Latest news with #policychanges
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines Admits Sales Slumped After Ending Free Bags
Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines announced several major policy changes in an attempt to boost the airline's slumping profits. This was highlighted by the decision to begin charging for checked bags, ending its longstanding "bags fly free" policy. However, it seems like profits are still slumping and that this move hurt sales. Back in May, Southwest Airlines officially ended its longstanding "bags fly free" policy, which previously allowed all customers to bring two checked bags free of charge. Under the new policy, passengers must pay $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for a second. While many customers quickly expressed their displeasure at the move, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan defended the move. "I know that we have some that are not happy - and we have many, many, many that are happy," he said last month. "You have to keep talking because sometimes people don't understand what you're doing. What I find is that once folks know where we're headed, they're very excited. I think you just have to play through this period of change because change is hard." However, Southwest recently admitted a telling truth after ending free bags. On Wednesday, Southwest Airlines posted second-quarter earnings that were not exactly optimistic. According to CNBC, Southwest Airlines posted net income of $213 million, which is down 42 percent over last year. Even more tellingly, however, Southwest Airlines admitted that its sale of basic economy fares suffered after ending free bags. While the airline says that those sales have returned to 'expected levels,' according to CNBC, it admits that the changes hurt its unit revenue in the second quarter by half a point and would hurt unit revenue by about a point in the third quarter. Needless to say, it seems that ending free bags has not provided a major boost to Southwest Airlines. In fact, if anything, it seems like it has hurt sales. Southwest Airlines Admits Sales Slumped After Ending Free Bags first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 24, 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utahns weigh in on Trump's job performance and key issues six months in
The first six months of President Donald Trump's second term brought a whirlwind of executive orders, trade deals, and significant policy changes. While he celebrated the recent passage of his major legislative tax package, dubbed the 'big, beautiful bill,' the president has also had a tumultuous month dealing with the fallout over his administration's decision not to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, Trump continues to travel and meet with foreign leaders to discuss new trade agreements as they look to avoid the president's tariffs. Trump and his envoys have also actively engaged in trying to end foreign conflicts with varying degrees of success, including the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, and Israel and Iran. In the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX, Utahns were asked if they approve or disapprove of Trump's job performance so far. While a majority of the state's voters approve of the president's performance so far, they had a more mixed reaction to his policies. Among the 802 Utah voters surveyed, 54% said they strongly or somewhat approve of the job Trump is doing in the White House, which is down slightly from his 56% job approval in May. Voters were also asked to weigh in on Vice President JD Vance's job performance, with 50% of Utah voters saying they approve of his work so far in the administration, compared to 33% who disapprove and 17% who said they were unsure. Utahns weigh in on Trump's policies In the latest survey, Utah voters were also asked how well they think Trump is doing on key issues and campaign promises. Generally, Utahns approve of Trump's actions on most issues. He did best among voters in the state on his approach to immigration and reducing the cost of government. Trump earned a 56% approval rating from Utahns on both issues. But on these issues, as with most others, there was a deep partisan split in Trump's job approval. On immigration, 77% of Utah Republicans said they approve of the job Trump is doing, while only 15% of Utah Democrats said the same. On reducing the cost of government, 77% of Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing, compared to 14% of Democrats. On both issues, 42% of independents said they like the job Trump is doing, while disapproval on immigration and cost cutting hovered around 50%. Jason Perry, the director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said Trump continues to receive 'solid support' from voters in Utah. 'Utahns are well acquainted with him, his style, and his policies, and that familiarity seems to be creating a consistent level of support. That approval appears to be driven by a sense that Trump is focused on the issues many Utah voters care about most, especially immigration and the economy,' Perry said. 'When voters feel that kind of alignment, it can outweigh other concerns and lead to a consistent level of approval.' Voters in the state continue to rank Trump favorably on foreign affairs issues. Overall, he earns a 52% approval rating for handling foreign affairs. On the Israel-Iran conflict, voters in Utah gave the president a 54% approval rating. While Trump is largely viewed in a positive light by voters in the state, there are some issues where Utahns are split. On the campaign trail and since being back in office, Trump has blamed inflation on former President Joe Biden and sought to bring down costs on everyday goods — even as economists say his tariffs could hike prices. According to the survey, 49% of Utah voters approve of Trump's work to tackle inflation, with 45% expressing disapproval. Perry said inflation was a major issue for voters in the lead up to the 2024 election and has remained 'top of mind.' In Utah, Trump receives 'mixed reviews' from voters on the issue, he said. Another major marker of Trump's time back in office has been his expansive tariff agenda. The president added major tariffs on about 90 countries on what he dubbed 'Liberation Day' in early April, shaking up global markets and forcing global leaders to come to the table to try to strike trade deals. While Trump has remained confident in his tariff plan, Utahns are evenly split on how they feel about the issue. The survey found that 47% of voters approved of Trump's actions on tariffs, while 47% disapproved and 6% were not sure. Perry noted that voters are even more divided on Trump's approach to tariffs and trade than on inflation. 'Voters may support the broader message, but many are not seeing the changes they hoped for in their grocery bills or other expenses,' Perry said. 'These are personal, pocketbook issues, and they hit close to home.' 'They are also harder to explain away with talking points which is why, regardless of party, this is where Trump earned his lowest marks from Utah voters,' he added. Other trends Trump is still popular among Republicans in Utah, with 76% saying they approve of the job he is doing six months into his second term. Democrats in the state remain strongly opposed to Trump and his policies, with 88% disapproving of the president's performance. Independent voters in Utah also largely disapprove of Trump's job in the Oval Office, with 61% expressing disapproval and just 35% who say the president has done a good job. Similar to previous surveys, Trump is favored more by men (57%) than women (48%), and slightly more by white voters (53%) than Hispanic voters (50%). Among Latter-day Saint voters, Trump had a 60% job approval rating. The age demographic with the highest number of voters who approve of the job the president is doing is 35-49 year olds (57%), while Utahns over 65 were least likely to approve (48%).
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Yahoo
Juvenile Services announces improvements to electronic monitoring policies
The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services announced changes to their electronic monitoring policies. The changes will reflect a more proactive agency role. READ MORE:
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Breaks Its Silence on Major Changes
Earlier this month, Carnival Cruises went viral on social media when the prominent cruise line shared several significant policy changes. After the changes caused quite a stir on social media, the cruise line has broken its silence on the matter. In recent weeks, Carnival Cruises has shared messages reiterating what it describes as a renewed commitment to safety and 'respectful behavior' onboard their ships. These policies include curfews for minors, marijuana restrictions, stricter adherence to drinking limits, and bans on Bluetooth speakers and handheld fans. Additionally, as reported by The Root last week, several Black customers have noticed that rap and hip-hop music is no longer on board the ships, claiming that DJs have declined their requests for hip-hop songs. Obviously, all of these changes have caused quite a stir on social media, with many customers expressing their displeasure. Now, a representative of the cruise line has officially addressed the matter. In a statement to Parade this week, a spokesperson for Carnival Cruises claimed that the rules are intended to promote a more peaceful environment for all passengers and are not intended to be any form of cultural erasure. In fact, the spokesperson pointed out that many of these rules that are now causing controversy have actually been in place for years. "Unfortunately, certain media outlets have blown this matter out of proportion," Matt Lupoli, Senior Manager of Public Relations at Carnival Cruise Line, told Parade. "We have always had a wide variety of entertainment options and for the last several years we have communicated our expectations about guest behavior,' he added. As for the perceived ban on hip-hop and rap music, Carnival denied such a move. Issuing a statement to the Daily Dot that says their DJs "play a wide variety of music, including hip-hop.' Regardless, it sounds like the cruise line is intending to move forward with these changes. Carnival Cruise Breaks Its Silence on Major Changes first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 7, 2025
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Welsh universities appeal for no more sudden policy changes
Universities in Wales have appealed for an end to sudden changes of government policies that have cut their incomes and made it difficult for them to before MPs, vice-chancellors said a failure, until recently, to raise student fees for inflation, a rise in employers' National Insurance contributions and visa rule changes reducing the numbers of overseas students had all had an impact. Restructuring plans, including university-wide voluntary redundancies schemes, have been announced by Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, Swansea, and the University of South limited plans have also been announced by University of Wales: Trinity Saint David. Earlier on Wednesday, a trade union urged the Welsh government to decide what it wanted from higher education and "properly" fund the sector to fulfil those vice-chancellor Prof Jon Timmis told the Welsh Affairs Committee at Westminster that there was now a need for a "stable policy landscape" to make it easier to plan for the said a "fit for purpose mechanism" was needed to put higher education in the UK on a sustainable footing. Prof Edmund Burke said Bangor University had "no choice" but to make savings to "ensure the financial stability of the institution".The university's executive board would meet on Thursday to start making decisions on its restructuring, he told the committee. It would do everything possible to avoid compulsory redundancies, he said, but was unable to completely rule them Burke also warned MPs that universities "couldn't go another decade" without student fees rising in line with inflation and institutions should work with the UK and Welsh governments to "determine a sustainable financial footing" for higher University's vice-chancellor Prof Wendy Larner said the sector was having to "reinvent itself" and would have to find "new revenue streams".She said she recognised that "governments are challenged" financially but that she was optimistic about the future of the university sector. The head of the body which funds and regulates universities in Wales warned last month that they face "massive" financial challenges but said that none were at risk of going bust in the next chief executive Simon Pirotte said the eight institutions reached a total deficit of £77m for 2023-24, compared to a £21m surplus the previous year. Earlier on Wednesday, higher education unions told members of a Senedd committee that some universities had responded to the financial challenges facing the sector better than University and College Union's Gareth Lloyd was critical of Cardiff University when asked about the vice-chancellor's defence of its approach in evidence to a previous committee meeting."I don't accept that Cardiff did the right thing," he told the Welsh Parliament's education committee."The danger is if we're not careful is this could have a really detrimental effect on students who [now] don't want to go there and that really really worries me," he official Dan Beard claimed senior leaders in other universities were "aghast" at the way Cardiff had handled its proposals to cut jobs and Jamie Insole, from the UCU, said Wrexham University was "in a firm situation" and Aberystwyth University has displayed "how a university can weather a financial storm" by working closely with Deio Owen, NUS Cymru president, told the committee: "There has been an impact on students and learners mental wellbeing due to proposed cut and the confirmed cuts that we've heard in the past few months.""That uncertainty does have a knock on effect," he added."You're paying for a service which you're not sure you're going to get." 'Catastrophic' In a paper for the education committee, Unison warned Senedd members that hundreds of expected job losses at universities across Wales would have a "catastrophic effect on staff, institutions, students, communities and the Welsh economy".In the document the union urged the Welsh government to decide what it wanted from higher education and "properly" fund the sector to fulfil those ministers "must produce a detailed industrial strategy which outlines the skills and number of graduates Wales requires for the future across a range of jobs and ensure universities have the capacity to train these young people", Unison said.
