Facebook has invested $22.9 million so far on its apologetic national TV campaign, with 599 broadcasts of its "Here Together" spot from the start of April to May 17, per iSpot.TV. In 2017, the platform invested $12.1 million in national TV ads.
⋅ CNNMoney
Forty-three percent of households struggle to afford basic living expenses, including food, housing, transportation and health care, according to a study by the United Way ALICE Project. The study finds that 16.1 million households fall below the poverty line and that 34.7 million households earn less than what they need "to survive in the modern economy."
Some higher-education advocates are lobbying Congress for increases in Pell Grant amounts and other changes as lawmakers begin another session of budget planning. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., plans to push for more funding in the House appropriations committee, but some say major Pell changes may have to wait for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
⋅ Reuters⋅The Washington Post (tiered subscription model)⋅The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the US and China are "putting the trade war on hold." The countries have agreed to withdraw tariffs proposed for each other while they develop a comprehensive trade agreement, he says.
⋅ Skift
The dramatically different look of a new Wendy's restaurant in Gluckstadt, Miss., is the latest result of an ongoing redesign effort launched several years ago to prepare for the future. New elements include fireplaces, digital menu boards and walls of windows that flood the space with natural light, and the latest designs include smaller footprints to fit new Wendy's units in non-traditional spaces.
Victims of data breaches would receive a percentage of HIPAA settlements under a proposed rule by the HHS Office for Civil Rights, which will release the proposal in November along with an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. However, some lawyers have raised concerns about the idea, including the possibility of higher penalties being imposed and the small amount that would be awarded to affected individuals in cases where there are many victims.
Alissa Fleck takes a look at how brands have been celebrating the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, including KFC's limited-edition Kentucky Fine China buckets and Lime-A-Rita's hashtag, #HarryMakesHisMarkle. Dunkin' Donuts unveiled the Royal Love Donut, and Sodastream revealed 50 Royal Edition bottles with individual wedding hats.
Macy's employs 10,000 beauty advisers and plans to add around 1,000 more full- and part-time staffers as part of the department store's efforts to expand its beauty services and expertise. The retailer will hold hiring events on May 22 in cities including Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas.
Both AT&T and Verizon have signed on to sell the highly anticipated RED Hydrogen One handset. An August launch date is anticipated but has not been confirmed.
The FDA approved Amgen and Novartis' Aimovig, or erenumab, as a preventive treatment for migraine. Amgen will likely launch the drug, which is the first calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitor approved for migraine prevention, within a week.
The Senate's recent attempt to block the Federal Communications Commission's rollback of net neutrality regulations was "a largely symbolic measure that only prolongs this decade-long controversy and does not provide consumers any assurances," the NCTA said in a statement. The American Cable Association echoed NCTA's views, stating that open internet rules could be established but that the Senate's Joint Resolution 52 was not the solution.
The construction industry in Seattle is facing a shortage of workers, especially trained professionals. This shortage, combined with rapidly rising home prices and the city's proposed "head tax," has many in the industry worried that the current building boom will not last.
The number of rigs drilling for oil in the Permian Basin climbed by four to 467 last week, but the gains were offset by losses in Alaska, Louisiana, Colorado, North Dakota and Ohio, according to Baker Hughes. Meanwhile, the natural gas rig count increased by one unit to 200.
The Transportation Security Administration is preparing for the busy summer travel season with higher levels of staffing, officials told lawmakers at a hearing with the House Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation. "The question that's still on the table is: How do we get those Precheck numbers up?" A4A's Sharon Pinkerton asked.
Marriott International will launch several of its brands at five or more Simon shopping centers in the US over the next few years. "With consumers increasingly gravitating toward walkable, mixed-use communities, opening new hotels alongside Simon's thriving retail destinations is an important part of Marriott International's growth strategy," Marriott executive Eric Jacobs said.