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Tag: AAA

  • It’s Thanksgiving week. These are expected to be the busiest travel days.

    It’s a busy week for millions of Americans who are traveling for Thanksgiving.

    At the nation’s airports, the TSA expects to screen nearly 18 million people from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Tuesday after the holiday, while the FAA expects this will be the busiest Thanksgiving in terms of flights in at least 15 years.

    Most people, however, will be traveling by car.  AAA projects that overall, 81.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

    “This year’s domestic travel forecast includes an additional 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record,” it says.

    Here is a look at the days that are expected to be the busiest for travelers. 

    Busiest days for flying

    Eight of the busiest days in TSA history have been this year, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving could join that list — or set a new record. The agency is planning to screen more than 3 million travelers on Sunday, Nov. 30, alone.

    “We are projecting that the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be one of the busiest travel days in TSA history,” Adam Stahl, senior official performing the duties of deputy TSA administrator, said in a statement.

    Airlines for America, a trade association that represents the airlines based in Washington, D.C., also expects the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be the busiest day of this Thanksgiving travel period, with 3.39 million travelers expected. 

    The group expects the second-busiest day to be Monday, Dec. 1, with 3.09 million travelers, followed by the Friday after Thanksgiving, with 3.06 million travelers.

    Overall, Airlines for America predicts that U.S. airlines will fly a record 31 million passengers from Friday, Nov. 21, through Monday, Dec. 1.

    The FAA says it expects this Thanksgiving holiday travel period to be the busiest in 15 years, with Tuesday, Nov. 25, being the peak travel day. More than 52,000 flights are expected nationwide on Tuesday.

    In the New York area, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey expects that Sunday, Nov. 30, and Monday, Dec. 1, will be the busiest days at the region’s airports: John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia Airport and New York Stewart International.

    The expectations for robust — and possibly record-breaking — travel follow disruptions in air travel nationwide during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Some air traffic controllers called out as they were being asked to work without pay, leading to delays and prompting federal authorities to order flight cuts across the nation.

    Those cutbacks ended last week, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that “things look good from the air traffic control side. We are back to staffing levels that we had before the shutdown. I believe.”

    “if you can still get a ticket and you can still fly and your family still wants to see you, book that ticket, jump on a flight and don’t be afraid to fly this season,” he said.

    One family traveling to Las Vegas this weekend wasn’t sure what to expect.

    “I was very nervous about it,” Megan Mirka told CBS News at airport baggage claim. “I didn’t want to go, but everyone else did. So we came, and it was good. Whatever changed, I’m glad, ‘cuz this was very different than last month.”

    Busiest days for driving

    Some would-be flyers might be opting to instead drive to their Thanksgiving destinations because of the uncertainty at airports during the shutdown. 

    AAA expects that at least 73 million people will travel this year by car – accounting for nearly 90% of Thanksgiving travelers. 

    That number is 1.3 million more than last year, and “could end up being higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of fly following recent flight cancellations,” AAA notes.

    The Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving are projected to be the most congested for drivers traveling in major metro areas nationwide, according to the transportation analytics firm INRIX. Tuesday from 12-9 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. are expected to be the “worst” travel times.

    “Travelers returning home on Sunday should expect heavy traffic most of the day,” INRIX says.

    According to AAA, Hertz says Wednesday is expected to be the busiest car-rental pick-up day.

    Thanksgiving week weather 

    Storms this week could impact travel.

    One of two cross-country storm systems is taking shape on Monday, bringing heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms across the South. It is forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and Northeast over the next two days, according to Nikki Nolan, meteorologist for CBS News and Stations.

    A second, more powerful storm system will deliver cold temperatures and snowfall to the northern U.S. and Great Lakes region. Snow totals could reach up to 14 inches near the Canadian border and the storm could bring high winds across parts of the Northern Plains. This system is expected to move across the Great Lakes through the week and bring lake effect snowfall downwind of Lake Erie and Ontario.

    Kris Van Cleave,

    Sarah Ploss and

    Nicole Sganga

    contributed to this report.

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  • Colorado weather: Will it snow during Thanksgiving travel?

    The hundreds of thousands of Coloradans expected to travel for Thanksgiving this year can expect dry weather and clear skies — at least on their way out, according to the National Weather Service.

    No snow is forecast for the Denver area leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, and limited amounts are expected in higher elevations, including on mountain passes, according to weather service forecasters.

    Colorado’s highest peaks, including Mount Zirkel in the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, will see between zero and 8 inches of snow by 5 a.m. Thursday. The most likely snowfall on that mountain is closer to 1 inch, forecasters said.

    As of Monday morning, according to the weather service, other snow totals expected by Thursday morning included:

    • Trace amounts on Loveland Pass and at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park;
    • 0.5 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass west of Denver, on Milner Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park and at Winter Park;
    • And 1 inch on U.S. 40’s Muddy Pass near Steamboat Springs, Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Walden and U.S. 40’s Rabbit Ears Pass near Kremmling.

    Most of that snow is expected to fall Monday night into Tuesday morning, and will likely be gone before most travelers hit the roads, rails or air, according to weather service forecasters.

    Higher elevations, including Cameron Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass, also have a 20% chance of snow showers before 11 a.m. Wednesday, forecasters said.

    Chances for snow will return across Colorado following Thanksgiving Day, and winter weather could intercept many travelers on their way home, according to the weather service.

    The amount of snow expected to fall was still up in the air Monday morning, but hourly forecasts from the weather service showed a 40% chance of Denver seeing its first snow of the season over the post-holiday weekend.

    At that time, the strongest chance for snow in the Denver area fell between 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday, but snow showers could start as early as 11 p.m. Friday and continue into Sunday night, forecasters said.

    Multiple inches of snow are expected to fall on Colorado’s mountain passes starting at about noon on Friday, according to the weather service.

    Lauren Penington

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  • Thanksgiving travel rush in full swing

    An estimated 82 million Americans are expected to travel over the next week, according to AAA, and 18 million people are expected to fly, the TSA projects. Here’s how to navigate the Thanksgiving rush.

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  • AAA projects 1.8% increase across the country in travelers on the road this Thanksgiving

    With a record-breaking Thanksgiving travel period right around the corner, Denver7 is making sure you’re prepared to get to your holiday destination.

    AAA said around 82 million people across the country will be traveling for the holiday, 74 million of those by car. That’s a predicted 1.8% increase in road travelers from last year.

    “Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday of the year. It outpaces July 4. It outpaces Memorial Day. It’s because folks take more time off, and we see that bear out in our travel data,” Regional Director of Public Affairs with AAA Skyler McKinley said.

    He said the busiest days on the road are expected to be Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Here in Colorado, there are some things to keep in mind as you make your travel plans, like traffic at common choke points.

    “You can avoid the worst of it. If you leave early in the morning, if you leave midday, don’t worry, this isn’t Los Angeles. You’re not going to sit in traffic for six hours just getting to your destination, but there will be choke points,” he said.

    McKinley identified some of those trouble for Colorado travelers: “where I-70 meets. I-25 on I-25 near monument, along that gap, and certainly in that I-25 corridor from Fort Collins to Denver, all choke points.”

    But there is good news when it comes to traffic you may see.

    “We’re not looking at hours and hours of delays,” McKinley said.

    AAA projects it will be anywhere from 30%-40% more traffic than you’d expect to see on a regular day.

    “So you’ll notice it, but it won’t delay your plans,” McKinley said.

    The one exception to that would be unless it snows and your car is not prepared for the winter weather.

    AAA projects 1.8% increase across U.S. in drivers traveling this Thanksgiving

    “if you’re heading to the high country or really driving anywhere across Colorado over the holiday period, know that summer heat is really bad on your car’s battery, but you don’t notice until it starts to get cold. So at about 30 degrees outside, it takes six times more cranking power for your car, and your battery has less capacity.” he explained. “Now is the time if you’ve got winter tires, to put them on your car.”

    He also mentioned penalties you could see if your car is not properly equipped for the colder weather, noting the traction laws in Colorado. Those traction laws could result in fines up to $650.

    “On I-70 from the Morrison at Red Rocks to Dotsero exits, if you don’t have the right equipment and you cause a slowdown, you can be fine,” McKinley said. “So really, there are consequences beyond just sliding around to not having the right equipment.”

    Denver7

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  • As flight restrictions end, record Thanksgiving travel projected on roads and airports – WTOP News

    AAA said a record 82 million Americans are projected to hit the roads, skies or rails this Thanksgiving, which is the single busiest holiday for travelers.

    Now that the Federal Aviation Administration has lifted all restrictions on commercial flights imposed at 40 airports during the government shutdown, a record number of Thanksgiving travelers will have some clarity.

    AAA said a record 82 million Americans are projected to hit the roads, skies or rails this Thanksgiving, which is the single busiest holiday for travelers.

    Nearly 90% of Thanksgiving travelers — at least 73 million — will do it by car, according to AAA. The number could end up being higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of fly, following the recent flight cancellations and uncertainty.

    With the lifting of all air traffic restrictions, AAA projects 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase over 2024.

    According to AAA data, the average cost of a roundtrip domestic flight is $700, which is about same as last year.

    For air travelers renting cars at their destination, AAA said domestic car rentals are 15% cheaper than last Thanksgiving season.

    Thanksgiving travelers who are driving will pay about the same at the pump as last year, when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.06 on Thanksgiving Day.

    If you’ll be traveling by car, AAA said the best time to hit the highways during the long holiday is in the morning.

    The worst days for car travel will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

    The absolute worst in the D.C. region, according to AAA, citing transportation data and insights provider INRIX: Traveling on Tuesday, at 4:30 in the afternoon, between D.C. and Baltimore on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway could take 1 hour and 50 minutes, two-and-a-half times as long as it usually takes.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Neal Augenstein

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  • A record 81.8 million Americans set to travel over Thanksgiving, AAA says

    A record 81.8 million Americans are set to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, with about 90% planning to drive to their destinations, according to a new forecast from AAA. 

    Compared with the Thanksgiving holiday a year earlier, an additional 1.6 million people are predicted to travel more than 50 miles from their homes between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, the automobile group said. That would represent a new record for Turkey Day travel, which has rebounded since dipping to 56.8 million travelers in 2020, when the pandemic caused people to cancel their plans. 

    Despite the disruption to air travel during the longest-running government shutdown in U.S. history, which ended Nov. 12, AAA projects that about 6.1 million Americans will fly during Thanksgiving week, up 2% from a year earlier. Flight cancellations have dropped since the end of the shutdown, which had prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to throttle air traffic at dozens of busy airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. 

    On Sunday, the FAA said it was lifting all restrictions on commercial flights, allowing airlines to resume their regular schedules beginning Monday at 6 a.m. EST. 

    Still, some travelers may opt to drive this year rather than fly due to the recent flight disruptions caused by the shutdown, AAA said.

    “A lot of air travelers have been taking a wait-and-see approach to Thanksgiving and riding out the recent cancellations and recent reductions in the hopes their flight will be okay come Thanksgiving week,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz told CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave. 

    About 73 million people plan to drive to their Thanksgiving destinations this year, a 1.3 million increase from the same period in 2024. The busiest pick-up day for car rentals is expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 26, according to car rental agency Hertz. 

    Some drivers could get a financial break this year, with domestic car rentals 15% cheaper this Thanksgiving versus a year earlier, AAA said. Gasoline is about the same price as last year, with the average per-gallon cost at about $3.07, AAA data shows. The group recommends that drivers fill up the night before they leave for their Thanksgiving trips. 

    Edited by

    Alain Sherter

    Kris Van Cleave

    contributed to this report.

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  • Denver7 with Labor Day travel tips as FAA projects busiest weekend in years

    DENVER — Whether you’re traveling by car or plane this Labor Day weekend, you can expect company! The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is projecting the busiest travel weekend in 15 years.

    We’re sharing some travel tips from the experts to help your holiday weekend run smoothly.

    Denver International Airport

    429,000 passengers are expected to pass through Denver International Airport’s security checkpoints, according to airport officials.

    Denver7 spoke with airport spokesperson Michael Konopasek ahead of the rush.

    Denver7

    He said many travelers aren’t taking advantage of east security, which just opened last month.

    “But what’s kind of, I think, a cool travel hack during this Labor Day travel weekend is that East security sees some shorter lines sometimes. So if you can go over to E security, especially if you’re a pre -check customer,” Konopasek said. “We’re trying to get some of those pre-check customers going over to East security, getting them used to that new security checkpoint so they know that that’s an option as well.

    Parking at DIA

    If you plan to park at DIA, there are fewer spots than usual.

    Improvements are being made to both the West Economy Lot and West Garage, temporarily reducing the number of spots.

    Before heading to the airport, you can check availability at FlyDenver.com/parking.

    Mountain travel

    If you’re heading westbound on I-70 this weekend, AAA says it’s best to hit the road early.

    “We’ll see a lot of those folks on our roadways heading up and down I-70, up and down Highway 285,” said AAA Regional Director of Public Affairs Skyler McKinley. “Expect that kind of traffic in the traditional tourist hotspots…Vail pass, headed to Steamboat, headed to Aspen, as well as the broader Intermountain West.”

    Screenshot 2025-08-29 at 8.55.25 PM.png

    Denver7

    All construction projects will be suspended until Tuesday to limit potential backups, according to CDOT.

    You can always check for any closures or crashes by heading to CoTrip.org.

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  • What makes these the 100 deadliest days on the road — and what you can do about it – WTOP News

    What makes these the 100 deadliest days on the road — and what you can do about it – WTOP News

    We are now in the middle of what some road safety advocates refer to as the 100 deadliest days — the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when millions of Americans hit the road. Whether by car, by bike, or on foot, there’s more people traveling, more traffic — and more crashes.

    We are now in the middle of what some road safety advocates refer to as the 100 deadliest days — the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when millions of Americans hit the road. Whether by car, by bike or on foot, there’s more people traveling, more traffic and more crashes.

    Just since Memorial Day, the numbers show people getting hurt in crashes has ticked up slightly. Before Memorial Day, D.C. averaged nine major injuries every 10 days and one fatality every 10 days on its roads, according to city data. Since Memorial Day, there have been 11 major injuries and two fatalities every 10 days.

    Approaching the holiday weekend, many Americans will spend the next four days with barbecue and beverages. But a trip to see the fireworks or to the next barbecue is a bad decision if you’ve been imbibing.

    “We continue to see about a third of our crashes are tied to impairment,” said Rick Birt, director of the D.C. Office of Highway Safety. “Alcohol, drugs, medication, a lot of things that people don’t think impair them behind the wheel.”

    He’s pushing anyone out celebrating the Fourth of July with alcohol or drugs to use the free Sober Ride offer through Lyft from the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, which kicks off at 3 p.m. Thursday.

    Even those who are sober when they get behind the wheel, but drive in an aggressive or unsafe manner, will be highly sought after by police.

    “We continue to see that speed is a leading cause of fatalities, injuries and crashes,” said Birt. “About one-third of the crashes that happened last summer were tied to speed. So my big message is slow down. It’s not worth it. Speeding does catch up with you.”

    He noted D.C. police have been conducting weekly traffic safety checkpoints, and beyond that, the department will be cracking down on speeding the rest of the summer.

    “We obviously have a historic investment in our automated traffic enforcement,” Birt said. But D.C. officers are “looking for those dangerous motorists, so slow down to get where you’re going safely. It’s not worth it.”

    Birt also pointed out that with more distractions in the car — about a third of drivers admit to using their cellphones while driving — it’s also important for anyone on the road but not in a car to pay attention to what’s going on around them.

    More than 2,100 teenagers are killed in car crashes every year, and AAA said 31% of those crashes happen during the summer months, which is why this time of year is referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days. Six of every 10 total crashes involving teens were caused at least in part by distracted driving, the organization said.

    D.C. tracks road fatalities on its Vision Zero dashboard.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    John Domen

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  • Travel delays before July 4th holiday

    Travel delays before July 4th holiday

    Travel delays before July 4th holiday – CBS News


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    Some airports are reporting delays for Americans hoping to travel before the Independence Day holiday weekend rush. CBS News Philadelphia’s Nikki Dementri has more on the crowds at Philadelphia International Airport.

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  • Analyst: Gas prices should plateau or decrease through the rest of the year – WTOP News

    Analyst: Gas prices should plateau or decrease through the rest of the year – WTOP News

    Gas prices are currently down compared to the same time last year, and experts predict they will likely continue to plateau through the rest of the year.

    Gas prices are currently down compared to the same time last year, and experts predict they will likely continue to plateau through the rest of the year.

    The current national average for a gallon of regular gas is about $3.40, according to AAA.

    Last year around this time, the average was nearly $3.60 a gallon.

    David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, a national trade association that focuses on gas prices and energy policy, said the national gas inventory is relatively high.

    “Through the rest of the summer, prices could trickle down just a little bit,” Holt said. “Once you get into fall and winter, you could continue to see gasoline prices go down a little bit more.”

    In the District, according to AAA, the current average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.60, compared to $3.70 a year ago.

    Virginia has an average of $3.30 a gallon, which is exactly where it was at this time last year. Maryland’s average sits at $3.50 a gallon, which is up slightly compared to the state’s average of $3.45 a year ago.

    “Folks aren’t driving as much as we expected them to drive, so that reduced demand this summer means we’ve seen prices come down a little bit,” Holt said.

    Holt put much of the blame on inflation.

    “The cumulative impact of inflation is adding up, and we are seeing some changed habits that maybe we didn’t expect we’d see,” Holt said. “I think that when you look at inflation and the impact it’s having on the average family, it’s removing some disposable income they otherwise would have.”

    Despite that, people have been taking more vacations in record numbers this year.

    Airlines nationwide expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and Aug. 31, breaking the record of 255 million set last summer.

    A record was recently broken ahead of Memorial Day weekend for the overall number of airline travelers.

    More than 2.9 million travelers were screened at airports on the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, surpassing a previous record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Nick Iannelli

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  • Leaked Xbox Boss Email Perfectly Explains Why Game Publishers Are Eating Themselves Alive

    Leaked Xbox Boss Email Perfectly Explains Why Game Publishers Are Eating Themselves Alive

    You probably saw a ton of headlines about Xbox leaks this week: new hardware, upcoming games, Game Pass costs, acquisition strategies. A trove of unredacted documents accidentally uploaded to a federal court’s case server gave the world an unprecedented look into the secret machinations of the gaming wing of a $2 trillion tech giant. But if you check out just one leak from this historic week for Xbox it should be Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s analysis of what’s currently plaguing triple-A video game publishers.

    Thank You, PS Plus, For Making My Backlog Even Bigger

    His analysis was in an email exchange from March 2020, in the midst of the Xbox team planning ahead of a feedback meeting with Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two. “In terms of subscriptions and the impact on larger publishers I realized that I haven’t really done a good job sharing our view on the disruption AAA publishers potentially see and how their role in the industry will likely change with the growth in subscription platforms like Xbox Game Pass,” Spencer wrote (the memo was directed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, CFO Amy Hood, then-executive business VP Peggy Johnson, and head of marketing Chris Capossela).

    The head of Xbox, who first joined Microsoft as an intern back in 1988 and has been working on the gaming side of its business for over 20 years now, proceeded to diagnose the current state of big publishers as they face wave after wave of market disruption. It was a cogent, incisive commentary on the fears driving an ever-shrinking class of mega gaming companies that are clinging harder and harder to the few big-budget franchises they have that still pay out.

    Spencer lays out how publishers once existed to leverage scale in negotiations with retailers for shelf space. Then everything changed. “The creation of digital storefronts like Steam, Xbox Store and PlayStation Store eventually democratized access for creators breaking physical retail’s lock on game distribution,” he writes. “Publishers were slow to react to this disruption. The AAA publishers did not find a way to leverage the moat that physical retail created in the digital realm in a way that had them continue their dominance of the game marketplace.”

    Companies like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft eventually made their own middle-man clients to try and get around platform fees, and a few later followed up with their own subscription services. None of them were built early enough or offered a compelling enough alternative to get big. Players complained about bad UI and bad deals. Franchises like Call of Duty and Madden that had once abandoned Steam returned. Game Pass got big while EA Play and Ubisoft+ stayed small. The only competitive advantage publishers have left is being able to pour more money than anyone else into annualized blockbusters.

    Spencer writes,

    Over the past 5-7 years, the AAA publishers have tried to use production scale as their new moat. Very few companies can afford to spend the $200M an Activision or Take 2 spend to put a title like Call of Duty or Red Dead Redemption on the shelf. These AAA publishers have, mostly, used this production scale to keep their top franchises in the top selling games each year. The issue these publishers have run into is these same production scale/cost approach hurts their ability to create new IP. The hurdle rate on new IP at these high production levels have led to risk aversion by big publishers on new IP. You’ve seen a rise of AAA publishers using rented IP to try to offset the risk (Star Wars with EA, Spiderman with Sony, Avatar with Ubisoft etc). This same dynamic has obviously played out in Hollywood as well with Netflix creating more new IP than any of the movie studios.

    Specifically, the AAA game publishers, starting from a position of strength driven from physical retail have failed to create any real platform effect for themselves. They effectively continue to build their scale through aggregated per game P&Ls hoping to maximize each new release of their existing IP.

    In the new world where a AAA publisher don’t have real distribution leverage with consumers, they don’t have production efficiencies and their new IP hit rate is not disproportionately higher than the industry average we see that the top franchises today were mostly not created by AAA game publishers. Games like Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, Candy Crush, Clash Royale, DOTA2 etc. were all created by independent studios with full access to distribution. Overall this, imo, is a good thing for the industry but does put AAA publishers, in a precarious spot moving forward. AAA publishers are milking their top franchises but struggling to refill their portfolio of hit franchises, most AAA publishers are riding the success of franchises created 10+ years ago.

    It’s a brutal assessment but a fair one. Sequels, remakes, and spin-offs dominate at the big publishers. Companies from Sony to Ubisoft are slashing more off-beat projects and development teams to focus almost exclusively on games that have a chance of selling over 10 million copies. Meanwhile, the development schedules are getting longer and budgets are ballooning, making it increasingly harder for even the biggest publishers to absorb even a disappointing release, let alone a disastrous one. If none of that sounds sustainable it’s because it’s not.

    Microsoft’s answer to this is Game Pass, not out of the goodness of its heart but because it sees a new platform it can scale to feed the financial growth demanded by investors. “Our goal is to find a way to both grow our subscription (which is our new platform) and help the AAA publishers build towards a successful future,” Spencer writes. “For publishers with 2-3 scale franchises that’s a difficult transition. Again, taking a clue from Hollywood, it’s not clear how a standalone subscale media publisher grows is this world without adapting to new paradigms or getting consolidated but we believe we can help a Take2 by increasing monetizable [total addressable market] across more endpoints inside of a global platform like Xbox Game Pass (inclusive of xCloud).”

    The suggestion here is that the type of game that can thrive on a subscription service is either a small one that benefits from better curation and visibility or a live-service one that can make up revenue on the backend by charging all the new players microtransactions (the new store shelves are inside the games themselves). That’s also a pretty grim assessment, and probably part of the reason Sony has repeatedly said that bringing its big first-party exclusive games like Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us to its competing PS Plus service day-and-date would cripple the economics of blockbuster production.

    Read More: The Massive Xbox Leak: 11 Big Reveals

    Spencer’s email was written over three years ago at this point, and was aimed largely at trying to summarize the current state of the industry for his bosses. We can see how things have played out since, though. Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts have decided to collaborate with Game Pass, and EA Play is now part of the service. Microsoft, meanwhile, gobbled up ZeniMax (including Bethesda Game Studios), and is now on the cusp of doing the same with subscription holdouts Activision Blizzard. All while smaller competitors like Embracer go into a tailspin.

    It’s not clear who the big publisher model was serving after physical games died, outside of the richly compensated CEOs and occasional shareholder buybacks. But it’s also not yet clear that whatever replaces them will serve anyone—developers, players, fans—any better.

    You can see the email exchange in its entirety below:

    Ethan Gach

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  • In Rare Move, J-Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out As Gay

    In Rare Move, J-Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out As Gay

    By Emerson Pearson.
    Published:

    J-Pop idol Shinjiro Atae, a member of the renowned group AAA, shared his truth with over 2,000 fans at a fan meet in Tokyo on Wednesday.

    According to EW, he proudly announced that he is a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The crowd erupted with applause as Atae, 34, opened up about his journey to self-acceptance and offered support to others facing similar struggles.


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    Atae unveiled a touching new song titled “Into The Light” to mark the momentous occasion. Even more inspiring, a portion of the song’s proceeds will be donated to Pride House Tokyo, Japan’s first LGBTQ+ center, and ReBit, an organization aiding LGBTQ+ youth.

    Shinjiro Atae
    — Photo: Nina Menconi

    Atae’s announcement is particularly significant in Japan, where advocates push for stronger pro-LGBTQ+ legislation. As one of the first API idols to come out, he hopes his story will encourage inclusivity and empower others to embrace their true selves.

    The music video for “Into the Light” captures Shinjiro’s emotional journey, directed by Tsubasa Maruno. It portrays the darkness and loneliness he experienced before finding acceptance.


    READ MORE:
    Elliot Page Says His Creativity Was ‘Devoured’ By ‘Shame And Dysphoria’ Before Coming Out As Trans

    Moreover, Atae revealed he is teaming up with Oscar-winning producers Peter Farrelly and Fisher Stevens for a documentary about his life, directed by creative duo Carlie Mantilla-Jordan and John Eliot Jordan.

    Atae’s move to public self-acceptance shines a positive spotlight on LGBTQ+ representation as he’s achieved 7 No. 1 albums in Japan and three No. 1 singles.

    Emerson Pearson

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  • AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida


    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida

    02:30

    AAA will not renew the auto and home insurance policies for some customers in Florida, joining a growing list of insurers dialing back their presence in the Sunshine State amid a growing risk of natural disasters.

    “Unfortunately, Florida’s insurance market has become challenging in recent years,” the company said in a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch. “Last year’s catastrophic hurricane season contributed to an unprecedented rise in reinsurance rates, making it more costly for insurance companies to operate.”

    AAA declined to say how many customers won’t have their policies renewed, saying only that the change will affect “a small percentage” of policy holders.

    The company is the fourth insurer over the last year say it is backing away from insuring Floridians, a sign extreme weather linked to climate change is destabilizing the insurance market. Farmers Insurance recently said it will no longer offer coverage in the state, affecting roughly 100,000 customers. 

    Farmers said the move will affect only company-branded policies, which make up about 30% of its policies sold in the state.

    Bankers Insurance and Lexington Insurance, a subsidiary of AIG, left Florida last year, saying recent natural disasters have made it too expensive to insure residents. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole devastated Florida in 2022, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing a total about about 150 people.

    Under Florida law, companies are required to give three months’ notice to the Office of Insurance Regulation before they tell customers their policies won’t be renewed.

    Some insurers in Florida have gone out of business in recent years, brought down by massive payouts from storms. Still, drivers and homeowners who AAA dropped have options for finding a new insurer. Hundreds of companies — including Allstate, Esurance, Geico, Hartford and 21st Century — still offer policies in the state, according to Florida’s database of insurance companies. 

    Soaring homeowner costs

    Already, homeowners in the state pay about three times as much for insurance coverage as the national average, and rates this year are expected to soar about 40%. 

    Insurance companies are leaving Florida even as lawmakers in December passed legislation aimed at stabilizing the market. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that, among other things, creates a $1 billion reinsurance fund and puts disincentives in place to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The law takes effect in October. 

    AAA said it’s encouraged by the new measure, but noted “those improvements will take some time to fully materialize and until they do, AAA, like all other providers in the state, are forced to make tough decisions to manage risk and catastrophe exposure.”

    Insurers are staging a similar exodus in California, where AIG, Allstate and State Farm have stopped taking on new customers, saying that wildfires are driving up the costs of underwriting policies. Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

    According to data compiled by the industry-supported Insurance Information Institute, California has more than 1.2 million homes at risk for extreme wildfire, far more than any other state.

    Insurance premiums are also rising in Colorado because of wildfire risks, and an Oregon effort to map wildfire risk was rejected last year because of fears it would cause premiums to skyrocket.

    Khristopher J. Brooks

    Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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  • AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida


    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida

    02:30

    AAA will not renew the auto and home insurance policies for some customers in Florida, joining a growing list of insurers dialing back their presence in the Sunshine State amid a growing risk of natural disasters.

    “Unfortunately, Florida’s insurance market has become challenging in recent years,” the company said in a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch. “Last year’s catastrophic hurricane season contributed to an unprecedented rise in reinsurance rates, making it more costly for insurance companies to operate.”

    AAA declined to say how many customers won’t have their policies renewed, saying only that the change will affect “a small percentage” of policy holders.

    The company is the fourth insurer over the last year say it is backing away from insuring Floridians, a sign extreme weather linked to climate change is destabilizing the insurance market. Farmers Insurance recently said it will no longer offer coverage in the state, affecting roughly 100,000 customers. 

    Farmers said the move will affect only company-branded policies, which make up about 30% of its policies sold in the state.

    Bankers Insurance and Lexington Insurance, a subsidiary of AIG, left Florida last year, saying recent natural disasters have made it too expensive to insure residents. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole devastated Florida in 2022, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing a total about about 150 people.

    Under Florida law, companies are required to give three months’ notice to the Office of Insurance Regulation before they tell customers their policies won’t be renewed.

    Soaring homeowner costs

    Already, homeowners in the state pay about three times as much for insurance coverage as the national average, and rates this year are expected to soar about 40%. 

    Insurance companies are leaving Florida even as lawmakers in December passed legislation aimed at stabilizing the market. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that, among other things, creates a $1 billion reinsurance fund and puts disincentives in place to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The law takes effect in October. 

    AAA said it’s encouraged by the new measure, but noted “those improvements will take some time to fully materialize and until they do, AAA, like all other providers in the state, are forced to make tough decisions to manage risk and catastrophe exposure.”

    Insurers are staging a similar exodus in California, where AIG, Allstate and State Farm have stopped taking on new customers, saying that wildfires are driving up the costs of underwriting policies. Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

    According to data compiled by the industry-supported Insurance Information Institute, California has more than 1.2 million homes at risk for extreme wildfire, far more than any other state.

    Insurance premiums are also rising in Colorado because of wildfire risks, and an Oregon effort to map wildfire risk was rejected last year because of fears it would cause premiums to skyrocket.

    Khristopher J. Brooks

    Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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  • AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida


    Fewer options for property insurance in Florida

    02:30

    AAA will not renew the auto and home insurance policies for some customers in Florida, joining a growing list of insurers exiting the Sunshine State amid a growing risk of natural disasters.

    “Unfortunately, Florida’s insurance market has become challenging in recent years,” the company said in a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch. “Last year’s catastrophic hurricane season contributed to an unprecedented rise in reinsurance rates, making it more costly for insurance companies to operate.”

    AAA declined to say how many customers won’t have their policies renewed, saying only that the change will affect “a small percentage” of policy holders.

    The company is the fourth insurer over the last year say it is backing away from insuring Floridians, a sign extreme weather linked to climate change is destabilizing the insurance market. On Tuesday, Farmers Insurance said it will no longer offer coverage in the state, affecting roughly 100,000 customers. 

    Farmers said the move will affect only company-branded policies, which make up about 30% of its policies sold in the state.

    Bankers Insurance and Lexington Insurance, a subsidiary of AIG, left Florida last year, saying recent natural disasters have made it too expensive to insure residents. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole devastated Florida in 2022, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing a total about about 150 people.

    Under Florida law, companies are required to give three months’ notice to the Office of Insurance Regulation before they tell customers their policies won’t be renewed.

    Soaring homeowner costs

    Already, homeowners in the state pay about three times as much for insurance coverage as the national average, and rates this year are expected to soar about 40%. 

    Insurance companies are leaving Florida even as lawmakers in December passed legislation aimed at stabilizing the market. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that, among other things, creates a $1 billion reinsurance fund and puts disincentives in place to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The law takes effect in October. 

    AAA said it’s encouraged by the new measure, but noted “those improvements will take some time to fully materialize and until they do, AAA, like all other providers in the state, are forced to make tough decisions to manage risk and catastrophe exposure.”

    Insurers are staging a similar exodus in California, where AIG, Allstate and State Farm have stopped taking on new customers, saying that wildfires are driving up the costs of underwriting policies. 

    Khristopher J. Brooks

    Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

    Source link

  • United Airlines passengers affected by flight havoc to receive travel vouchers

    United Airlines passengers affected by flight havoc to receive travel vouchers

    Cancellations still impacting air travel at Denver International Airport


    Cancellations still impacting air travel at Denver International Airport

    03:00

    United Airlines has distributed 30,000 miles to travelers whose flights were canceled or delayed due to bad weather and air traffic gridlock last week.

    Customers who experienced overnight delays or never reached their destinations between June 24 and June 30 received the vouchers, a United representative told CBS MoneyWatch. The 30,000 miles are redeemable for a ticket between more than 8,000 cities in the continental U.S., according to the airline.

    The travel hold-ups occurred during what United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called one of the “most operationally challenging weeks of [his] career.”

    “Airlines can plan for things like hurricanes, sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms, but United has never seen an extended limited operating environment like the one we saw this past week at Newark,” Kirby told employees in a July 1 email.

    CEO takes off on private jet

    Kirby has faced backlash for chartering a flight on his private jet last week, flying from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Denver, Colorado, during the travel disruptions. He later apologized for the move.

    “Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” Kirby said last weekend in a statement. 

    United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby
    Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, faced backlash for chartering a flight on his private jet last week, during the travel disruptions. He later apologized for the move.

    Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images


    More than 40,000 flights arrived behind schedule between June 24 and June 30, and nearly 8,000 were canceled, according to data from flight tracker FlightAware. On Friday alone, roughly 8% of United flights were canceled and 45% were delayed, making it one of the hardest hit U.S.-based airlines. 

    Cancellations and delays continue to roil travelers’ plans during the Fourth of July weekend, which was on track to be one of the busiest Independence Day weekends for travel in U.S. history, AAA forecasted. As of Monday morning, there were 182 flight cancellations reported in the past 24 hours at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of United Airlines’ northeast travel hubs, data from FlightAware shows.

    Meteorologists predict rainy weather and thunderstorms will continue to move through the New York metro area on Monday and Tuesday, which could impact more flights. However, the travel disruptions are also the result of aircraft backups at Newark airport, which reduced the number of departing aircrafts at Newark by 60%-75% for an average of 6 to 8 hours each day, Kirby said in his email. 

    “Severely limited” capacity

    “Airlines, including United, simply aren’t designed to have their largest hub have its capacity severely limited for four straight days and still operate successfully,” Kirby said.

    Staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Agency, which performs air traffic control duties in the U.S., have aggravated travel disruptions, Kirby said last week. 

    Due to that combination of issues, United’s leaders are planning to modify schedules at Newark airport. 

    “We are going to have to further change/reduce our schedule to give ourselves even more spare gates and buffer — especially during thunderstorm season,” Kirby said in his email to employees.

    United has not provided additional details about those schedule changes as of publication time. 

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  • 5/27: CBS Weekend News

    5/27: CBS Weekend News

    5/27: CBS Weekend News – CBS News


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    Warm weather greets travelers for busy Memorial Day weekend; Florida panther on the brink of extinction makes a comeback

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  • Warm weather greets travelers for busy Memorial Day weekend

    Warm weather greets travelers for busy Memorial Day weekend

    Warm weather greets travelers for busy Memorial Day weekend – CBS News


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    According to AAA, at least 37 million Americans were expected to drive at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend. And many were hitting the beaches thanks to warm temperatures as the unofficial start of summer arrived. Shanelle Kaul has more.

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  • Airports brace for millions of Memorial Day travelers

    Airports brace for millions of Memorial Day travelers

    Airports brace for millions of Memorial Day travelers – CBS News


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    AAA estimates that more than 42 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, the highest number since 2005. Of those, 3.4 million are expected to fly to their destination. Kris Van Cleave has more.

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  • Fliers brace for busy Memorial Day travel weekend

    Fliers brace for busy Memorial Day travel weekend

    Fliers brace for busy Memorial Day travel weekend – CBS News


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    AAA estimating this could be the busiest Memorial Day holiday travel weekend for airports since 2005. Complicating issues for travelers is soaring airfare prices, coupled with fewer flights. Elise Preston has more.

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