Laugh it up

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Costco wants its tariff money back, altitude sickness and alcohol don’t mix, foodmakers pivot to market to Ozempic users, and what Paul Stanley thought about being an Elder 🤔

Let’s get into it!

Consumer spending is comprises nearly 70% of America’s GDP, and consumer confidence is reaching new lows as the economy stalls amid prolonged uncertainty.

Yet another sign has materialized in recent weeks that it’s headed in the wrong direction: businesses are hiring fewer seasonal workers for the holidays.

“I think the uncertainty that we’ve seen in the economy and the retail businesses over the course of the year has led some retailers to sit on the sidelines a little bit when it comes to making some of these hiring decisions, because this is not a normal year from a historical perspective,” said National Retail Federation chief economist, Mark Matthews.

According to forecasts put out by the organization, businesses are expected to onboard between 265,000 and 365,000 holiday workers this year, a potential 40% drop from last year’s 442,000.

Part of the reason is that fewer full-time or permanent part-time staff are quitting these days, clinging to the jobs they have while uncertain they can find others as unemployment continues to rise.

According to outplacement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas, this year could see the smallest number of temporary employees brought on at any point since the 2009 financial crisis.

Costco on Friday became the latest company to sue for its right to a full refund if the Supreme Court of the United States rules against President Donald Trump and strikes down the mechanism by which he’s instituted most American tariffs.

Trump has been using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs, which several federal judges have now ruled unconstitutional, citing Congress’ sole authority to implement taxes (including tariffs).

The president appealed the lower court decisions, and it’s now in the hands of the Supreme Court to determine whether or not the bulk of tariffs imposed during Trump’s second term have been legal.

Costco generated over $275 billion in its fiscal year ending on Aug. 31, making it a behemoth undertaking to calculate exactly how much it owes the government in tariffs.

After Customs and Border Protection denied Costco’s request for more time to make those calculations, the warehouse giant sued to preserve potential refunds in the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan.

No date has been announced for delivering a decision.

With ski and snowboard season arriving quickly, many are excitedly anticipating their first outing of the year carving up the side of a mountain. It’s important to remember, however, that altitude sickness is real, and so are the effects of mixing it with alcohol.

“Alcohol interferes with acclimatization, dehydrates you, and suppresses breathing, which lower oxygen levels even more,” says Allie Buttarazzi MD, a double board-certified lifestyle and internal medicine physician. “I usually recommend avoiding or limiting alcohol, especially in the first few days at altitude, because even a couple of drinks can make symptoms like headache, nausea, and fatigue more intense.”

In other words, alcohol’s effects are amplified at higher altitudes, to say the least. One cocktail in Denver or Whistler could feel like five in New York or Toronto. On top of that, hangovers will be considerably worse, and that doesn’t even account for how it can interfere with other bodily functions or conditions.

“Many guests don’t fully understand how elevation affects their body and often assume their usual drinking habits will translate directly to higher altitudes. That’s not quite the case,” says Stuart Weaver, partner and general manager of Lady Jane in Denver.

“While true altitude sickness is uncommon in Denver, our elevation absolutely influences how quickly out-of-state guests may feel the impact of what they’re drinking, whether they realize it or not. It’s something we keep in mind every day, because understanding how our environment affects the body is part of responsible hospitality.”

According to a new report published by Circana, 35% of all food and beverage purchases in the United States will be made by people on GLP-1 products, such as Ozempic or WeGovy, by 2030.

Companies selling food and drink will need to pivot, according to the report, adjusting for new trends that are the direct result of semaglutide products, which supress the appetite and radically transform the eating and drinking habits of those taking them.

On top of appetite suppression, these products also drive users toward healthier food and beverage options, with an emphasis on protein, fiber, and hydration. Ultra-processed food and drink manufacturers will have their work cut out for them as GLP-1 users continue to make up a larger portion of the marketplace.

“The rise of GLP-1 medications is a huge moment for the CPG industry,” Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor for Circana, said in a statement. “Our research shows shopper priorities are evolving quickly and dramatically.

For years, Western governments have walked a tight rope between fully transitioning to electric vehicles by the middle of the 2030s, and stopping China from flooding their markets with cheap EVs.

While that was going on, however, China has been overproducing gas and gas-electric vehicles domestically, driving prices way down at a time when such cars are ultimately still more in demand than EVs almost anywhere in the world.

As those same Western governments are now pivoting to scale back what many have called quixotic aspirations to complete EV-powered transportation, Chinese automakers have been ramping up global exports of the very gas-powered vehicles that are once again in vogue.

According to a report published earlier this week by Reuters, eight of China’s top ten auto exporters are primarily selling gas-powered vehicles.

The combination of China’s domestic market still favoring EVs, international markets favoring internal combustion, and China having the ability to sell both to the world at significantly lower prices could become a wedge issue as Western consumers look for tariff relief rather than new tariffs.

During last month’s Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked in Las Vegas, legendary producer Bob Ezrin talked about The Elder, the lesser-known and—to some—almost career-destroying concept album Kiss put out in 1981.

Unlike anything Kiss had ever done before, it was written and produced to appease critics, shock listeners, and get the ball rolling again for the kings of shock rock.

Instead, it was received as a total mess and nearly derailed any future the band could have had after already falling off leading into the ‘80s.

"I was sitting there just as a punter listening and thinking, 'Wow, listen to that, that’s really great!' There are some amazing moments on the record,” Ezrin said.

“But I have to say honestly that we put Paul [Stanley] in a very difficult position. Because he was basically playing in an almost operatic role."

If you can believe it, Stanley ultimately did go on to play an operatic role in 1999, starring as the Phantom in the final year of the Toronto production of Phantom of the Opera.

However, Ezrin noted 1981 was not the time for that, and he felt bad for what Stanley was asked to do on The Elder in hindsight.

"Before The Phantom that was completely foreign to him, he was playing this musical theater role which was not comfortable for him. He did a fantastic job at it, but at the end of the end of the day he didn’t feel fulfilled like he would have if we had done a regular rock record."

The final chilldown

Last one, we promise 🤣

Our 10 chilly questions feature songs and artists that take the temperature down, in today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

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