Golden State
Goodbye Southwest Airlines, hello Southworst
“The flight attendants have gone from comedians to prison camp wardens,” declares Marvin Lieberman, who is writing a book about Southwest Airlines and the private-equity overhaul that has unseated the company’s traditional focus on employee well-being.
CNBC
As March Madness unfolds, NY Fed highlights sports betting toll on consumer credit health
Research by Brett Hollenbeck and coauthors supports a Fed report that, following the legalization of sports betting — now in 30 states — consumer financial health suffers as credit delinquencies increase, especially among those under 40.
The Guardian
‘The good old days are gone’: How will U.S. prices stand as war in Iran surges on?
Chris Tang says when prices go up, they don’t come back down. Rising costs of gas and air travel are only part of the story and likely just beginning of higher prices amid global volatility.
LAist
L.A. considers waiving part of local sales tax for Palisades Fire victims rebuilding homes
UCLA Anderson Forecast’s Zhiyun Li says a tax waiver could help some homeowners justify the additional cost of rebuilding to more stringent, fire-safe IBHS+ standards, improving the likelihood of maintaining their insurance coverage.
Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
AI’s big productivity boost? It’s happening from the sofa
AI is significantly boosting how much younger people and higher earners get done at home. But it’s creating a digital divide: As research by Gregor Schubert and co-authors shows, older and lower-income individuals risk losing out on the economic promise of using GenAI to speed up tasks like paying bills.
Spectrum News 1
SoCal entrepreneur learns AI through Google to grow business
Competing with the big boys means leveraging new technology. The Easton Center’s Terry Kramer agrees that entrepreneurs need to get on top of the AI wave for “first-mover advantage” in understanding their customers.
