Friday, December 13, 2019

US giving cold ones the cold shoulder

Americans are starting to fizzle on beer. Alcohol consumption in the U.S. dropped for the third straight year with beer case sales dipping 1.5%. Beer giants Budweiser, Coors Light and Miller Light, which once ruled the American beverage market, are seeing sales decline. Sales of domestic beer slipped 4.6% between October 2018 and October 2019, according to Nielsen. So what is America drinking instead? Consumers are turning towards spiked seltzers, canned wine and pre-made cocktails, to name a few, with the markets for these alternative drink categories growing. (CNN)

Mom claims company fired her while caring for her son with cancer

A Roanoke, Virginia mother said she was fired from her job after her 10-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. She’s now taking legal action, saying she was discriminated against because she was caring for someone with a disability. Her son was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in April 2019. It’s a rare type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. After taking nine days off to care for her son, the mother ran out of paid-time off at her job working for The Summit Group, a television company. After returning to work full-time, she said her boss began taking responsibilities away from her. “At one point he even said to me word for word in an email ‘we both know you can’t do this job anymore’ and that really hurt because I could,” she said. “I know that I could have done the job.” A complaint filed on her behalf with the Virginia Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reads during this time, The Summit Group CEO flew from Salt Lake City, Utah, where the company is based, to Roanoke, where she worked as a remote employee to fire her in the lobby of the hospital where her son was receiving treatment. She said the next thing her son said was…’mommy, I’m so sorry I got cancer because it made you get fired from your job”. The discrimination complaint (a prerequisite to a lawsuit) cites The American with Disabilities Act and The Employment Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, which protects an employee’s rights to use their job’s benefits. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said they will investigate and either dismiss the case or determine reason to believe there was discrimination. If there’s reason, the mother and The Summit Group can resolve things informally with the EEOC or she and her attorney will be sent a right to sue letter and can take The Summit Group to court. (WSET)

FAA knew risk of 737 MAX

The Federal Aviation Administration allowed the Boeing 737 MAX jets to keep flying despite concluding the plane might average one fatal crash every two to three years without a redesign, according to an FAA report. The internal analysis was released during a House committee hearing this week and raises more concerns over the agency’s decision, following two fatal crashes. Meanwhile, the FAA said the approvals needed to return the Boeing 737 MAX to the skies, which has been grounded for nine months, won’t be completed until 2020. (The Wall Street Journal)

Mac Pro costs more than luxury car

You may want to think twice about asking for Apple’s desktop computer as a gift this holiday season. The newest Mac Pro can cost more than a BMW 3 series. Unveiled in June, the computer with all the features and accessories will set you back $50,199, before taxes, while a basic option BMW 3 series costs a little more than $40,000. Although Apple throws in a Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard and charging cable, it doesn’t include the $400 wheels to wheel your computer around. (Quartz)

Possible paranormal sighting captured on Pennsylvania resident’s home security camera

A resident in Lansdale, Pennsylvania captured a mysterious floating orb on their home security camera. The homeowner said that her family is not usually superstitious, but they believe the mysterious object is an angel. “With all the bad things going on in the world, this can give many people peace of mind around the holidays that their love ones are still around,” she said. (WWHP)

Santa, soldiers bring joy to remote Alaskan village

The Alaska National Guard gave folks in one villiage a reason to smile, thanks to its “Operation Santa Claus” program, which featured the jolly old big red man distributing gifts to the children. A school employee wearing a traditional pink Alaska Native smock called a “kuspuk” breezed through the hubbub in the cafeteria adorned with murals of purely Alaska scenes, zigzagging through children clutching presents and past uniformed soldiers wearing Santa caps. The 300 or so residents of this western Alaska community having to move their town farther inland in fear of falling into the Kuskokwim River. Now in its 63rd year, Operation Santa Claus has become a rarity among National Guard units. Defense officials have shut down the program everywhere but Alaska, where the mission survives because the state is so large and some communities are so remote. The Guard isn’t the only Santa’s helper in the nation’s largest state. The Salvation Army is celebrating its 50th year of helping the Guard, collecting gifts, book bags and other items to be distributed. Major corporate sponsors like Costco and Walmart contribute to the program, and ice cream is provided from Tastee Freez restaurant in Anchorage. (Army Times)

Oink oink, cha-ching: $3 million found in barrels of pork

Barrels of raw pork shoulder were in a tractor trailer pulled over by deputies in Shelby, North Carolina. Approximately $3 million in cash was recovered from the barrels, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. The driver of the tractor trailer was accused of failing to maintain his lane and impeding the flow of traffic on Interstate 85. They are investigating where the money came from. (Cleveland County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office)

Study: 57% of employees quit because of their boss

New research is showing people tend to quit bosses — not companies. New statistics from DDI, a leadership consulting firm, show that 57% of employees who walk out the door, do so specifically because they can’t stand their boss. That includes 14% of employees who say they’ve left multiple jobs because of their boss. Another 32 % have “seriously considered” leaving their job because of their boss. That means just 12% of employees have never quit — or have even thought of quitting — because of their manager. The study also found several other key findings:

• Office politics followed by “not having enough time” are the two main causes of office stress
• The biggest weakness of frontline managers is their lack of ability to have difficult conversations with their employees. Those conversations are mainly about job performance.
• Employees most often say the number one driver to succeed at work is “wanting to have a positive impact on the world.”

Other statistics from the study show:

• 36%: The average age at which someone first becomes a manager
• 70%: The number of managers who were not expecting their promotion to leadership
• 20%: The number of people who were excited about moving into a managerial role
• 17%: Number of people who took the promotion because it “seemed like the right next step”
• 19%: People who took the promotion into management for the pay raise
• 18%: Those who regretted the move into management
• 41%: Those who doubted if it was the right move

(Scribd)

Challenge accepted: Principal kisses alpaca after students reach fundraiser goal

Perry Creek Elementary School students in Sioux City, Iowa had a few special visitors earlier this week: Two alpacas and a bunny! The Principal made a deal with her students that if they fund-raised enough money for their new handicap accessible playground she would kiss a farm animal. The students raised $30,000 and their animal of choice was an alpaca. “They were probably going to reach their fundraising goal without that incentive but it sweetened the pot a little bit and really rewards them for their hard work,” said Perry Creek Elementary School Principal. The assistant principal also joined in on the fun. The farm animals also made a stop at Clark Early Childhood Center. (KMEG)

Friday Slams Us With:

• Friday The 13th
• National Day of The Horse
• National Guard Birthday
• National Salesperson Day (2nd Friday)
• Official Lost & Found Day (2nd Friday)