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Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass seized a unique marketing opportunity when Beyonce name-checked the brand in her song “Levii’s Jeans.” This led to a global campaign featuring the superstar, sparking a denim war as competitors rushed to catch up. Smaller brands also benefited from celebrity endorsements, with Kylie Jenner’s post boosting True Religion sales.

The denim market has grown to $101 billion, prompting retailers like Levi’s, Gap, and American Eagle to invest heavily in advertising campaigns. These efforts reflect their strategies to attract different demographics and remain relevant in a competitive market. Levi’s focus on female shoppers has seen success with the Beyonce campaign, while Gap and American Eagle aim to reintroduce themselves to younger consumers through their star-studded ads. Despite controversies and challenges, these companies continue to push the boundaries of denim marketing to engage consumers and drive sales.

A desire for deep discounts motivated 202.9 million U.S. consumers to shop during the five-day period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, exceeding the National Retail Federation’s forecast. This shopping turnout marked the largest since NRF began tracking in 2017, with shoppers spending a total of $44.2 billion online during the period. Despite economic uncertainties, retailers remain optimistic about holiday spending, with consumers prioritizing holiday purchases over other expenses and taking advantage of sales and promotions. With online shopping on the rise, retailers are seeing increased digital sales, with consumers spending $14.25 billion on Cyber Monday alone, a 7.1% year-over-year increase.

Delta Air Lines announced that the recent government shutdown resulted in a significant financial impact, with an estimated loss of $200 million in pretax profit. Despite continued healthy travel demand and strong bookings for 2026, the airline expects the shutdown to affect its current quarter earnings by approximately 25 cents per share. The shutdown, which was the longest in U.S. history, caused disruptions in air traffic control operations and forced airlines to trim their schedules to alleviate pressure on controllers. This led to higher delays and cancellations than anticipated, putting additional strain on already stretched air traffic controllers who were required to work without pay during the shutdown.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian and other airline executives have been advocating for measures to ensure that essential air travel personnel, such as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers, are paid in the event of another shutdown. The airline industry is hoping for legislative actions to prevent similar financial setbacks and operational challenges in the future.

A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, highlighted by The Economist, raises concerns about the potential use of AI to judge individuals solely based on their facial characteristics. The study aimed to determine if AI could detect trustworthy people by analyzing their facial features. This research builds on previous studies that suggest personality traits can be determined from facial features, a highly controversial and ethically problematic concept. The UPenn team claims that AI can accurately predict important characteristics such as respectfulness and trust linked to financial success by analyzing facial scans.

The study used an AI system trained on face-based personality detection to extract traits from headshots of 96,000 MBA graduates from LinkedIn. The researchers inferred a correlation between the identified traits and the graduates’ success in the labor market. For example, extroversion was identified as the strongest positive predictor of compensation, while openness suggested lower earnings.

The potential implications of this research are alarming, as it suggests a future where decision-making processes for job applications, loans, or rentals could be influenced by facial analysis alone. The Economist points out that corporations may find a ‘strong incentive’ to deploy such technology in a society where financial success reigns supreme.

A federal jury in California has ruled that Apple must pay medical device maker Masimo $634 million for violating a patent on blood oxygen monitoring technology. The jury found that features in the Apple Watch, such as workout mode and heart rate notifications, infringed on Masimo’s patent. Masimo, which is dedicated to developing technology that benefits patients, expressed satisfaction with the verdict and its commitment to defending its intellectual property rights.

Apple, however, plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the patent in question is specific to outdated patient monitoring technology. The legal dispute between the two companies centers on pulse oximetry, with Masimo accusing Apple of hiring away its employees and infringing on its patents in this area. The ongoing conflict has led to a ban on importing Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring features and the introduction of a new feature by Apple to circumvent this ban. Both companies continue to engage in legal battles surrounding the issue.

The 43-day government shutdown, the longest in US history, has finally come to an end. While air traffic resumes and food assistance is restored, the underlying political divisions that caused the shutdown remain unresolved. Democrats and Republicans continue to clash over health subsidies, and the deal only funds the government until January 30, leaving the possibility of another shutdown looming. Despite federal workers receiving back pay, the economic impact of the shutdown is significant, delaying approximately $50 billion in spending and causing disruptions across various sectors. The shutdown has highlighted the challenges faced by both parties and the need to find lasting solutions to prevent future government closures.

More than 1,000 Starbucks unionized baristas in over 40 U.S. cities have initiated an indefinite strike to secure a collective bargaining agreement for higher pay and increased staffing levels. The walkout, starting with 65 stores, coincides with the Red Cup Day event, with minimal disruptions reported so far. The union, representing employees at about 550 stores, aims to make this strike the largest and longest in Starbucks history, rallying in various cities including Seattle, New York, and Philadelphia.

Talks between the union and the company have stalled since 2024, prompting the strike as negotiations have regressed, resulting in rejected proposals and demands for better working conditions and fair treatment. Investors are closely monitoring the situation, urging both parties to come to an agreement as the market impact continues to be felt. Past protests on Red Cup Day have led to similar actions in previous years, highlighting ongoing issues within the company.