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Democracy

The Biden administration’s new rule forces airlines to disclose all their hidden fees upfront

It’ll be so much easier to find a fair, honest deal.

joe biden, airline pricing, baggage fees
via Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office/Flickr and Tomas Del Coro/Flickr

Joe Biden's White House Competition Council is making airline prices transparent.

Have you ever seen a fantastic deal on an airplane ticket but as you are checking out you realize there are fees for just about everything? Your $99 airfare balloons up to $250 after you add baggage fees, carry-on charges, seat selection and insurance. Some airlines even charge an additional fee for unaccompanied minors.

Pretty soon, what seemed like a good deal on a cheap carrier costs more than if you bought a ticket on a full-service airline.

The Biden administration is announcing new rules that will make airline ticket fees more transparent to consumers. Under the proposed new rule, the first time your fee is displayed, travel websites will have to disclose any fees for baggage, cancellations or to sit with your child.


“Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “This new proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travelers make informed decisions and save money.”

After the changes take effect, it’ll be much easier for travelers to find the best deal without being suckered into paying more in hidden fees.

The new proposal is an initiative from the White House Competition Council, which the Biden administration established to find cost-saving measures to help consumers as well as boost competition across the economy.

The administration says that in over 75% of industries a smaller number of large companies now control more of the business than they did 20 years ago. The administration believes that this lack of competition drives up prices for consumers and drives down wages for workers.

"Healthy competition is a hallmark of healthy capitalism because when there's more competition, consumers end with lower prices and more options and workers get higher wages," White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said according to The Hill.

Some economists also argue that when only a small number of companies are in an industry it also works to kill innovation.

The new rule should make it easier for people to figure out the best deal for airfare. But it also encourages healthy, transparent business practices in which consumers aren’t getting duped into paying extra for a flight. Airlines whose business models are based around tricky, misleading tactics to get people to overpay for a flight, are essentially profiting off being dishonest.

We’d all rather live in a world where we choose who we fly with based on price, customer service and comfort rather than falling for a bait and switch. In this new business model, airlines that provide excellent service and value will do a lot better than those whose business models are all about deception. This will reward the airlines that treat customers best instead of putting them in a position to lose out to those that don't play fair.

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Business

A whole new generation wants to work with their hands

True

As AI makes daily headlines (and robots take over), I’ve been thinking more about the future of human work and the value of craftsmanship. Craftsmanship, the human trait that enables us to care for and love the work we produce, especially in the built environment.

Even as we make advancements and increase efficiencies in technology, the built world desperately needs more people who care about craft and want to work with their hands.

In construction specifically, the demand for housing—especially affordable housing—and safer roads and bridges is only increasing. And over 40% of skilled workers will retire in the next 10 years. We need new craftspeople more than ever. And, fast.
That’s why we started MT Copeland: to capture the craftsmanship seen in the built world around us (our homes, our workplaces, our cities), and help anyone learn directly from experienced professionals. We help craftspeople teach the skills they use on the job every day, and inspire others to make a career move into skilled careers. Carpenters, entrepreneurs building homes, painters, and even first-time homeowners can now use methods from generations past to make projects better.

The attention to detail in drywall, painting, or cabinet making requires a unique combination of technical prowess, problem-solving abilities, and an artistic eye. It’s the kind of work made only possible by human touch. Just when it starts to feel like everything’s destined to be automated, remember: some things simply must be made by human hands.

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Science

Astronaut shares the profound 'big lie' he realized after seeing the Earth from space

This change in perspective could change humanity.

via Rubén Moreno Montolíu/Flickr

Our home, from space.

Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the "overview effect." This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”

The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.

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space
Joy

Buffalo woman uses social media to save an elderly man's life after he's trapped in the snow

They don't call Buffalo the city of good neighbors for no reason.

Photo by Patino Jhon on Unsplash
vehicles covered in snow


The city of Buffalo, New York is called the "city of good neighbors." And with a blizzard that has dumped more than 50 inches of snow on them, the world is getting to learn how they earned that name.

A woman named Sha'Kyra Aughtry went viral on Facebook after she reluctantly put out an emotional plea. Aughtry went live on the platform explaining that she heard someone calling for help outside, so she sent her boyfriend out to see who needed assistance. Turns out, it was a 64-year-old developmentally disabled man by the name of Joey White, who was stuck in the cold snow. Aughtry's boyfriend helped the man out of the snow and physically carried him into the house.

White was so frozen that they had to use a hair dryer to melt the ice off of his pants that were frozen to him. The couple also had to cut his socks off along with the bags he was carrying, which were stuck to his hands. White was in a dire position and Aughtry, a mom of three preparing for Christmas, was desperate.

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buffalo blizzard
Health

Psychologist explains why everyone feels exhausted right now and it makes so much sense

Psychologist Naomi Holdt beautifully explained what's behind the overarching exhaustion people are feeling and it makes perfect sense.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

It seems like most people are feeling wiped out these days. There's a reason for that.

We're about to wrap up year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's been a weird ride, to say the least. These years have been hard, frustrating, confusing and tragic, and yet we keep on keeping on.

Except the keeping on part isn't quite as simple as it sounds. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc, we've sort of collectively decided to move on, come what may. This year has been an experiment in normalcy, but one without a testable hypothesis or clear design. And it's taken a toll. So many people are feeling tired, exhausted, worn thin ("like butter scraped over too much bread," as Bilbo Baggins put it) these days.

But why?

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psychology
Joy

Making friends as an adult is hard. These five tips from an expert can help.

Friendships never stop being important.

Canva

Making friends is hard. But maybe it doens't have to be THAT hard.

Making friends as an adult is definitely not like making friends as a kid.

Remember how easy it was to make a new friend when you were young? Five minutes sharing a slide and suddenly you're bonded for life.

But as we grow older, making friends can become much harder. So hard, in fact, that some people equate having a large group of close friends to a miracle.

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advice
Pop Culture

Brazilian singer stuns 'America's Got Talent' crowd with perfect Whitney Houston cover

"If Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey had a baby, it would be Gabriel."

America's Got Talent/YouTube

Talk about the voice of an angel.

When crisp, clear, so-high-they-might-reach-heaven notes are sung well, it feels like an otherworldly event. And when a guy is able to pull it off…whoa.

But Brazilian singer Gabriel Henrique made it all look so easy during his performance of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” for “America’s Got Talent.”

It feels safe to say that you better be prepared to deliver if you pick a song made famous by someone dubbed “The Voice,” and Henrique certainly did, leaving both the judges and the crowd completely stunned.

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music
Pop Culture

Man turns Geo Tracker into an adorable adult-sized 'Little Tikes Cozy Coupe'

It comes complete with feet hanging under the car.

Tikestrackercolo|TikTok

Man turns old car into adult-sized 'Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.'

You know how there are some things that always look cuter the smaller they are? Kind of like baby shoes or overalls—something about them being tiny makes them squeal-worthy.

Well, it turns out the same can be said about turning small things bigger. One man has had a lifelong dream of making a "Little Tikes Cozy Coupe" adult-sized, and recently he made his dream come true.

Even if you've never known the proper name for the plastic kids' vehicle, you'd likely easily recognize the nostalgic toy with its bright yellow and red doors that make a distinct suction-popping sound upon opening or closing them. But one of the best parts is that it's completely foot-powered like the "Flintstones," which is great for kids but not so much if you're trying to beat rush hour traffic.

The TikTok account @Tikestrackercolo posted a short video showing off the adult-sized replica of the Cozy Coupe.

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colorado cozy coupe
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