This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Flies Over The U.S.
U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed outrage after learning Thursday that a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-america-chinese-spy-balloons-in-the-sky-chinese-fentanyl-on-the-ground" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese surveillance balloon</a> has been traveling over the continental U.S., including Montana.
In a joint statement, the GOP and Democrat leaders of a House select committee on China called for a strong response from the administration.
The statement read in part, “The Chinese Communist Party should not have on-demand access to American airspace.”
The committee leaders said the surveillance airship’s presence over the U.S. shows that the threat China poses “is not confined to distant shores — it is here at home and we must act to counter this threat.” China has issued its own statement, insisting the incursion into U.S. territory was “unintended” and that the balloon is meant for quote “mainly meteorological” research.
A Pentagon spokesman has said that the balloon “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground” — and that they have chosen not to shoot it down thus far to prevent risk to people below. Amid the controversy over the balloon, the Biden administration has decided to postpone Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming trip to China.
Amazon Could Have Majority Robot Workforce
Investor Cathie Wood <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-could-have-more-robots-than-employees-in-seven-years-investor-predicts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicts that by 2030, Amazon</a> could have more robots than it has human workers at the company, pointing out that Amazon is adding “about 1,000 robots a day.”
Facebook&#8217;s Parent Company Plummets In Revenue
The net income of Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, plummeted 41% over the course of last year, as indicated by the company’s last earnings report.
 Narcan Nasal Spray Coming To Los Angeles Schools
Students at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-students-to-be-allowed-to-carry-narcan-in-schools-amid-deadly-fentanyl-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Unified School District</a> will likely soon be able to have Narcan nasal spray on them in the event of a drug overdose. Narcan is a medication used to “reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.” Like many parts of the country, LA is experiencing an explosion of opioid overdose deaths.
Ted Cruz Demands China Release Texas Prisoner
Texas lawmakers, including GOP Senator Ted Cruz, are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to demand the freedom of a Houston businessman, Mark Swidan, who has been imprisoned in China since 2012 after being accused and convicted in 2019 of taking part in a criminal drug conspiracy.
Energy Seeks To Regulate Gas Stoves
The Energy Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-proposes-new-gas-stove-regulations-despite-national-outrage-over-ban-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> new rules Wednesday that would mandate a certain energy consumption threshold for gas stoves even after the possibility of a nationwide ban garnered backlash.
Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. said during an interview last month that gas stoves constitute a “hidden hazard” and said “any option is on the table” for a nationwide prohibition. A consumer Product Safety Commission chairman later walked back the commissioner’s comments, saying that neither he nor the agency planned to outlaw gas stoves.
Masks Make &#8216;Little To No Difference,&#8217; Study Claims
The Cochrane Institute <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-standard-review-claims-masks-could-be-only-5-effective-in-community-gets-slammed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examined</a> 78 global studies on the effectiveness of masks and found that masks made “little to no difference” in the spread of respiratory infections. The studies involved more than 1 million people worldwide. Surgical masks reduced the risk of transmission of COVID or other flu-like illnesses by 5% the study found. The CDC’s latest guidance still recommends wearing masks in some situations, including indoor public transportation settings.
Sims 4 Has Transgender Options
And “The Sims 4” video game <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-sims-4-game-update-adds-trans-friendly-breast-removal-scars-binders-tucking-underwear-to-character-options" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> updated avatar options to include expanded transgender options. These include scars of breast removal surgery, chest binders, as well as additional medical wearable devices.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

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Friday Afternoon Update: Chinese Spy Balloon Over America, Study Finds Masks Make ‘Little To No Difference,’ And More

Friday Afternoon Update: Chinese Spy Balloon Over America, Study Finds Masks Make 'Little To No Difference,' And More

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Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood predicted that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> could use more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">robots</a> than humans by 2030.
The portfolio manager, who makes her <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/stock-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investment</a> decisions based on companies she believes will create disruptive innovations, noted during an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/01/cathie-wood-amazon-may-have-more-robots-than-humans-by-2030.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with CNBC that Amazon is currently increasing automation to a tremendous extent.
“Amazon is adding about 1,000 robots a day,” she remarked. “If you compare the number of robots Amazon has to the number of employees, it’s about a third. And we believe that by the year 2030 Amazon can have more robots than employees.”
Wood noted that other firms will more quickly adopt automation due to its cost advantages. “We are just at the dawn of the robotics age. And I would say artificial intelligence and battery technology are all a part of that movement as well,” she continued. “For every cumulative doubling in the number of robots produced, the cost declines are in the 50% to 60% range.”
Wood has nevertheless come under criticism over the past several years as her Ark Innovation ETF, which invests in disruptive companies involved with sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and genomic research, remains 70% below its peak nearly two years ago. The fund recently rebounded nearly 28% after technology companies rallied on the stock market.
Amazon employed more than 1.6 million people at the end of 2021, according to its most recent <a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2022/ar/Amazon-2021-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual report</a>. The company, which emphasizes worker productivity over other metrics, experiences excessive turnover rates in its warehouses and fulfillment centers across the country. Amazon predicted that they could run out of individuals to hire in the United States by next year, according to leaked internal <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23170900/leaked-amazon-memo-warehouses-hiring-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> obtained by Vox, which added that executives believe increased automation and higher wages could slow the crisis.
Amazon indeed unveiled nationwide pay increases toward the end of last year: average hourly wages for employees in customer fulfillment and transportation are slated to increase above $19.00 per hour, with employees earning between $16.00 per hour and $26.00 per hour depending on their position and location in the United States, according to a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-invests-nearly-1-billion-in-increased-wages-for-operations-employees#:~:text=Average%20hourly%20pay%20for%20employees,and%20location%20in%20the%20U.S." target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. Walmart <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-raises-minimum-wages-as-worker-shortages-crunch-labor-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> similar wage hikes last month such that average pay for employees across the nation will now surpass $17.50 per hour.
The phenomenon comes as private and public sector employers struggle to fill positions. There exist roughly 10.5 million job openings and 5.7 million unemployed individuals across the economy, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unemployment-plummets-in-december-as-federal-reserve-vows-more-rate-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reflecting a constrained labor market that has worsened inflationary pressures as firms increase compensation.
Other companies that rely upon unskilled labor have likewise moved to automate their operations as the worker shortages disadvantage employers in the job market. McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to grab their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with customer-facing staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic tortilla chip maker in a California location.
The higher pay and increased automation comes as state and federal lawmakers call for higher minimum wages. Amazon supported recent proposals to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-wants-15-federal-minimum-wage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise</a> the national minimum wage above $15.00 per hour, causing some commentators to note that the move would most likely harm small businesses with which Amazon competes for employees.
Discussions surrounding technological unemployment over the past several decades have centered around blue-collar workers losing their jobs to automation. However, the widespread adoption of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language processing tool that can debug code or write emails in a matter of seconds, has led some to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-behind-chatgpt-is-training-system-to-make-basic-coding-jobs-obsolete" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conclude</a> that many white-collar professions could also be rendered obsolete.

Bitcoin 2022 Conference Draws Cryptocurrency Industry Professionals And Investors To Miami

Amazon Could Have More Robots Than Employees In Seven Years, Investor Predicts

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White House Press Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/karine-jean-pierre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> repeatedly deflected questions from reporters about massive layoffs at <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> companies and claimed that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a> under President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is unswervingly robust.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/microsoft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft</a> CEO Satya Nadella <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-announces-mass-layoffs-to-cut-costs-amid-economic-headwinds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Wednesday that the company would dismiss some 10,000 employees over the next several months to reduce costs amid the challenging macroeconomic climate. The announcement occurred after <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> CEO Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> a total headcount reduction of 18,000 employees. Jean-Pierre nevertheless began her Wednesday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/01/18/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-january-18-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press briefing</a> by claiming that Biden “inherited an economic crisis and turned it into the strongest two years of job growth on record.”
One reporter noted that the commander-in-chief has been “quite optimistic” in his latest statements about the economy and asked whether the Microsoft layoffs are a “matter of concern” for the White House. Jean-Pierre responded that Biden watches closely “anytime there are reports of Americans losing their jobs” and affirmed that he “knows firsthand the impact of losing a job and what that can have to your entire family.”
“I don’t have a comment on specific moves announced by particular companies. As you know, we&#8217;re very careful from here talking about private companies. But more broadly speaking, layoffs remain near record lows according to job openings data,” she continued. “Companies across the economy are continuing to grow and invest in the United States.”
Another reporter likewise observed that the administration “believes the economy’s resilient” but asked how dismissals would “impact that recovery in the coming months.”
Jean-Pierre replied that “layoffs remain near record lows” across the economy. “We’re seeing the President’s economic policy actually working. And I think that’s important as well,” she said. “Is there more work to do? Always more work to do, and you hear that from us as well.”
“So no immediate concern from these tens of thousands of layoffs across corporate America?” the reporter pressed. “What I’m saying is we’re going to closely monitor this, or, you know, we are always keeping an eye on these things,” Jean-Pierre repeated.
The remarks came after the United States witnessed one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst stock market</a> performances in modern history as soaring prices, geopolitical pressures, and backlogged supply chains plagued the economy. The S&amp;P 500 index plummeted nearly 20% in 2022, rivaling the 37% decline seen in 2008 amid the collapse of the banking system, as well as the 12% and 22% declines witnessed in 2001 and 2002 amid the dot-com bubble.
Recent economic data, however, present some signs of improvement. Year-over-year consumer price inflation was charted at 6.5% in December 2022, marking a decline from the 7.1% recorded in the previous month, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Producer price inflation was recorded at 6.2% for 2022, marking a decline from 10% in 2021, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the agency.
Even as both metrics remained significantly higher than at the beginning of his time in the Oval Office, Biden claimed that the findings are attributable to his economic policies.
“We are making real progress tackling inflation and lowering costs, successfully transitioning from a historic recovery to steady and stable growth,” he said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/18/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-december-producer-price-index/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.

President Biden Hosts 2022 NBA Champions Golden State Warriors

Karine Jean-Pierre Gives Non-Answers On Massive Tech Layoffs

White House Press Secretary Deflects On Major Tech Layoffs

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Amazon is shutting down its charity platform as part of the company&#8217;s recent cost-cutting efforts.
The AmazonSmile program that allows customers to donate a percentage of their purchases through the company to selected non-profit organizations will end next month, according to a Wednesday <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-closing-amazonsmile-to-focus-its-philanthropic-giving-to-programs-with-greater-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> from the online retailer.
&#8220;We are writing to let you know that we plan to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023,&#8221; Amazon said. &#8220;We will continue to pursue and invest in other areas where we’ve seen we can make meaningful change — from building affordable housing to providing access to computer science education for students in underserved communities to using our logistics infrastructure and technology to assist broad communities impacted by natural disasters.&#8221;
Amazon added that it would help charities that receive donations through the program during the transition. The company said it would provide a one-time donation &#8220;equivalent to three months of what they earned in 2022 through the program.&#8221;
The company&#8217;s stock has experienced drops over the past year, with a loss of $1 trillion in market capitalization from its all-time high in 2021, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/amazonsmile-closing-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Washington Examiner. Amazon has also recently made other significant changes, including an abrupt closure of its <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/24/23320768/amazon-care-shut-down-virtual-care-telehealth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telehealth service</a> and stopping the <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/09/02/amazon-warehouse-expansion-ends-hiring-workers-andy-jassy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">construction</a> of dozens of planned warehouses.
On January 4, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/update-from-ceo-andy-jassy-on-role-eliminations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the company planned to eliminate more than 18,000 jobs, with the majority of the positions from Amazon Stores and employees in its People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organization.
&#8220;Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so. These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure,&#8221; Jassy said.
Amazon is not alone among technology companies announcing cutbacks in recent weeks. For example, Microsoft <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-announces-mass-layoffs-to-cut-costs-amid-economic-headwinds">announced</a> this week that it would release 10,000 employees over the next several months to reduce costs, representing 5% of its workforce.
Firms in the sector dismissed more than 90,000 workers, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CrunchBase, which included both small businesses and larger corporations like Amazon.
Salesforce also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/salesforce-dismisses-one-tenth-of-headcount-as-silicon-valley-layoffs-continue-into-new-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a reduction of 10% of its workforce earlier this month as part of massive layoffs facing the tech industry.
“As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that,” Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff told employees. “I’m grateful for every single one of you who has contributed to our continued success as a company, and the hard work and sacrifices you have made to generate success for our hundreds of thousands of customers.”

Amazon Shutting Down Charity Program In Cost-Adjustment Shift

Charity

Mega party supply <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3818150-party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shop</a> Party City <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/01/18/party-city-bankruptcy-filing-news/11074820002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.
The company, Party City Holdco Inc. (PCHI) <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001592058/000119312523009847/d643228d8k.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protections along with some of its domestic subsidiaries, according to a press <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pchi-enters-into-restructuring-support-agreement-with-senior-secured-noteholder-ad-hoc-group-to-advance-transformation-and-enhance-market-leadership-from-strengthened-financial-position-301724164.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> on Tuesday. Some other subsidiaries and its Anagram business are not included in the bankruptcy process. The company brought on a financial advisor in November.
Party City also said that it has struck a deal with an ad hoc group in order to help with the restructuring and cut down on its debt. The company noted that the restructuring was “[p]re-negotiated” and “[e]xpedited,” and they anticipate it will cut down on debt and best utilize its liquidity. It <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/18/business/party-city-bankruptcy/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that it has $150 million from the ad hoc group that will let it keep its stores going. 
&#8220;In the face of pandemic headwinds, a global supply chain crisis, and other macroeconomic challenges that have faced our industry, we have made significant strides in PCHI&#8217;s ongoing transformation – establishing a solid foundation for long-term growth and continued success as the market leader in the celebrations space,&#8221; Brad Weston, Chief Executive Officer of PCHI said in the release. &#8220;Today&#8217;s action to strengthen PCHI&#8217;s balance sheet will bolster our ability to further advance our strategic priorities and continue to innovate and elevate the customer experience.”
&#8220;As we take this important step to put our business on stronger financial footing for the future, we are as committed as ever to inspiring joy by making it easy for our customers to create unforgettable memories. We appreciate the commitment of our team members and the continued support of our partners as we further enhance our position as the &#8216;go to&#8217; one-stop-shop for celebrating life&#8217;s special moments,” Weston noted. 
Party City stores are still open for people to shop at, as well as its online website. The company anticipates the restructuring process to be done in the second quarter of this year. 
It is also filing motions in order to keep up its everyday workings, which involve its requests to keep paying its workers and giving them benefits. It also wants to “honor customer programs and policies.” 
While Party City has grown, it has also had to come to terms with the increasing popularity of e-commerce companies and major retailers, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-to-restructure-piling-debt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. It didn’t expand its online platform, but rather spent money maintaining 800 shops around the United States. 
“They’re competing against Walmart, and Target and Amazon and the dollar stores and grocery stores,” Joe Feldman, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, said. He used to cover Party City since the company went public in 2015, but stopped at the end of last year.

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Party City Issues Filing For Bankruptcy Protection

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This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/friday-afternoon-update-11-25-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Amazon Layoffs
Amazon’s chief executive Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Wednesday that the company is going to cut 18,000 jobs. In a blog post, Jassy blamed an “uncertain economy” and rapid hiring over the last few years. Another big tech company, Salesforce, announced it will lay off 10% of its 80,000 employees.
Bankruptcy At Bed Beth And Beyond?
Bed Bath and Beyond is also facing hardship, with the home goods retailer warning investors Thursday that bankruptcy may be in its future. The company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-bed-bath-beyond-set-to-file-for-bankruptcy-after-announcing-struggles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> its sales were about a third lower than the year before, including the run-up period to Black Friday. The company’s share price also tumbled more than 20% in early trading on Thursday.
McCarthy Gains Momentum In Race For Speaker
House Republican Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthys-speaker-bid-gains-momentum-as-several-republican-holdouts-flip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy’s</a> (R-CA) campaign to become speaker gained momentum Friday as several GOP holdouts flipped and voted for him on the 12th ballot.
Republican members-elect who voted for McCarthy in Friday’s first ballot after opposing him in the first 11 votes this week included: Dan Bishop (NC), Josh Brecheen (OK), Mike Cloud (TX), Andrew Clyde (GA), Byron Donalds (FL), Paul Gosar (AZ), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Mary Miller (IL), Ralph Norman (SC), Andy Ogles (TN), Scott Perry (PA), Chip Roy (TX), and Keith Self (TX).
Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who voted for McCarthy on Tuesday and then “present” on Wednesday and Thursday, went back to voting for McCarthy on Friday.
Tesla Driver Intentionally Tried Kill Passengers, Police Say
Officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authorities-say-driver-intentionally-drove-tesla-over-california-cliff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Tuesday that the driver of a Tesla that went off of a 250-foot cliff in California intentionally drove the car over the edge. Two children and another adult were inside the vehicle. Miraculously, none of the passengers were killed. The driver “has been placed under arrest for attempted murder and child abuse,” according to California Highway Patrol.
California Teenager Makes Emergency Landing, Credits God
A teenager in California flying a plane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-lands-plane-on-california-road-after-engine-fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made an emergency landing</a> on Monday when the single-engine aircraft unexpectedly lost power near the San Bernardino National Forest.
&#8220;God helped me through that one,&#8221; he said after the incident.
FTC Proposes Banning Noncompete Clauses
On Thursday, the FTC <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2023/ftc-wants-to-ban-non-compete-clauses-that-keep-workers-from-changing-jobs-launching-startups/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> banning noncompete clauses, which bar former employees of some companies from joining or founding a competing company for a set period after they leave. The FTC claims that these clauses violate a 109-year-old law that bans “unfair methods of competition.”
Kinzinger Goes To CNN
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger is now a senior political commentator on CNN, the news network announced Wednesday evening.
Democratic Rep. Will Be Sworn In On Comic Book
California Democratic Representative-elect Robert Garcia says he will be sworn in “on the U.S. Constitution,” his citizenship certification — and a rare 1939 first edition comic book of Superman on loan from the Library of Congress. Garcia is a lifelong Superman fan who said he identified with the comic book hero as an immigrant.
Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $940 Million
And, the Mega Millions Jackpot is set to reach an estimated $940 million after nobody won the top prize on Tuesday. People typically take the cashout option, which the group announced will be around $483.5 million. The next drawing is this evening at 11:00 p.m. ET.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Friday

Friday Afternoon Update: Amazon Layoffs, Kinzinger To CNN, Speaker Update

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<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> unveiled a round of dismissals as the e-commerce behemoth reduces costs in response to persistent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economic</a> headwinds.
Andy Jassy, who succeeded Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as chief executive two years ago, said in a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/update-from-ceo-andy-jassy-on-role-eliminations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">message</a> to staff that the layoffs would primarily be concentrated in retail and human resources divisions. The move follows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-critical-companies-will-lay-off-furlough-employees-during-holiday-shopping-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissals</a> in the company’s devices and books units at the end of last year and brings the total headcount reduction to some 18,000 employees.
“Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so,” Jassy wrote. “These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure; however, I’m also optimistic that we’ll be inventive, resourceful, and scrappy in this time when we’re not hiring expansively and eliminating some roles.”
The reductions in payroll occurred after Amazon Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-more-tech-companies-fire-large-portions-of-their-staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> employees last year that the company would institute a freeze on incremental hires in the corporate workforce.
“We anticipate keeping this pause in place for the next few months, and will continue to monitor what we’re seeing in the economy and the business to adjust as we think makes sense,” she remarked at the time.
Employees impacted by the layoffs will receive “a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support,” according to Jassy. Share prices for Amazon fell 1% on Thursday; the announcement had previously been leaked by an employee and published in a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-lay-off-over-17-000-workers-more-than-first-planned-11672874304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> for the Wall Street Journal.
The dismissals will impact roughly 5% of corporate positions and 1.2% of the company’s overall workforce, which exceeded 1.5 million as of the third quarter, according to a recent earnings <a href="https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2022/Amazon.com-Announces-Third-Quarter-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. Amazon saw a net income of $2.9 billion in the third quarter, marking a decline from $3.2 billion one year earlier.
Share prices for Amazon have decreased nearly 49% over the past year as technology companies <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/recession-fears-lead-big-tech-companies-to-pause-hiring-cut-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bear the brunt</a> of recent stock market selloffs. Industry leaders are slashing costs in the expectation that continued volatility will emerge from inflationary pressures, supply chain bottlenecks, geopolitical tension, and efforts from the Federal Reserve to battle rising prices.
Last year marked one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst</a> in stock market history. The S&amp;P 500 index fell nearly 20%, while the technology-heavy NASDAQ plummeted more than 33%.
Technology companies dismissed more than 90,000 workers last year, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CrunchBase, which included both small ventures and established firms. News of the layoffs at Amazon came as Salesforce, which develops business software solutions for customer relationship management and marketing automation, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/salesforce-dismisses-one-tenth-of-headcount-as-silicon-valley-layoffs-continue-into-new-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> one-tenth of workers.
“As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told employees. “I’m grateful for every single one of you who has contributed to our continued success as a company, and the hard work and sacrifices you have made to generate success for our hundreds of thousands of customers.”
The latest rounds of staff reductions indicate that technology executives and investors remain pessimistic in the new year. Some companies have been criticized for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-shares-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2016-as-company-burns-billions-on-metaverse-inflates-payrolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hiring sprees</a> that followed the end of the lockdown-induced recession and an adjacent rise in consumer demand.

Amazon Dismisses Thousands Of Employees In Bid To Reduce Costs

Amazon Dismisses 18,000 Employees

Last-minute <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas</a> shoppers may be left in the cold as major <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivery services</a> announce delays as a result of severe winter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weather</a>.
Residents of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region will contend with an Arctic front causing snowfall and frigid temperatures until Christmas Eve, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1605137973703573504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> from the National Weather Service, posing threats to travel plans as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-snowstorm-expected-to-impact-christmas-travel-nationwide-airlines-brace-for-cancellations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airlines cancel flights</a> and poor driving conditions impact the nation’s roads. Services such as FedEx and UPS warned of widespread delays on Friday.
“FedEx Express experienced substantial disruptions at our Memphis and Indianapolis hubs last night due to severe winter weather that has been moving across the United States,” FedEx said in a <a href="https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, adding that delays are possible for nationwide package deliveries on Friday and Saturday. “The safety of our team members remains our number one priority.”
UPS said in a <a href="https://www.ups.com/us/en/service-alerts.page" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that “significant weather events across several regions” of the country are impacting air and ground networks, including hubs in Louisville and Rockford. “We will work to ensure the safety of our employees while minimizing effects on service,” the company announced. “Contingency plans are in place to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit.”
The United States Postal Service also said that 89 post offices have been closed as a result of the storm, according to a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/business/winter-storm-holiday-deliveries/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CNN. Most of the affected locations are in North Dakota and South Dakota, with six closed locations in Nebraska and five each in Minnesota and Iowa.
Amazon also reported the temporary shuttering of some locations. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve temporarily closed some of our sites in the impacted areas,” Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait told the outlet. “We’ll continue monitoring weather patterns and will reopen sites and resume operations when it’s safe to do so.”
The dismal news for major delivery services comes as holiday retail sales are expected to grow between 6% and 8% since last year to possibly surpass $960 billion, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rise-in-holiday-spending-to-be-outpaced-by-inflation-forecast-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the National Retail Federation. Consumers are increasingly reliant upon online shopping rather than in-store purchases, continuing a trend that accelerated during the lockdown-induced recession.
Although the growth appears to surpass the average 4.9% annual increase witnessed over the past decade, the expansion will be eclipsed by record inflation, which rose year-over-year at a 7.1% rate as of last month, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With respect to holiday travel, nearly 102 million Americans plan to drive to their holiday destinations, marking an increase of two million drivers since last year despite recent increases in gas prices, according to <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/12/nearly-113-million-people-will-travel-from-december-23-to-january-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA. Meanwhile, roughly 54 million passengers will depart from airports between December 18 and January 3, constituting a 20% increase from last year, according to <a href="https://media.hopper.com/research/christmas-2022-holiday-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Hopper.
An explanation for the increase in holiday travel could lie in the growing acceptance of virtual work arrangements. “With hybrid work schedules, we are seeing more people take long weekends to travel because they can work remotely at their destination and be more flexible with the days they depart and return,” AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale remarked.

Amazon Warehouse In Pennsylvania Evacuated After Roof Sags Under Weight Of Snow

Amazon, FedEx, Post Office Warn Of Delivery Delays As Winter Weather Persists

Delivery Services Warn Of Delivery Delays As Winter Weather Persists

Christmas

FedEx

Severe Weather

Supply Chain

U.S. Postal Service

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/fedex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FedEx</a> plan on dismissing workers ahead of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">holiday</a> season, which is typically a busy time for companies involved in the sale and transportation of consumer goods.
According to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/technology/amazon-layoffs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The New York Times, Amazon will lay off approximately 10,000 employees in human resources, retail, and devices divisions as soon as this week. The layoffs occur amid cost-cutting measures, according to an adjacent <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-set-to-lay-off-thousands-of-corporate-workers-11668447887" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Wall Street Journal.
The cuts also come two weeks after Amazon Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-more-tech-companies-fire-large-portions-of-their-staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> employees that the e-commerce giant would institute a freeze on incremental hires in the corporate workforce. “We anticipate keeping this pause in place for the next few months, and will continue to monitor what we’re seeing in the economy and the business to adjust as we think makes sense,” she remarked.
Several technology companies, including Microsoft, Tesla, and Coinbase, already announced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/recession-fears-lead-big-tech-companies-to-pause-hiring-cut-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hiring pauses or layoffs</a> earlier this year. Although many of the dismissals were attributed to the state of the economy, prominent investors have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-shares-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2016-as-company-burns-billions-on-metaverse-inflates-payrolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that technology firms’ payrolls are bloated, a reality which led Twitter CEO Elon Musk to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-sends-blunt-message-to-3700-fired-twitter-employees">cut</a> the company’s headcount in half.
FedEx Freight is preparing to furlough an unspecified number of drivers beginning in early December, according to a <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fedex-freight-to-begin-driver-furloughs-next-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Freight Waves. Employees can opt into the voluntary furlough, slated to last for three months, and continue receiving healthcare benefits. In addition, workers are eligible to file for state unemployment insurance, while some will be offered transfers to markets with greater hiring needs.
“Because of our previous experience with furlough and with the incentives we are offering, we are expecting employees to volunteer to meet the business need,” FedEx Freight spokesperson Miranda Yarbro said in a statement. The business unit, which handles less-than-truckload freight needs for FedEx, currently employs 45,000 people and has outperformed the company’s other transport business subsidiaries, FedEx Express and FedEx Ground.
Shares in FedEx have declined 31% since the beginning of the year, while shares in Amazon have plummeted 41%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 7.6% over the same period, while the technology-heavy NASDAQ fell 27.5%.
The layoffs from both Amazon and FedEx are troubling, given that they occur shortly ahead of the holiday season. Supply chain bottlenecks and rising price levels, among other phenomena, are currently worsening global economic conditions.
Holiday retail sales in the United States are expected to grow between 6% and 8% since last year to possibly surpass $960 billion, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rise-in-holiday-spending-to-be-outpaced-by-inflation-forecast-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the National Retail Federation. Although the growth appears to surpass the average 4.9% annual increase witnessed over the past decade, the expansion will be mostly eclipsed by inflation, which rose year-over-year at a 7.7% rate as of last month, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“While consumers are feeling the pressure of inflation and higher prices, and while there is continued stratification with consumer spending and behavior among households at different income levels, consumers remain resilient and continue to engage in commerce,” National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay said in a <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-predicts-healthy-holiday-sales-consumers-navigate-economic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “In the face of these challenges, many households will supplement spending with savings and credit to provide a cushion and result in a positive holiday season.”
With respect to non-store and online sales, the National Retail Foundation estimates increases between 10% and 12% as consumers grow in their reliance upon online shopping. Some consumers, however, will return to traditional in-store experiences.

Daily Life In Edmonton During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Two Critical Companies Will Lay Off, Furlough Employees During Holiday Shopping Season

Amazon And FedEx Lay Off, Furlough Employees Ahead Of Holiday Season

Recession

This article has been updated on 11/10/22 with a statement from Amazon. 
Alexa owners in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> were given false information about what hours they are able to vote on Tuesday in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">midterm elections</a>.
Numerous reports have emerged of Tennessee residents who have found that when they ask the Amazon-owned virtual assistant technology what hours they are able to vote in the midterm elections, Alexa responds, “There are no polling hours in Tennessee.” Polling hours in <a href="https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/heres-when-polls-open-close-in-different-northeast-tennessee-counties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">various counties</a> throughout Tennessee opened today at 8 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. ET, with some exceptions in poll opening times. 
A source provided The Daily Wire with a photo of a wall-mounted device with Alexa’s full response: “There are no polling hours in Tennessee. Ballots must be sent by mail before election day, or returned to a designated ballot drop box or in person to the county elections department by 8 p.m. on Election Day.”
<div id="attachment_461387" style="width: 428px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461387" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-461387 size-full" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_0130.png" alt="" width="418" height="475" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/IMG_0130.png 418w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/IMG_0130-264x300.png 264w" sizes="(max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px" />Image provided to The Daily Wire</div>
The Daily Wire attempted to speak to a representative of Amazon to alert them of the issue, but it is unclear after a 27 minute phone call if the matter would be resolved. When Alexa owners asked the virtual assistant what the polling hours are in other states, she responded with the hours that matched top Google responses.
The office of Tre Hargett, Tennessee’s Secretary of State, was informed of the potential deterrent to voters, and promptly responded that he would be looking into the matter. Hargett has served as Tennessee’s Secretary of State since 2009.
The Tennessee Secretary of State <a href="https://sos.tn.gov/govotetn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> offers a portal that provides services and information for Tennesseans to access election information. The portal, GoVoteTN, allowed users to view early voting dates and times, find polling locations, view and mark sample ballots.
After this article was published, a spokesperson from Amazon reached out to The Daily Wire on Thursday, November 10.
“This response was an error that we quickly fixed when it was brought to our attention,&#8221; said the Amazon representative. &#8220;We continually audit and improve the systems we have in place for detecting and blocking inaccurate content, and will continue working to prevent something like this from happening in the future.”

Smart speaker in studio

Amazon’s Alexa Misinforms Tennesseans Of Polling Hours On Election Day

2022 Midterms

Elections

Tennessee

Stripe and Lyft became the latest <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> companies on Thursday to dismiss large portions of their <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workforce</a>, while Amazon announced that they would freeze hiring.
Although <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">macroeconomic</a> headwinds have impacted most industries, the technology sector has witnessed the most pronounced <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/stock-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stock market</a> selloffs. Companies such as Meta recently issued dismal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-shares-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2016-as-company-burns-billions-on-metaverse-inflates-payrolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third-quarter earnings</a> reports, leading some executives and investors to pursue layoffs in order to reduce costs through the choppy economic waters.
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison sent a <a href="https://stripe.com/newsroom/news/ceo-patrick-collisons-email-to-stripe-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">note</a> to employees at the payment processing platform announcing that executives would be reducing headcount by roughly 14% due to “sparser startup funding” and other trends stemming from the poor economy. “Our business is fundamentally well-positioned to weather harsh circumstances. We provide an important foundation to our customers and Stripe is not a discretionary service that customers turn off if budget is squeezed,” Collison wrote. “However, we do need to match the pace of our investments with the realities around us.”
The move will reduce headcount to roughly 7,000, marking the same number of workers Stripe employed at the beginning of the year. Collison added that the company was “much too optimistic” about the internet economy’s growth and “grew operating costs too quickly.”
Meanwhile, Lyft CEO Logan Green and Lyft President John Zimmer said in an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/03/lyft-cuts-13percent-of-its-workforce.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">email</a> obtained by CNBC that the ridesharing company would dismiss 13% of workers based upon “deprioritized initiatives, an effort to reduce management layers, broader savings goals, and, in some cases, performance trajectory.” The company currently has approximately 5,000 employees.
“There are several challenges playing out across the economy. We’re facing a probable recession sometime in the next year and rideshare insurance costs are going up,” the executives wrote. “We worked hard to bring down costs this summer: we slowed, then froze hiring; cut spending; and paused less-critical initiatives. Still, Lyft has to become leaner, which requires us to part with incredible team members.”
Also on Thursday, Amazon Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/a-note-about-hiring-from-beth-galetti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> employees that the e-commerce giant would institute a freeze on incremental hires in the corporate workforce. “We anticipate keeping this pause in place for the next few months, and will continue to monitor what we’re seeing in the economy and the business to adjust as we think makes sense,” she said.
Several technology companies, including Microsoft, Tesla, and Coinbase, already announced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/recession-fears-lead-big-tech-companies-to-pause-hiring-cut-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hiring pauses or layoffs</a> earlier this year. Elon Musk, who recently took control of social media platform Twitter, plans to dismiss 3,700 of the company’s 7,500 employees as soon as Friday, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-purge-begins-musk-is-terminating-massive-number-of-twitter-employees-on-friday-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Bloomberg News.
In a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-shares-fall-to-lowest-level-since-2016-as-company-burns-billions-on-metaverse-inflates-payrolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, Altimeter Capital Management CEO Brad Gerstner told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that his company, which has more than tripled its workforce from 25,000 people to 85,000 people over the past four years, could reduce costs by cutting bloated payrolls.
“It is a poorly kept secret in Silicon Valley that companies ranging from Google to Meta to Twitter to Uber could achieve similar levels of revenue with far fewer people,” the investor remarked. “I would take it a step further and argue that these incredible companies would run even better and more efficiently without the layers and lethargy that comes with this extreme rate of employee expansion.”

Close-up Of Unemployed Businessperson Carrying Cardboard Box

Two More Tech Companies Fire Large Portions Of Their Staff

Stripe, Lyft Latest Companies To Lay Off Workers, Amazon Freezes Hiring

Jobs

Lyft

Twitter is in an uproar over a clip from the new “Scooby-Doo” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">movie</a> which seems to indicate that the character Velma is part of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq">LGBTQ</a> community.
“Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!” was just released to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/amazon">Prime Video</a> on Tuesday and just as quickly, fans started circulating the scene when Velma encounters Coco Diablo, a female character who is described as, &#8220;the head of the notorious costume crime syndicate that colludes The Black Knight, Space Kook and the Ghost Diver.&#8221;
Velma, who has always been rumored as gay among fans, has an extreme reaction in the clip that indicates she’s attracted to Coco. Later in the episode, Velma is depicted ogling Diablo in the back of a car. The crush is confirmed when Daphne jokes, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know convicted felons were your type.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO <a href="https://t.co/0ilx2uid1q">pic.twitter.com/0ilx2uid1q</a>
&mdash; Trin 🎃 (@MythicalLlamaXO) <a href="https://twitter.com/MythicalLlamaXO/status/1577071236718657537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Reactions were strong on Twitter.
“Holy s*** they actually did it,” one person <a href="https://twitter.com/Blankzilla/status/1577107912454860800">shared</a>. “Like I knew they were gonna in Mystery Inc. And it&#8217;s been very heavily hinted at but just having Velma go full lesbian meltdown over a girl in a Classic Scooby thing is WILD.”
“OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY &#8230;” another <a href="https://twitter.com/mythicalllamaxo/status/1577071236718657537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> says. It has since earned more than 170,000 likes.
“Scooby-Doo” collaborators have confirmed that Velma is gay but never were overt about it before now. Writer James Gunn and “Mystery Incorporated” supervising producer Tony Cervone have both said they intended for the character to be LGTBQ in the past, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/scooby-doo-velma-lesbian-gay-1235392668/">reported</a>.
“In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script,” Gunn said in 2020. “But the studio just kept watering it down &amp; watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) &amp; finally having a boyfriend (the sequel).”
Meanwhile, Cervone shared on Instagram, “I’ve said this before, but Velma in ‘Mystery Incorporated’ is not bi. She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why.”
The post continued, “There are hints about the why in that episode with the mermaid, and if you follow the entire Marcie arc it seems as clear as we could make it 10 years ago. I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post reset, they are a couple. You can not like it, but this was our intention.”

‘Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries’ – Photocall

WATCH: ‘Scooby Doo’ Clip Goes Viral As Fans Notice Velma Is Officially Gay In New Amazon Movie

WATCH: 'Scooby Doo' Clip Goes Viral As Fans Notice Velma Is Officially Gay In New Amazon Movie

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