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
If not for Cairo Santos’ onside kick and Josh Blackwell’s recovery, the handling of the preceding series could have bit the Bears in the end.
They were trying to get off Santos’ 43-yard field goal, which drew the Bears within a 16-9 deficit, before the two-minute warning to preserve that natural timeout. But the operation bogged down and there was 1:59 at the conclusion of the kick.
Johnson didn’t blame special teams, but his own playcalling and coaching.
“I don’t want to put our field goal unit in that position to start with, with the clock running like that,” he said. “Ideally, that third-down throw (Caleb Williams to DJ Moore for 5 yards on third-and-9) is either past the sticks or it’s clearly going to be out of bounds, to where we’re not having a running clock and we’re forcing our field goal unit out there.
“I can do a better job communicating that we need to kick that thing as soon as we possibly can.”
He also noted that getting a “K-ball,” one of the balls specially prepped for kickers, contributed to the delay.
“At one point that thing was fumbling around on the ground, and the umpire stood over the ball for a longer period of time than I had hoped for,” Johnson said. “And so we weren’t able to get the kick off nearly as quickly as I had foreseen in my head.”
4. A rash of penalties flashed back to earlier in the season.
Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker (94) tackles Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) in the first quarter of a game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 20, 2025. A roughing the quarterback penalty was called on Booker on the play. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
If the Bears hadn’t rallied to an overtime win, one of the biggest storylines would’ve been the 10 accepted penalties (offense and defense combined) they committed for 105 lost yards.
The Packers had four penalties for 40 yards.
For the Bears, it was their most accepted penalties since 11 for 79 yards on Oct. 26, and the second-most in lost yardage since committing 12 infractions for 127 yards in the season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears defense gave up three first downs and the offense had four stalled drives due to those penalties.
In fact, the game started with D’Marco Jackson’s 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty (the first of two by the Bears) for jumping onto a pile during the opening kickoff return.
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams and safety Kevin Byard III place among Pro Bowl’s top 5 in fan votes
Ben Johnson said his players being amped up for a rivalry game “might’ve had something to do with it. And we talked about (how) you get in these big games and you can get a little bit emotional because it’s a division rival and you want to make an impact.
“We don’t want to shy away from that. We want to play aggressive and we want to be a very physical team. But at the same time we can’t hurt the team and that happened a number of times. It’s not OK. Those 15-yard penalties, they really add up.”
Defensive end Austin Booker had a couple of controversial roughing-the-passer infractions, the second of which sent Jordan Love into the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion midway through the second quarter.
Love didn’t return.
Johnson said, “That’s 100% a flag where he ends up getting concussed, and that’s not what anybody wants.
“But at the same time that one is a more difficult one to coach just from a technique perspective, just because we’re trying to go after the quarterback and it’s a bang-bang play like that.”
5. Jahdae Walker has no shortage of cheerleaders.
Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker catches a touchdown against the Packers in the fourth quarter on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Walker caught a touchdown pass on fourth-and-4 with 24 seconds left to tie the game 16-16 with Santos’ extra point.
Walker received a game ball in the locker room, but his night didn’t end there.
“I couldn’t actually sleep,” he told reporters via Zoom on Monday morning. “My phone was ringing all night. My family — we’ve been on the phone almost until now.”
Teammates relish the energy he brings and his love for football.
Blackwell likened him to “a little kid on the playground,” and Walker himself said every day during camp “felt like recess.”
Walker, an undrafted rookie free agent from Texas A&M, pushed former 2023 draft pick Tyler Scott for a roster spot.
Johnson said, “You’re intrigued when you acquire him, by the size and speed combination. And he ended up being mentally really, really sharp. And so he’s able to pick up the offense quicker than I think some rookies usually do and that’s encouraging.
“He’s a willing participant in special teams and in blocking, so that raises his value right then and there. I wasn’t sure. What’s he going to become in this league? That’s still a little bit unknown.”
But the Bears front office didn’t want to expose him to other teams by placing him on the practice squad.
“I think he’s got a really high ceiling and he’s got a chance to really develop into an excellent receiver and be a meaningful player for a long time,” Johnson said. “I think (general manager) Ryan (Poles) felt the same way, we all did as a staff, and it was just when you find guys like that you don’t want to lose them.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/chicago-bears-green-bay-packers-what-we-learned/
La paridad es clave en la NFL: Steelers llevan 22 años desafiándola
Por WILL GRAVES
La NFL no está diseñada para funcionar de esta manera. De hecho, la liga está diseñada para evitar lo que los Steelers de Pittsburgh han hecho durante los últimos 22 años y contando.
En una liga que considera la paridad como uno de sus pilares, particularmente en la era del tope salarial, los Steelers son una excepción.
Las temporadas vienen y van, y Pittsburgh encuentra la manera de asegurarse de tener más victorias que derrotas.
Cuando los Steelers mejoraron a una foja de 9-6 después de una victoria tanto emocionante como extraña por 29-24 sobre los Lions, aseguraron su 22ma temporada consecutiva con un récord de .500 o mejor, rompiendo la marca de 21 que compartían con los Cowboys de Dallas, quienes lograron la hazaña de 1965 a 1985.
La racha de Dallas ocurrió en una era muy diferente, un tiempo en el que los equipos tenían un control mucho mayor sobre el movimiento de jugadores. Los Cowboys lograron su racha al reclutar y desarrollar futuros miembros del Salón de la Fama, que nunca se fueron.
Los equipos de la NFL de hoy no tienen ese lujo. Y aunque los Steelers han tenido su propia cuota de jugadores que han vestido —o, como en el caso del ex mariscal de campo Ben Roethlisberger y el actual apoyador externo TJ Watt, probablemente vestirán— chaquetas doradas en Canton, Ohio, también han logrado mantenerse relevantes y competitivos año tras año con un elenco rotativo de personajes a su alrededor.
Su capacidad para encontrar jugadores que otros “descartan”, como los describió Aaron Rodgers, y convertirlos en contribuyentes en momentos significativos se mostró plenamente en Detroit.
Dylan Cook, un exquarterback convertido en liniero ofensivo que comenzó la temporada en el cuarto equipo, protegió el lado ciego de Rodgers y ayudó a abrir suficientes huecos para que los Steelers corrieran para 230 yardas.
A la derecha de Cook estaba Andrus Peat, tres veces Pro Bowler para Nueva Orleans que estaba desempleado en agosto antes de que los Steelers llamaran. Peat fue suplente toda la temporada hasta que el tackle izquierdo Broderick Jones y luego el guardia izquierdo Isaac Seumalo se lesionaron.
Scotty Miller, quien ganó un anillo con Tom Brady en Tampa Bay pero ha pasado los últimos dos años en Pittsburgh yendo y viniendo del equipo de práctica, atrapó su segundo, tercer y cuarto pase de la temporada durante una serie crucial en la segunda mitad, incluyendo una conversión en cuarta oportunidad.
La lista sigue y sigue.
Los Steelers han jugado 355 partidos de temporada regular desde que comenzó su racha de temporadas de .500 o mejor en 2004. Han estado en contienda por los playoffs en todos menos dos de ellos.
Si Pittsburgh logra ganar la AFC Norte, buscará poner fin a su racha de seis derrotas seguidas en la primera ronda de los playoofs. Si esa racha llega a siete consecutivas, volverá el coro implacable de fanáticos y exjugadores que piden la salida de Tomlin.
Así es como va, y si los Steelers experimentan otro tropiezo a mediados de enero, la conversación sobre por qué siguen quedándose cortos será difícil.
Aún así, es mejor que la alternativa: hurgar en los escombros de una temporada en la que nunca estuvieron en la conversación de los playoffs, algo que los Steelers han evitado mejor que cualquier club en la historia moderna de la NFL.
Qué funciona
No preocuparse por quién es el corredor principal.
Jaylen Warren y Kenneth Gainwell parecen estar alimentándose el uno del otro. El dúo ha combinado para 557 yardas de ofensiva total durante la racha de tres victorias consecutivas de Pittsburgh y la recepción de touchdown de 45 yardas de Gainwell al final de la primera mitad el domingo puede ser la mejor (o al menos la más improbable) atrapada en la liga esta temporada.
Necesita ayuda
La defensa cuando es hora de cerrar.
Los Steelers han permitido 157 puntos en el último cuarto, la cifra más alta de la NFL esta temporada. Y aunque algunos de esos puntos se han anotado en tiempo basura, también es indicativo de un equipo que ha dejado que tres ventajas al medio tiempo se conviertan en derrotas.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Instacart Scraps Variable-Pricing Experiment After Consumer Groups Warned Of Inflated Grocery Bills
Instacart Scraps Variable-Pricing Experiment After Consumer Groups Warned Of Inflated Grocery Bills
Authored byh Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Instacart said it is ending a pricing experiment that allowed different customers to see different prices for identical grocery items after consumer advocates said the practice could inflate grocery bills at a time when households are already struggling with high food costs.
A photo illustration of the Instacart logo. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In a blog post published on Dec. 22, the company said it would immediately halt all “item price tests” conducted on its platform, acknowledging that the practice fell short of customer expectations at a time when inflation-weary households remain sensitive to grocery bills.
“Our customers have high expectations for Instacart. And for some, we fell short of those expectations,” the company said.
“At a time when families are working exceptionally hard to stretch every grocery dollar, those tests raised concerns, leaving some people questioning the prices they see on Instacart. That’s not okay—especially for a company built on trust, transparency, and affordability.”
The decision means that if two customers shop for the same items, at the same time, from the same store location on Instacart, they will now see the same prices, the company said.
Instacart said retailers will continue to control pricing on the platform, including whether online prices differ from in-store prices or vary by store location. But the company said it will no longer support item-level price testing tools that result in different prices for the same product at the same store.
Consumer Groups Flagged Pricing Risks
The pricing experiments drew public scrutiny earlier this month after a report by Consumer Reports, along with progressive advocacy groups Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union, found that many Instacart shoppers were shown multiple prices for identical items.
The groups conducted four identical Instacart shopping sessions with 437 volunteers across four states, comparing prices for the same 18 to 20 products purchased at the same time. A fifth group purchased the same items in physical stores for comparison.
The analysis found that roughly three-quarters of items were offered at different prices across shoppers, with markups ranging from a few cents to as much as $2.56 per item. In one September test, total cart prices for the same groceries ranged from $114.34 to $123.93, with just 8 percent of shoppers receiving the lowest total.
In one example cited by Groundwork Collaborative, shoppers ordering a dozen Lucerne eggs from a Safeway store in Washington were shown one of five prices—$3.99, $4.28, $4.59, $4.69, or $4.79—despite ordering at the same time from the same store.
“At a time when food price inflation outpaces overall inflation, and Americans report that the price of groceries is their number one cost concern, pricing experiments used by companies like Instacart are making the situation worse,” Groundwork Collaborative wrote.
Consumer Reports cited customer feedback describing the practice as deceptive, saying shoppers were unknowingly subjected to pricing experiments that left them questioning whether they were being overcharged.
“Instacart shoppers we spoke to say they were unaware that they were participants in active Instacart pricing experiments and view the practice as manipulative and unfair,” Consumer Reports wrote.
The company’s variable pricing experiments also drew scrutiny from lawmakers. On Dec. 11, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture, sent a letter to Instacart citing the consumer group findings and requesting detailed answers about the company’s pricing practices.
“I am writing to express my deep concern with Instacart’s use of sensitive personal information to inflate grocery bills for families based on their financial situation,” Craig wrote. “The practice of charging my neighbors different prices for the same groceries at the same store is unacceptable, especially when families are being squeezed from all sides.”
Instacart said in its Dec. 22 blog post that the pricing tests, conducted using software from Eversight, were randomized and not based on personal data, shopping history, demographics, or real-time supply and demand.
“These tests were not dynamic pricing or surveillance pricing,” Instacart said, adding that prices were not tailored to individual users.
Earlier this month, Instacart confirmed it had been offering the Eversight pricing tools to a limited number of retail partners since 2023, saying the short-term tests were designed to help retailers understand category-level price sensitivity and were not designed to increase the average markup set by a retail partner.
FTC Settlement Adds to Scrutiny
Instacart’s decision to end the pricing tests comes just days after the company agreed to pay $60 million in consumer refunds to settle a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In a Dec. 18 announcement, the FTC said the settlement resolved allegations that Instacart engaged in deceptive practices, including misleading advertising about free delivery, charging undisclosed service fees, and enrolling consumers in paid subscriptions without clear consent.
“Instacart misled consumers by advertising free delivery services—and then charging consumers to have groceries delivered,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
The FTC alleged that Instacart advertised “free delivery” on first orders but then charged mandatory service fees that could add up to 15 percent of an order, without clearly disclosing the costs. The agency also accused the company of falsely advertising a “100 percent satisfaction guarantee” while making refunds difficult to obtain.
Under the proposed order, Instacart must stop the alleged practices, clearly disclose fees and subscription terms, and obtain express informed consent from consumers. The company has denied wrongdoing but said the settlement allows it to move forward.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, an Instacart spokesperson said the company’s pricing, marketing, and fee policies are transparent and comply with the law.
“We flatly deny any allegations of wrongdoing by the Federal Trade Commission, and we stand firmly behind the integrity and transparency of our programs,” the statement reads.
Looking ahead, Instacart said it will focus on encouraging more retailers to move toward in-store and online price parity, while clearly displaying each retailer’s pricing policy on its platform.
“Trust is earned through clarity and consistency,” the company said. “Customers should never have to second-guess the prices they’re seeing.”
Mary Prenon contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 20:05
Al menos dos muertos en choque de avión de la Armada de México cerca de Galveston, Texas
GALVESTON, Texas, EE.UU. (AP) — Un pequeño avión de la Marina de México que transportaba a un paciente de un año junto con otras siete personas se estrelló el lunes cerca de Galveston, causando la muerte de al menos dos personas, informaron funcionarios.
Los equipos de emergencia rescataron a cuatro personas y estaban buscando a dos que se encontraban dentro de la aeronave, dijo la Marina de México en una declaración a The Associated Press. Cuatro de las personas a bordo eran miembros de la Marina y cuatro eran civiles, según la dependencia. No estaba claro por el momento cuáles estaban desaparecidas y cuáles habían fallecido.
El accidente ocurrió el lunes cerca de Galveston, en la costa de Texas, a unos 80 kilómetros (50 millas) al sureste de Houston.
La Marina de México dijo en un comunicado que el avión estaba ayudando en una misión médica y tuvo un “accidente”. Prometió investigar la causa del siniestro.
La Marina de México está ayudando a las autoridades locales con la operación de búsqueda y rescate, señaló la dependencia en una publicación en X.
Se esperaba que funcionarios de la Administración Federal de Aviación de Estados Unidos llegaran al lugar del accidente, indicó el Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas en X.
La Oficina del Sheriff del condado Galveston manifestó que miembros de su equipo de buceo, de su unidad de drones y otros habían acudido al lugar del choque.
“La investigación del incidente sigue en curso, y se dará a conocer más información a medida que esté disponible”, dijo la oficina del sheriff en una publicación en Facebook, añadiendo que el público debe evitar el área para que los equipos de emergencia puedan trabajar de manera segura.
Galveston es una isla que es un popular destino de playa.
No está claro por el momento si el clima fue un factor. Sin embargo, el área ha estado experimentando condiciones de niebla en los últimos días, según Cameron Batiste, meteorólogo del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.
Batiste indicó que alrededor de las 2:30 de la tarde del lunes llegó un banco de niebla que tenía una visibilidad de aproximadamente 800 metros (media milla). Se prevé que las condiciones de niebla persistan hasta la mañana del martes. ___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Democratic lawmakers visit ICE facility in Broadview after judge confirms they cannot be denied access
On Monday morning, a group of Democratic Illinois lawmakers made it inside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview after months of being denied access.
U.S. Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García, Danny Davis, Delia Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson arrived carrying a federal court order confirming that members of Congress cannot be blocked from conducting oversight at immigration detention facilities.
Their entry followed an attempt in June, when the same members of Congress showed up unannounced to inspect conditions but were turned away despite identifying themselves with official congressional credentials.
This time, the doors opened.
“It is despicable that it took six months for us to finally get in,” Ramirez said.
The west suburban processing center was designed to hold people for no more than 12 hours before transferring them to a formal immigration detention facility. But after President Donald Trump this year ramped up his immigration crackdown across Chicago, arrestees were being warehoused at the center for days on end.
In October, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman ordered ICE to improve sanitation conditions and ensure detainees had access to their lawyers after determining conditions inside were “unnecessarily cruel.”
The Democratic lawmakers were the latest representatives allowed inside the facility since a federal judge Dec. 17 affirmed that lawmakers must be allowed access to provide oversight. On Dec. 19, U.S Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, also a Democrat, also conducted an oversight visit at the Broadview facility.
The lawmakers were not allowed to bring any staff members or media representatives with them. Jackson said that during Monday’s visit, only two detainees were present inside the facility.
“I could feel in my soul, here in my own mind, that these were people that had been kidnapped, abducted,” Jackson said, describing the experience of walking through the facility.
The lawmakers said the conditions they observed would not be suitable if the facility were operating with a higher number of detainees. They criticized the layout and resources inside, noting the center has only three bathrooms for up to 80 people or more, with toilets located inside holding cells and no separation or privacy. They also had concerns about the lack of on-site medical staff.
While the number of detainees at Broadview has declined in recent weeks, ICE and Customs and Border Protection have renewed enforcement operations in and around Chicago, highlighted by the return last week of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. More than 4,300 were detained during this fall’s two-month Operation Midway Blitz and the federal government maintains immigration enforcement is ongoing.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration agreed to extend a temporary restraining order requiring improved conditions inside the processing center.
Gettleman’s order required ICE to provide clean bedding and adequate sleeping space for overnight holds, showers at least every other day, clean toilet facilities, three full meals per day, bottled water with each meal, hygiene supplies, menstrual products and prescribed medications. The order also required holding cells to be cleaned at least twice daily and guaranteed detainees free, private phone calls with their attorneys.
The restraining order had been set to expire Dec. 17 but will now remain in place until April, when Gettleman will hold a hearing to determine whether a longer-term injunction is necessary.
In court filings, attorneys for the Trump administration argued “this case is moot,” saying the conditions that prompted the lawsuit no longer exist because the number of people processed at Broadview has dropped significantly since Bovino and most of his agents left Chicago for operations in other cities.
They also claimed the federal government is already complying with the restraining order.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys strongly disagreed, arguing that ICE continues to violate parts of the court order despite the reduced population at the facility, including access for attorneys to go inside and speak to their clients.
After completing their oversight visit, the lawmakers joined immigrant advocates outside the facility to report their findings and answer questions from the media. García said the visit did not mark the end of congressional scrutiny.
“Our visit does not end our responsibility,” García said, promising the group would return to Broadview. “Where the law has been violated, we will insist on accountability. Oversight means consequences, not just reports. Transparency is not a threat to the government, accountability is not optional, and no human dignity is negotiable.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/democrats-visit-ice-broadview-facility/
US regulators approve Wegovy pill for weight loss
U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is still under review.
Both pills are GLP-1 drugs that work like widely used injectables to mimic a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness.
In recent years, Novo Nordisk’s injectable Wegovy and Lilly’s Zepbound have revolutionized obesity treatment globally and in the U.S., where 100 million people have the chronic disease.
The Wegovy pills are expected to be available within weeks, company officials said. Availability of oral pills to treat obesity could expand the booming market for obesity treatments by broadening access and reducing costs, experts said.
About 1 in 8 Americans have used injectable GLP-1 drugs, according to a survey from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. But many more have trouble affording the costly shots.
“There’s an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Massachusetts General Hospital obesity expert. “For me, it’s not just about who gets it across the finish line first. It’s about having these options available to patients.”
The Novo Nordisk obesity pill contains 25 milligrams of semaglutide. That’s the same ingredient in injectables Wegovy and Ozempic and in Rybelsus, a lower-dose pill approved to treat diabetes in 2019.
In a clinical trial, participants who took oral Wegovy lost 13.6% of their total body weight on average over about 15 months, compared with a 2.2% loss if they took a placebo, or dummy pill. That’s nearly the same as injectable Wegovy, with an average weight loss of about 15%.
Chris Mertens, 35, a pediatric lung doctor in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, joined the Novo Nordisk trial in 2022 and lost about 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill. The daily medication worked to decrease his appetite and invasive thoughts of food, he said.
“If there were days where I missed a meal, I almost didn’t realize it,” Mertens said.
Participants in a clinical trial who took the highest dose of Lilly’s orforglipron lost 11.2% of their total body weight on average over nearly 17 months, compared with a 2.1% loss in those who took a placebo.
Both pills resulted in less weight loss than the average achieved with Lilly’s Zepbound, or tirzepatide, which targets two gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, and led to a 21% average weight loss.
All the GLP-1 drugs, oral or injectable, have similar side effects, including nausea and diarrhea.
Both daily pills promise convenience, but the Wegovy pill must be taken with a sip of water in the morning on an empty stomach, with a 30-minute break before eating or drinking.
That’s because Novo Nordisk had to design the pill in a way that prevented the drug from being broken down in the stomach before it could be absorbed by the bloodstream. The drugmaker added an ingredient that protects the medication for about 30 minutes in the gut and makes it easier to take effect.
By contrast, Lilly’s orforglipron has no dosing restrictions. That drug is being considered under the FDA’s new priority voucher program aimed at cutting drug approval times. A decision is expected by spring.
Producing pills is generally cheaper than making drugs delivered via injections, so the cost for the new oral medications could be lower. The Trump administration earlier this year said officials had worked with drugmakers to negotiate lower prices for the GLP-1 drugs, which can cost upwards of $1,000 a month.
The company said the starting dose would be available for $149 per month from some providers. Additional information on cost will be available in January.
It’s not clear whether daily pills or weekly injections will be preferred by patients. Although some patients dislike needles, others don’t seem to mind the weekly injections, obesity experts said. Mertens turned to injectable Zepbound when he regained weight after the end of the Wegovy pill clinical trial.
He said he liked the discipline of the daily pill.
“It was a little bit of an intentional routine and a reminder of today I’m taking this so that I know my choices are going to be affected for the day,” he said.
Dr. Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer of knownwell, a health care company, said whatever the format, the biggest benefit will be in making weight-loss medications more widely accessible and affordable.
“It’s all about the price,” she said. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/wegovy-weight-loss-pill/
Malicious Actors Impersonating Senior US Officials, FBI Warns
Malicious Actors Impersonating Senior US Officials, FBI Warns
Malicious actors are impersonating government officials to secure sensitive information and steal funds, the FBI said in an alert on Dec. 19.
“Activity dating back to 2023 reveals malicious actors have impersonated senior U.S. state government, White House, and Cabinet-level officials, as well as members of Congress to target individuals, including officials’ family members and personal acquaintances,” the alert said.
“If you receive a message claiming to be from a current or former senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic.”
As Naveen Athrappully reports for The Epoch Times, the threat actors have sent text messages and artificial intelligence-generated voice messages as part of their impersonation campaigns.
In the scheme, criminals contact a target by impersonating a U.S. official and briefly engage in conversation on a topic the target is well-versed in, the agency said. They then request that the communication be taken to an encrypted mobile messaging application. In most cases, the initial contact is made via SMS, and the conversation is then moved to an app such as Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal.
Once this communication channel is set up, they inquire about events such as bilateral relations, current affairs, and trade and security policy negotiations, according to the FBI.
The malicious actor then suggests setting up a meeting between the target and the U.S. president or other high-ranking officials. They also lie that the target is being considered for nomination to the board of directors of a company.
According to the FBI, targets have been asked to take certain actions, including providing an authentication code allowing the fraudsters to sync their device with the contact list on the target’s phone, supplying personally identifiable information and copies of personal documents, and wiring funds to a financial institution located abroad under false pretenses.
The Dec. 19 alert is an update to an earlier alert issued by the FBI on May 15, which warned that once a target is lured into a messaging platform, he or she may be presented with malware or hyperlinks designed to steal log-in information, such as user names and passwords.
The malicious actors may use voice phishing tactics, which involve audio generated by artificial intelligence to impersonate public figures or personal relations to boost the believability of the scheme.
In the latest alert, the FBI issued guidance to help identify suspicious messages. It advised people to verify the identity of the person contacting them and to listen closely to the tone and word choice during a call or voice message to assess whether it is AI-generated.
It asked people to refrain from sharing sensitive information with those they have only met online or by phone and to not send money or assets to such individuals.
According to the 2024 report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, there were 17,367 government impersonation complaints filed last year, more than the 11,554 complaints filed in 2022.
Meanwhile, losses from such complaints jumped from roughly $240 million to more than $405 million during this period.
People aged 30–39 filed the highest number of government impersonation complaints in 2024, followed closely by those in the 40–49 age group.
AI Impersonation, Social Security Warning
In September, the FBI and the American Bankers Association warned that AI-backed deepfake impersonation scams were getting harder to detect.
“Imposter scams in particular are on the rise. … Criminals are using deepfakes, or media that is generated or manipulated by AI, to gain your trust and scam you out of your hard-earned money,” the agency said.
Deepfake content can include altered audio, video, or images. The scammers can impersonate public figures, such as celebrities or the target’s family and friends, the FBI said.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) also issued a warning in November about a new government scam targeting Social Security recipients via fake emails, texts, or letters.
The scam involves criminals threatening beneficiaries that their Social Security numbers will be suspended within 24 hours and that their cases will be referred for criminal prosecution, urging them to contact the OIG using the provided number.
When victims call the number, the scammer impersonates an SSA employee and requests the target’s personal information.
“Scammers continue to exploit fear and confusion by using official-looking letters and real SSA employee names to threaten you and convince you they’re legitimate so that you will respond and provide them with your personal information and money,” acting Inspector General Michelle L. Anderson said.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 19:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/malicious-actors-impersonating-senior-us-officials-fbi-warns
