Boo Buckets back at McDonald’s for Halloween Happy Meals
(NEW YORK) — It’s a monster mash at McDonald’s, with the new limited-edition Happy Meal Boo Buckets making their return to the Golden Arches.
On Oct. 15, the iconic plastic buckets, which make for perfect trick-or-treating vessels, will return to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide while supplies last.
The nostalgic pails have a fresh look this year, with new monster designs in four colors: white, orange, green and, for the first time, blue.
McDonald’s lovers also can give their Boo Bucket a custom look with themed stickers like ears, wings and more for a more monstrous vibe.
(NEW YORK) — Two major Canadian freight rail companies locked out thousands of workers on Thursday, shutting down cross-border shipping routes and risking serious damage for the U.S. economy, industry experts told ABC News.
The rail lines carry everything from chemical inputs to auto parts, holding the potential to cause shortages for a range of products American consumers and businesses depend on. While the damage is minimal so far, a prolonged shutdown of weeks or months could slow U.S. economic growth, rekindle inflation and put some workers out of a job, the experts said.
“Right now, I do not think the sky is falling,” Joseph Schofer, a professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, told ABC News. “In a week or two, effects will begin to develop.”
The shutdown will cost the Canadian economy about $250 million per day, according to Brendan La Cerdaa, director of economic research at Moody’s Analytics. If the strike continues for a week or two, the U.S. economy could start suffering costs of about $70 million per day, La Cerda said.
More than 9,000 Teamsters workers are off their jobs after Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) locked them out when they failed to reach a deal on a new contract. It’s the first time both railways have been simultaneously halted.
“Throughout this process, CN and CPKC have shown themselves willing to compromise rail safety and tear families apart to earn an extra buck. The railroads don’t care about farmers, small businesses, supply chains, or their own employees. Their sole focus is boosting their bottom line, even if it means jeopardizing the entire economy,” Teamsters Canada Rail Conference President Paul Boucher said in a statement on Thursday.
In a statement, CN said it had negotiated with workers in good faith for nine months, offering better wages and shorter hours.
“Without an agreement or binding arbitration, CN had no choice but to finalize a safe and orderly shutdown and proceed with a lockout,” the company said on Thursday.
Similarly, CPKC said the lockout came about after months of unsuccessful negotiations.
“We fully understand and appreciate what this work stoppage means for Canadians and our economy. CPKC is acting to protect Canada’s supply chains, and all stakeholders, from further uncertainty and the more widespread disruption that would be created should this dispute drag out further resulting in a potential work stoppage occurring during the fall peak shipping period,” the statement said.
What does the Canadian rail shutdown mean for the U.S. economy?
A brief shutdown of the top two Canadian freight rail companies would not meaningfully impact the U.S. economy, experts told ABC News. However, they added, a prolonged lockout would damage the nation’s economic performance and risk accelerating inflation.
Many companies rely on Canadian rail lines to deliver raw goods that play a vital role in the supply chain. Affected industries include auto companies, chipmakers and fertilizer manufacturers, experts said. Perishable goods also reach U.S. consumers on trains from Canada.
As a smaller-scale version of the supply blockage incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Canadian freight rail shutdown could hinder economic activity of businesses that import raw materials, rising prices for consumers who encounter shortages for some products.
“The producers will probably absorb some of those price increases in the short term, but eventually they could get passed on to consumers,” Kyle Handley, a professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego, told ABC News.
Over the coming weeks, a shutdown could slow gross domestic product growth and cause layoffs at directly impacted firms, such as auto factories, Jeff Macher, a professor of strategy and economics at Georgetown University’s Center for Business and Public Policy, told ABC News.
“A prolonged stoppage could lead to a certain amount of job losses,” Macher said.
The potential supply disruption could arrive at a vulnerable period for the U.S. economy. Growth is cooling but remains solid. Price increases have slowed dramatically but remain higher than the Federal Reserve’s target level.
For now, questions remain over the duration and scale of the U.S. economic fallout, experts said.
“If the stoppage ends within a week or so, it’ll have no effect on U.S. GDP,” Macher said. “If it extends beyond that, then it could bleed into and impact the U.S.”
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Zunaira Zaki contributed reporting.
(WASHINGTON) — In an effort to beef up protections for consumers against corporations, the Biden administration on Monday announced a handful of policies to crack down on “headaches and hassles that waste Americans’ time and money.”
Through the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the administration will ask companies to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up for them, and through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a new rule will require companies to let customers cut through automated customer service “doom loops” by pressing a single button to reach a real person.
“For a lot of services, it takes one or two clicks on your phone to sign up. It should take one or two clicks on your phone to end the service,” White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden said on a call with reporters to discuss the new policies.
Consumers could see the new rule applied to gym memberships or subscriptions with phone and internet companies.
The administration will also call on health insurance companies to allow claims to be submitted online, rather than requiring insured customers to print out and mail forms in for coverage.
“Essentially in all of these practices, the companies are delaying services to you or, really, trying to make it so difficult for you to cancel the service that they get to hold on to your money longer and longer,” Tanden said. “And what that means is, ultimately, consumers, the American public, is losing out.”
The new regulations were rolled out Monday but will be on varying timelines, with some taking weeks and others taking months to be implemented, administration officials said.
They target a range of industries and companies at a time when Americans feel strapped by high prices and stubborn inflation — an issue that has weighed on President Joe Biden and now Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as voters continue to rank the economy among their top issues.
As part of an agenda centered around “lowering costs,” the administration has tried to improve voter confidence in the economy through consistent but piecemeal efforts to bring down daily costs, from lowering prescription drug prices to canceling student loan debt.
Volatility in the stock market last week after a lower-than-expected jobs report has increased the pressure for Democrats to prove their economic bonafides to voters. Experts urge caution before drawing any major conclusions from the week, remaining divided over whether the U.S. is headed for a downturn or still on a resilient path of growth.
Other efforts by the Biden administration to reduce daily bills and offset higher prices include targeting junk fees tacked onto tickets and hotel costs, requiring airlines to automatically refund passengers for delayed flights, and banning medical debts from credit reports.
The efforts have frequently pitted Biden and Harris against big companies, as they accuse them of “shrinkflation,” or delivering less product for the same price, and keeping their prices high even as inflation falls. The Biden administration has also been heralded by antitrust advocates for reviving enforcement on companies for the first time in a meaningful way in decades — including with lawsuits against companies like Google, Apple and LiveNation.
Tanden insisted that Monday’s efforts were about creating a better functioning market, not targeting any particular company or “shaming corporations writ large.”
“This is a broad initiative in which we are talking about a whole series of practices across multiple industries, and the real focus is ensuring that consumers and their choices are what is driving decision making in the market, not the practices of companies that make it hard for people to switch,” Tanden said.
“When they want to end one subscription, they can shop for another, but it’s their decision,” she said. “That’s what a free market is really about, empowering individuals to make the decisions they want to make without these practices that get in their way.”
(NEW YORK) — As fast food chains continue to drop prices on popular menu items in hopes of enticing hungry customers, Popeyes is entering the arena with a new $5 deal.
The popular fried chicken chain announced new value offers on Monday, which includes an order of three pieces of its signature bone-in chicken for just $5.
The fast food franchise, which first started in New Orleans in 1972, timed the news in tandem with National Chicken Month.
“We first saw the ‘Value Wars’ taking off early in the summer, as consumers were looking for ways to indulge in their favorite foods, without the high price tag,” the company wrote in a blog post Monday. “This made our team think, how can we continue to serve our food, without compromising on the quality we are known for, but at a price our customers will be happy with?”
“This new promotion celebrates what Popeyes does best — Fried Chicken,” the company continued. “Each piece is expertly marinated in Popeyes signature blend of savory Louisiana herbs and seasonings, then battered in a crunchy southern coating and fried to golden brown perfection.”
According to Popeyes, the $5 deal is available at participating locations nationwide in restaurant, through the Popeyes app, or online.
“As consumers look for more ways to enjoy their favorite meals without breaking the bank, Popeyes is excited to join this conversation centered around guest satisfaction,” the company wrote.
The news comes on the heels of McDonald’s extending its $5 value meal and similar offers from competitors like Wendy’s, Burger King and even Chili’s.