🍪 Axios PM: Top cookies

Plus: Travel chaos | Thursday, December 22, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Dec 22, 2022 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 372 words, a 1.5-minute read.     1 big thing: Chaos in the friendly skies An American Airlines plane is de-iced today at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Photo: David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images   Whether it's planes, trains or automobiles, the U.S. is at risk of major holiday travel chaos, Axios' Herb Scribner reports. "This is not like a snow day when you were a kid," President Biden warned today after a briefing from federal officials. "This is serious stuff." Zoom in: Flight delays and cancellations disrupted thousands of travelers today, with nearly 2,000 flight cancellations reported by this afternoon. Amtrak canceled service on more than 20 routes, primarily in the Midwest, AP reports. In Indiana, about 150 National Guard members are deployed to help snowbound travelers. 🔬 If you're flying: Read the fine print before rebooking, as airlines have specific airports and eligibility requirements for receiving fee waivers.     2. Pic du jour Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP Pope Francis visits a nativity scene after his weekly general audience yesterday at the Vatican.     A message from Amazon From high school dropout to Amazon IT technician     After dropping out of high school, Andre started working at an Amazon fulfillment center and enrolled in the free associate-to-technician program. Now, he's moved into a higher-paying IT technician role. Even better: Amazon's committed $1.2 billion by 2025 to upskill employees. Learn more.     3. Catch up quick Image: NOAA Satellite imagery shows the Arctic front moving through Texas today. Grounded: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to be released on a $250 million bond that will require him to live in his parents' Palo Alto home — which will be put up as collateral. Go deeper. The omnibus has cleared the Senate, which is sending the nearly $1.7 trillion long-term government funding bill to the House for quick passage before tomorrow's deadline. Go deeper. Major milestones for women's workplace civil rights: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support today as amendments to the omnibus. Go deeper. Israel has intelligence showing Iran is secretly planning to "widen and broaden" its shipments of sophisticated weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine, the head of Israel's national intelligence agency said today. Go deeper.     🍪 4. Top cookies list Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios   America's most popular Christmas cookies for 2022 are sugar cookies, gingerbread and peanut butter blossoms, according to Google Trends data. Google told Axios' Kelly Tyko its map shows "uniquely searched" cookies — defined as "over-represented in a region compared to the country." The top five, ranked by the number of states where they got the most unique searches: Gingerbread Peanut butter blossoms Italian Christmas cookies Christmas sugar cookies Christmas bar cookies Go deeper: State-by-state list     A message from Amazon "I was able to go to college without stressing about the cost"     Julio always planned to go to college but couldn't afford a four-year degree. Amazon's Career Choice program helped him become the first college graduate in his family. Here's how: Amazon offers pre-paid tuition for nearly 1 million hourly employees and delivery partners. Read Julio's story.   Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing today's PM. Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: