🏈 Super bill

Plus: Electric mower | Thursday, February 09, 2023

Open in app View in browser     Axios What's Next By Alex Fitzpatrick, Jennifer A. Kingson and Joann Muller · Feb 09, 2023 Throwing a Super Bowl party this year? Get ready for a big hit at checkout, Alex reports today. Today's newsletter is 660 words ... 2½ minutes.     1 big thing: Super Bowl, super bill Data: BLS; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios The cost of many Super Bowl party staples has been steadily rising over the last few years, per the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, Alex Fitzpatrick and Axios' Kavya Beheraj report. Why it matters: As Americans gear up for Sunday's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, their bank accounts are about to get sacked. Details: We zoomed in on a handful of food categories commonly found at Super Bowl parties, such as meat and alcohol. By the numbers: Nationally, the price of food items falling under the "meat, fish and eggs" and "fruits and veggies" categories were both up 8% year-over-year as of December 2022. Alcoholic drinks were up 6%, while non-alcoholic drinks rose 13%. The cost of foods in all four categories has mostly been rising since 2019, though the cost of "meat, fish and eggs" rose more slowly in 2022 than in 2021. Yes, but: Wingheads can breathe a sigh of relief. The price of whole chicken wings was $2.65 per pound as of early January, down from $3.38 during last year's Super Bowl, per U.S. Department of Agriculture data. While wings were outrageously expensive last year, prices are falling thanks to increased supply, per Money. The big picture: This is another, more focused way to look at the broader grocery price inflation crisis — which, as Axios has previously reported, has left some families struggling to put enough food on the table. Broadly speaking, inflation has been highest in Miami, Phoenix and Seattle, while less severe in Detroit, St. Louis and Chicago, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. "Living through high inflation can change how you see the world, the way you think about your career, homebuying and saving — akin to living through an economic downturn," Axios' Emily Peck recently wrote. Of note: Throwing a Super Bowl party is still far cheaper than actually going to the game. Share this story.     2. EV charger loans Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios   Bank of America is now offering residential electric vehicle (EV) charger financing, the company said Wednesday, Alex Fitzpatrick reports. Why it matters: Financing EV chargers alongside the cars themselves could make it easier for drivers to go electric by reducing upfront costs. Installing a home charger can cost anywhere between a few hundred and a couple thousand dollars, depending on a given project's complexity. What they're saying: "We aim to help people go electric by providing financing for this critical accessory, which allows clients to charge their vehicles in their own homes and at convenient times," Fabien Thierry, BoA's head of consumer vehicle products, said in a statement. Go deeper: What electric car buyers need to know about charging     3. 📸 Electric mower Photo courtesy of John Deere   John Deere this week launched its first all-electric zero-turn residential mower, the Z37OR Electric ZTrak. The mower has a 3.56 kWh battery, allowing users to mow up to 2 acres on a single charge, the company says. It can be charged with an extension cord hooked up to a standard 110v outlet. What they're saying: It's "important for us to provide our customers with a broad range of mower options without compromising performance from gas machines," John Deere's Eric Halfman said in a press release. The big picture: All manner of lawn care gear, from mowers to trimmers to cultivators, are going electric — and users are benefiting from easier and cleaner operation.     A message from Axios Your new morning habit     In just 10 minutes, catch up on the important news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else with host Niala Boodhoo. Each weekday morning, get the latest in everything from politics to space to race and justice. Listen now for free.     4. 📉 Office occupancy dips Data: Kastle; Chart: Axios Visuals Office occupancy fell by nearly 5 percentage points after ice storms in Texas kept workers at home, per Kastle employee ID swipe data for the week ending Feb. 1, Axios' Emily Peck reports. Why it matters: The drop comes just one week after office occupancy hit a post-pandemic high — crossing the 50% threshold — and underscores how sensitive the workplace has become to weather events. By the numbers: Office occupancy in Dallas and Austin dropped by more than 23 and 25 points, to 30.3% and 42.2%, respectively. What to watch: With office occupancy stagnating, there are increasing signs of distress in the commercial real estate space. Share this story.     A message from Axios Your new morning habit     In just 10 minutes, catch up on the important news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else with host Niala Boodhoo. Each weekday morning, get the latest in everything from politics to space to race and justice. Listen now for free.   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. 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