| | | | | | | Presented By Upside | | | | Axios What's Next | | By Joann Muller, Jennifer A. Kingson and Alex Fitzpatrick · Dec 20, 2022 | | A massive winter storm is poised to disrupt air and road travel ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, Joann reports today along with Axios' Andrew Freedman. Today's newsletter is 1,044 words ... 4 minutes. | | | | | | 1 big thing: Holiday travel nightmare |  | | | Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios | | | | The timing couldn't be worse: a powerful winter storm is expected to slam the heart of the country this week during the holiday season's busiest travel days, Joann Muller and Andrew Freedman report. Why it matters: The storm is likely to interfere with both passenger travel and cargo transport across a vast stretch of the U.S. - Long-awaited family reunions could be interrupted, while last-minute holiday gifts might not arrive in time for Christmas.
- If your plans are flexible, you'd be wise to travel ahead of the weather, experts advise.
Driving the news: Widespread heavy snow and possible blizzard conditions could occur Thursday through Saturday (Christmas Eve) across the Midwest and Ohio Valley. - Details remain uncertain, but it's increasingly likely that heavy snow along with strong and even damaging winds could cause poor visibility and power outages in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and several other states.
- The storm will be accompanied by dangerously cold air, with wind chills around -30°F in Chicago, for example, by Friday night.
- The National Weather Service is telling residents in Chicago, parts of Indiana and Ohio to reconsider traveling Thursday through Friday night.
Where it stands: Airlines are closely monitoring the storm and are likely to preemptively cancel flights as the forecast becomes clearer. - Delays at big hub airports like Denver, Chicago and Detroit can ripple across the nation, affecting passengers everywhere.
- Cargo hubs including Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville and Memphis could also be affected.
Be smart: If your plans are flexible, try to rebook your flight, or hit the road early, to avoid the storm's peak impact Thursday and Friday. - United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are already offering to waive the usual change fees and fare differences for customers who rebook trips through some affected destinations.
- Act fast, though — once cancellations start rolling in, it will be harder to rebook, say the experts at The Points Guy, a travel advisory website.
- "If you have a flight booked for Thursday, you should be trying to get a flight Tuesday or Wednesday to get ahead of the storm," managing editor Clint Henderson tells Axios.
Flashback: More than 14,000 flights were canceled over the holidays in 2021, as a combination of COVID-related staffing shortages and wintry weather slowed travel. - This year was supposed to be better because airlines have staffed up and haven't been overly ambitious with their flight schedules.
Yes, but: With fewer flights, planes are packed, making it harder to rebook on another flight. - "There's not enough give in the system," Henderson says. "So if you throw in a major storm, there's very little extra capacity in the system to accommodate delays and cancellations."
By the numbers: AAA estimates nearly 113 million people plan to travel at least 50 miles away from home this holiday season — close to pre-pandemic levels. - Thursday and Friday will be the busiest days for air travel, with 3.34 million passengers scheduled to depart U.S. airports each day, according to travel app Hopper.
Share this story. |     | | | | | | 2. The year of strikes |  | | | Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios | | | | Workers started 374 strikes in 2022 — a 39% increase over 2021, according to a Cornell database, Axios' Emily Peck reports. Driving the news: Fueled partly by anger over pandemic working conditions and spurred on by other labor wins, all sorts of workers — warehouse employees, teachers, nurses, graduate students, journalists — walked off the job. - Many others voted to unionize, demanding better pay and conditions.
The big picture: Low unemployment and worker shortages gave employees more leverage. - Many workers' concerns centered around health and safety and understaffing — a major point of contention for nurses, for instance.
What's next: Next year will be pivotal. - Employees at Starbucks, Amazon and a few other places who voted to unionize will need to negotiate contracts with employers who've so far been staunchly resistant to organization.
- Plus, the labor contract for 350,000 UPS workers expires in July 2023. Depending on how negotiations go, this could be "next year's biggest strike."
Read the rest. | | | | | | | | 3. Elon loses his own poll |  | | | Photo illustration: Maura Losch. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images. | | | | A majority of respondents — 57.5% — to Elon Musk's own Twitter poll said he should step down as head of Twitter, Axios' Sara Fischer and Dan Primack report. Why it matters: If Musk listens, it would end what's been a chaotic and controversial tenure. Between the lines: Musk recently assured anxious Tesla investors that he planned to step down from Twitter eventually. - "The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive," Musk tweeted Sunday.
Yes, but: Musk still owns Twitter, so any new CEO would report to him — and likely carry out his wishes. - Plus, there's absolutely nothing binding about an informal Twitter poll.
Read the rest. | | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | This app is helping users treat themselves | | |  | | | | Upside is on a mission to make sure that, even during expensive times, people still have a little extra money for a rainy day fund. The free app gets users cash back on: - Gas.
- Groceries.
- Convenience stores.
- Restaurants.
On average, users earn $148 annually. Download the free Upside app to start earning. | | | | | | 4. 📸 Amtrak's new look |  | | | Rendering courtesy of Amtrak | | | | Amtrak is rolling out sleek new trains called Airo that operate faster and more efficiently, with passenger comfort upgrades to boot. Driving the news: The new trains are set to debut in 2026 in the Pacific Northwest area before being deployed elsewhere. - Airo trains "produce 90% less particulate emissions in diesel operations" while also enabling quicker transitions between electric and diesel operation, Amtrak says.
Yes, but: The new trains can run at a max of 125 mph — a far cry from global high-speed rail systems, which can top 200 mph. - New Acela trains being deployed on Amtrak's busy Northeast Corridor, however, could travel as fast as 160 mph along certain stretches.
Be smart: Funding for Amtrak's new trains came in part from 2021's infrastructure bill. A view of Airo's business class seating. Rendering courtesy of Amtrak | | | | | | | | 5. One fun thing: Visiting a THC taproom |  | | | THC-infused drinks on offer at Minneapolis' Trail Magic Taproom. Photo: Audrey Kennedy | | | | Trail Magic Taproom, a pop-up bar serving now-legal THC-infused drinks, just opened in Minneapolis, Axios' Audrey Kennedy reports. - "As someone who has never consumed a THC-infused drink, I had to stop by and review ... for journalism," Audrey writes.
What to know: The 30-plus available drinks — from seltzers to Arnold Palmers — are mostly served in cans, not on tap. - All have under 5 mg of THC each, and prices start at $8.
Ashley's rec: Start with a lower dose, sip slowly and walk around a bit before you order another drink. - "I won't lie — by sample six or so, I was having a great time. The moving sand tables are mesmerizing."
The bottom line: A THC taproom is a cool new concept — but know your limits. And make sure you have a ride home! Read the rest. | | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | How to fight inflation with your everyday spending | | |  | | | | The Upside app pays you back a little from each purchase to help offset rising costs. On average, users earn $148 annually. You can get cash back at: - Gas stations.
- Convenience stores.
- Grocery stores.
- Restaurants.
Take back control of your budget and download the free Upside app. | | | | Big thanks to What's Next copy editor Amy Stern. Was this email forwarded to you? Get your daily dose of What's Next by signing up here for our free newsletter. |  | | 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. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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