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How to Create a High-Functioning Executive Team

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How to Create a High-Functioning Executive Team

“With all due respect, isn’t that your job?”

We laugh about it today, but that was the reaction of one of our executives when I told him that sorting out a difference of opinion with another executive was their responsibility, not mine as CEO. The issue for that executive was not that he was incapable of having a confrontational discussion. He had never seen constructive disagreement among executives at his previous organizations.

We have fostered a different dynamic among our credit union executives where everyone understands that when one person has a problem, we all have a problem. In my experience, a high-functioning executive team is a highly active team. You will see engagement through people actively asking questions and readily giving feedback. We are transparent and collaborative in working through our issues, and everyone feels comfortable pushing back if necessary.

Creating a high-functioning executive team takes time and intentional effort. The process starts with hiring the right kind of person, someone whose competencies align with the organizational culture. When I meet a candidate during an interview, I first talk shop to understand their expertise but then move beyond their skills and experience. I want to understand the candidate’s personality to see if they will use the challenging environment to grow in ways that benefit the individual and the organization. I do not have the last word, however.

Recruitment and Hiring: A Team Sport

Hiring new executives should be a unanimous decision from the executive team. The CEO’s job is to vet applicants through interviews, an extensive competencies assessment, and a personality analysis. To contribute meaningfully to the E-team, they must be resourceful, high functioning, self-aware, and have demonstrated the tenacity and grit to overcome difficulties.

However, the interview is a two-way street. The candidate should also have the opportunity to ask questions of the CEO to ensure the “fit” is mutual. If the candidate moves on to the next stage, they are introduced to the rest of the E-team for a panel interview. This process focuses more on understanding the level of the candidate’s strategic thinking, such as providing an overview of the strategic plan and asking where they see holes.

Introducing a new executive to the team requires a resounding “yes” from everyone. If I believe that the candidate is a good fit, but the rest of the team disagrees, then it’s simply a “no.” However, if only one executive has reservations about making the appointment, it is usually because they are seeing the candidate through their personal filter. We work through this in the same manner as we conduct our general deliberations: With honesty, transparency, and for the greater good.

Creating Personal Investment

Credit union executives at this level are not just working for a paycheck. Executives will not take on this level of responsibility without a strong desire to make a difference, so we want to surround high performers with other high performers who feel encouraged to invest personally.

Setting the right communication cadence allows people to feel appreciated for what they bring to the table and invest in one another. While we decided some time ago to move to quarterly strategic meetings in response to the amount of change in the industry, our more frequent meetings have been highly successful in building trust and breaking down silos.

We have two- to three-hour weekly meetings that provide updates and present ideas for discussion from the executive’s areas of responsibility. We also use several 30-minute weekly huddles to allow team members to discuss self-development or leadership topics as diverse as personality types, upbringings, and past work relationships. As a CEO, if you make it safe for people to share their weaknesses or failures in these settings, they can more easily invest personally in the company mission because they already care.

Fostering a Healthy E-Team Culture

Conversely, when people do not feel safe to be themselves, that same care can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. Any time we put aside to connect to each other is important because humans are meant to connect. The CEO can also model the qualities of a supportive environment by showing people who they are through honest, direct, and transparent conversations.

Trust, self-awareness, and self-reflection can lead to a culture of accountability based on the bonds formed. There is a real drive on our team to keep the mutual respect we all enjoy. That means ensuring members are communicating, on the same page, and meeting each other’s expectations.

It is no different from how we maintain healthy family relationships. I tend to lead how I parent, and as I told my 17-year-old son after some recent drama with a friend: “I love you so much that I will be honest with you, even if it isn’t what you want to hear.” Sometimes, maintaining effective, trusting relationships includes calling someone out if they are in the wrong. In this culture, disagreements are an opportunity for growth.

The Executive Path of Mutual Growth

I once had a CIO candidate interviewing for a spot on the executive team who posed a revealing hypothetical: What would I do if he was explaining a technical concept poorly? I said it would make me a little agitated with potentially a large investment on the line. However, the agitation would be based on the fear of not understanding a concept requiring substantial investment, and recognizing the fear would prevent me from lashing out. He was blown away by the honesty. My response set a standard for the level of self-awareness he would encounter and which he would be expected to meet.

High-performing executive teams have enough mutual trust to welcome this degree of transparency. In fact, I get nervous when we are not constantly challenging one another. By recruiting well, we can assemble executives willing to take risks, expand their learning, and have the capacity to deal with uncertainty. In other words, they will keep showing up where others fail to, and that makes all the difference, especially at this level.

The Newsweek Expert Forum is an invitation-only network of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience.What’s this?Content labeled as the Expert Forum is produced and managed by Newsweek Expert Forum, a fee based, invitation only membership community. The opinions expressed in this content do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Newsweek or the Newsweek Expert Forum.

Mysterious prehistoric monument discovered by archaeologists: ”Very rare"

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Mysterious prehistoric monument discovered by archaeologists: ”Very rare"

An “exceptional” prehistoric monument has been discovered by archaeologists at an almost 3,000-year-old funerary complex.

The ancient decorated stone monument, known as a stela, was unearthed in the necropolis of Las Capellanías, which is in the town of Cañaveral de León in southwestern Spain.

The mysterious find is “very rare” and “changes long-held ideas about the nature of social elites in southwest Europe around 3,000 years ago, as well as the role and nature of these distinctive commemorative monuments,” Marta Díaz-Guardamino, one of the archaeologists involved in the discovery, told Newsweek.

Stelae are carefully shaped stone slabs, made to be set vertically, that feature decorations or inscriptions on one of their faces.

Archaeologists have documented various traditions of decorated stelae across the world over different time periods.

To date, around 300 of these artifacts, and similar monuments known as statue-menhirs, have been found across the Iberian Peninsula. This stretch of land, which forms the southwestern part of Europe, is today primarily divided between Spain and Portugal.

In the period 1250 to 700 B.C., the decoration of stelae in prehistoric Iberia was focused on representations of people that appear to have been relatively standardized. This is the period in which Las Capellanías was built, one that spanned the transition from the Late Bronze Age and early Iron Age in this particular region.

It is thought that Iberian stelae in this period “were monuments made to commemorate important personages of the community,” said Díaz-Guardamino, who is with Durham University in the U.K.

Until now, archaeologists had identified two main types of figures represented on Iberian stelae from this period. The first is the “warrior” figure, which was thought to depict male individuals because it featured weaponry even though only a small handful displayed male bodily traits.

The other type involves figures with headdresses, very often featuring depictions of necklaces. They were typically interpreted to be female individuals even though only a handful included representations of female physical traits.

But despite a long history of research starting more than 120 years ago, very little is known about the use contexts for prehistoric stelae and statue-menhirs in Iberia.

“Overall, the meaning and function of Iberia stelae and statue-menhirs have been very difficult to discern and hotly debated among archaeologists,” Díaz-Guardamino said.

The latest stela to be uncovered in the region was found by Díaz-Guardamino’s team at Las Capellanías in September. It was lying on top of a circular cremation structure that it apparently was associated with. It is the third stela to be discovered at the site—the first was found in 2018 during work to fix a rural path that is now known to cross the necropolis.

Díaz-Guardamino and her colleagues started fieldwork at the site last year to check whether this first stela came from the site or had been brought in from elsewhere. It was this work that demonstrated the presence of a funerary complex at the site and showed that the original stela most likely came from there. The team subsequently found a second stela at the site.

The fact that the third stela was found “in context in a funerary site where two other stelae had been found is unique and exceptional,” Díaz-Guardamino said. “The contexts of use of these monuments are totally unknown, so this is the first time that we have a context to interpret how these very rare monuments were used and their significance among Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age society.”

In addition to being found in context, the artwork on the stela brings into question traditional interpretations of the two main types of figures (“warrior” and “headdress”) typically found on such monuments from this period in Iberian history, according to Díaz-Guardamino.

“The stela depicts a human figure with a headdress, a necklace and two swords,” she said. “The figure also has a detailed face, hands and feet, as well as male genitals. Thus, the stela combines traits of both headdress and warrior types. As the new stela also includes male genitalia, it demonstrates that these social roles were not restricted to a specific gender but could be associated with different genders.”

She continued: “This stela shows that these previous interpretations were simplistic and reflected more our own modern conceptions of gender than the ones of prehistoric societies.”

Decorated stelae dated to the period 1250 to 700 B.C. are already rare artifacts in Europe, according to Díaz-Guardamino. But the latest find is even more remarkable in that it represents the first time a stela combining the traits of the warrior and headdress figures has been found—not to mention the fact that it was found in its original context.

Researchers think the necropolis was used from around the 9th century to the 6th century B.C., but this needs to be confirmed with radiocarbon dating techniques.

“The necropolis has yielded several graves that contained human cremations and a range of very special grave goods,” Díaz-Guardamino said. “This evidence is currently being analyzed, and we hope it will produce detailed information about the temporality of the necropolis, the provenance of the materials and the people buried in it.”

Determining the age of stelae is a particularly challenging task because rock carvings cannot be dated scientifically, not to mention that these monuments may have been used multiple times.

However, different lines of evidence—including the nature of the decorations and, importantly, the context—suggest that the latest stela to be discovered at Las Capellanías was made and used sometime between the ninth and seventh centuries B.C. This date is preliminary and subject to change in light of the results of radiocarbon dating efforts at the site.

Can your dog look up at the "ring of fire" eclipse? What to know

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Can your dog look up at the "ring of fire" eclipse? What to know

On Saturday, October 14, a “ring of fire” eclipse will pass through the North, Central and South American skies.

While it might be tempting to watch this spectacle with your own eyes, most of us have heard the warnings that it is dangerous to look directly at the sun (and thus avoid this temptation.) But what about our pets?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. There are different types of solar eclipse, depending on how close the moon is to our planet. The moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular, so, at certain times of the month, it is closer to Earth than at others.

When the moon is at its closest point, it is called perigee. If a full moon passes in front of the sun during perigee, we get what is known as a total solar eclipse. But,when the moon is at its furthest point—known as apogee—it does not appear large enough in the sky to fully block out the sun. Therefore, we get what is known as a ring of fire eclipse, or an annular eclipse, where a ring of sunlight can be seen peeping around the moon’s shadow.

Numerous studies have shown that many animals change their behavior during these celestial events. Some animals appear to get anxious; others begin to engage in established nighttime behaviors; and a few—namely chimpanzees—turn their heads towards the sky. But research into how our dogs might behave is fairly limited.

“Livestock and wildlife may be more sensitive to changes in light due to a solar eclipse [but] a solar eclipse should not pose any particular risks to dogs,” Dr. Jerry Klein, chief veterinarian at the American Kennel Club, told Newsweek. “They know enough not to [look].”

As the event unravels slowly, dogs are unlikely to feel the need to look up at the sky. However, if they do happen to stare up at the sun, it can indeed injure their eyes.

Solar eclipses may also make your pets anxious, although the actual event usually lasts only a few minutes. “Solar eclipses should be much less a reason to cause anxiety to your dog than a thunderstorm or Fourth of July fireworks,” Klein said.

Perhaps some of this anxiety may be induced by changes in the behavior of their owners and other people. For example, during an eclipse, many people often flock to the same viewing areas, forming large crowds. This is likely to be more anxiety-inducing to your dogs than the eclipse itself.

“It is important to remember dogs will often behave in response to their owner’s behavior,” Klein said. “Keeping a consistent routine and calming environment such as soft music is important to a dog’s mental welfare.

“Pets should never be kept unsupervised outdoors for any extended period. This would be especially true if there are stressful events occurring,” Klein added.

Overall, a solar eclipse, be it total or annular, is unlikely to cause serious harm to your dog, unless you allow it to stare directly at the sun for an extensive period. To be safe, you might want to keep it indoors until the event has passed.

The ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will begin in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT, and end in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT.

How weather may impact views of the "Ring of Fire" annular solar eclipse

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How weather may impact views of the "Ring of Fire" annular solar eclipse

The last solar eclipse of 2023 will begin traveling along its path over the U.S. Saturday morning, but weather experts say cloudy conditions will likely impact many Americans’ ability to see it.

This solar event will be an annular solar eclipse, which means the moon will be far from Earth along its orbit and will thus appear smaller than usual. When the moon passes in front of the sun, it won’t completely cover it—instead, a circle of light will surround the moon, a phenomenon that inspired the eclipse’s “Ring of Fire” nickname.

The annular solar eclipse will begin passing over the U.S. in the Pacific Northwest. It is forecast to begin in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. The eclipse will then travel southeast until it leaves the U.S. in southern Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT, after which it will pass over the Gulf of Mexico before moving over parts of Central and South America.

People who are along the eclipse’s path of annularity have the best chances of seeing all of its phases, though everyone in the contiguous U.S. should be able to see part of the eclipse, NASA experts say. But cloudy conditions could interfere with viewing plans, starting with areas near the eclipse’s U.S. entrance.

Speaking with Newsweek by phone Friday afternoon, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Mike Doll said the Northwestern U.S. is expected to experience “quite a bit of cloud cover.” People in the metro areas of Boise, Idaho; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon, “are not likely to be able to get to see the eclipse” due to cloudy conditions. These areas will have the “worst conditions” for eclipse viewing, he said.

Cloudy skies have also been forecast along the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service Prediction Center, which posted a map showing its cloud forecast for the eclipse on X, formerly Twitter.

Better viewing conditions are expected in the Central and Southern Rockies, the Southwestern U.S. and the Southern Plains. In Salt Lake City, Utah, forecasters don’t expect conditions to be “completely overcast,” but there likely won’t be enough breaks in the clouds to watch the eclipse, Doll said. Cloudy conditions are also in the forecasts for Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, but these areas are expected to have “pretty good viewing conditions,” he said. Texas’ major cities are also expected to experience strong views.

Solar and weather experts are reminding those who plan to watch the eclipse to do so safely by using special eclipse eyewear or homemade tools, such as pinhole cameras, that are designed to protect the eyes from the sun. NASA has instructions on its website that walk people through the steps of making a pinhole camera using card stock, aluminum foil and tape.

For those who won’t have optimal viewing conditions, NASA will be streaming the eclipse live on its YouTube channel.

This will be the last eclipse of 2023. The next such event will be a total solar eclipse, which will occur on April 8.

Mike Lindell slams "scumbag" Stephen Colbert for mocking financial problems

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Mike Lindell slams "scumbag" Stephen Colbert for mocking financial problems

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has branded Stephen Colbert a “scumbag,” after the comedian mocked his financial plight on an episode of his talk show this week.

Lindell is involved in defamation lawsuits from voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems. Both companies accuse Lindell of severely damaging their reputations after he spread baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that Donald Trump was the real winner.

His baseless accusations that the companies had conspired to rig their machines has seen the businessman impacted by blowback. Major retailers have since stopped stocking MyPillow products, sending the company into financial disarray.

In July, Lindell said that his company had lost $100 million and that he was hit by “massive, massive cancellation” as retailers canceled their orders in response to his 2020 election allegations. American Express slashed the company’s line of credit in September, and his lawyers stopped representing him after he was unable to pay millions of dollars in legal fees.

Despite his mounting issues, Lindell vowed in a recent interview to “never settle” the cases brought against him even if it means his company goes bankrupt.

Addressing the financial ruin Lindell faces during an October 9 episode of his show, Colbert showed a graphic of Newsweek‘s interview with the beleaguered businessman, in which he said that he had “lost everything, every dime.”

Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the comic quipped: “Soon he’ll have to change his company’s name to My Stale Crust of Sandwich. You know their slogan: ‘Get away pigeon, it’s mine!'”

Colbert then put on a fake mustache to impersonate Lindell, saying as he held a pillow: “I have to protect my company. No, no, no, I mean it. I have to protect my company, even if it means killing it.”

The TV personality then took another pillow and pretended to smother the other one.

Lindell was asked days later for his thoughts on Colbert mocking him when he sat down for an interview with Steve Bannon, former White House senior advisor to Trump and now host of the War Room podcast.

“He’s such a scumbag,” Lindell told Bannon of Colbert. “Did I spell that right? S-C-U-M bag. I could’ve said it of lawyers, this guy is even worse, Colbert.”

“He attacked my employees directly, making fun of them,” Lindell went on. “Gee, I want to protect my company, so I’m not going to continue with $2 million a month lawyer bills. I’m not going to let everything go down because of frivolous lawsuits and lawfare.”

Colbert and his audience, Lindell continued, “all laugh about my employees.”

“They have families, these guys have been with me for 20 years, we’re not going anywhere,” he said. “And I know when I watch this, it just, it just sickened me.”

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Colbert via email for comment.

To add to Lindell’s troubles, lawyers defending him last week claimed they are seeking to sever ties with him over millions of dollars in outstanding legal fees.

In a court filing on October 5, the law firm of Parker Daniels Kibort LLC said Lindell and MyPillow are months behind on their legal bills in three defamation cases, and they can no longer afford to represent him. The firm said continuing to represent Lindell could threaten the survival of their business.

Despite the fallout from not paying his legal representatives, Lindell praised Parker Daniels Kibort for representing him in recent years.

Lindell told Newsweek on October 5: “We haven’t been able to pay them [lawyers] for the past couple of months.

“These lawyers were courageous. They took on a case where every other lawyer in this country are afraid to take on any case against the electronic voting machines and the evil that’s out there. This was a great group of attorneys… and they need to get paid; and if there’s no money to pay them, they can’t keep going.”

Embattled Lindell issued a plea for donations on Wednesday, telling his supporters that some of the funds raised would go toward supporting Shasta County in its lawsuit against the state of California over ballot counting.

Lindell spoke to his supporters in a segment on the streaming platform Lindell-TV, urging them to donate whatever they could to the Lindell Offense Fund.

“That’s what it’s all going for, not for anything else,” Lindell said after asking people to donate, even if it is only $5 a month.

He told Newsweek that everything he focuses on is to “secure our elections.” He touted the importance of hand-counted ballots and said he was against the use of electronic voting machines.

Lindell said the donations would also help fund Shasta County’s suit against the state of California. According to Lindell, the county is taking the state to court after Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that limits a local government’s ability to count ballots. The legislation came less than a year after Shasta County terminated its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and counted the ballots by hand instead, according to a report by ABC News.

Shasta County rushed to cancel its contract with Dominion after unfounded election fraud claims surfaced. The new law allows hand-counted ballots only under specific circumstances, such as in municipalities with less than 1,000 registered voters during regular elections and less than 5,000 voters during special elections. Counties also are restricted from canceling their voting system contracts without a transition plan and approval from the state.

Newsom signed the bill into law last Wednesday, and it went into effect immediately.

Whataburger brings back fan favorite dessert to menus

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Whataburger brings back fan favorite dessert to menus

Whataburger is welcoming back a beloved dessert for a limited time.

The White Chocolate Raspberry Shake will be available in stores this season as supplies last, the restaurant recently announced. Each shake has a vanilla base blended with a decadent combination of white chocolate and raspberry.

“We are excited to bring back the Whataburger White Chocolate Raspberry Shake, a sweet standout with its distinctive flavor blend,” Whataburger Corporate Chef James Sanchez said in a statement. “Striking the ideal harmony between the velvety white chocolate and tangy raspberry, it’s a match made in tastebud heaven.”

The shake starts at a $2.79 for a small (16 ounces), but prices go up based on size and location.

Customer Feedback

When the shake first appeared on Whataburger’s menu, customers raced to restaurants to get a taste of the seasonal treat.

Generally, feedback for the shake was positive on Reddit, signaling that Whataburger should bring back the dessert once again this year.

“It was the best shake I’ve had from Whataburger, though I’m a picky eater so I’ve never tried anything besides chocolate and vanilla before this shake,” one Redditor shared.

Another commented: “Honestly, one of the better shakes we’ve had.”

Other Restaurant News

Many other fast food chains are using the fall season as a way to introduce new seasonal items. Even grocery stores have gotten in on the action.

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Publix unveiled its Turkey Cranberry Pub Sub nationwide. Each sandwich is packed with turkey, Gruyere cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and cranberry orange relish, making it the perfect lunch during this time of year.

Popeyes is also looking to make your Thanksgiving easier by offering a pre-cooked Cajun-Style Turkey. Customers can start ordering it on October 17 for $99.

Each turkey is seasoned with paprika, salt, dried onions, dried garlic and red pepper and can feed at least eight people.

Also ahead of Thanksgiving, Boston Market is allowing customers to choose between a selection of Thanksgiving main course meats and sides. The protein options include turkey and ham, along with sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing and apple pie for $12 per person.

Bob Evans is also offering a dinner to go on Thanksgiving. For just $12.49 per person for 10 servings, the multi-course dinner includes turkey or ham, plus dinner rolls, macaroni and cheese and pumpkin pie.

Chick-fil-A is also ushering in the colder weather with its Chicken Tortilla Soup, which will come back to restaurants on November 13. The creamy soup is made with shredded chicken breast and beans, along with vegetables, spices and tortilla strips.

Dairy Queen also has several fall favorites available when it comes to its Blizzard lineup, which includes the Oreo Hot Cocoa Blizzard and the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard.

How to save on streaming services as rates go up

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How to save on streaming services as rates go up

It is no longer as affordable as it once was to relax after a long day’s work and play your favorite TV show on your streaming service of choice. That is because nearly every streaming service is upping their prices amid high inflation and increased competition.

While paying for a streaming service is still in many ways cheaper than cable TV, subscription costs are surging, with a new company announcing a price hike nearly every day.

Discovery+ updated its pricing structure on October 3, ensuring that ad-free users will have to pay more than before.

Whereas customers used to be able to pay $6.99, the ad-free plan will now cost $8.99 per month, with the ad-lite tier remaining at $4.99.

And Disney+ followed that news with an announcement that while its ad-supported tier will still cost $7.99, the ad-free option is surging from $10.99 to $13.99.

Meanwhile, Hulu used to offer an ad-free subscription for $14.99 a month, but that price is also jumping $3 to $17.99.

While Netflix hasn’t said it will be increasing its prices again any time soon, the company previously went on a crackdown on password sharing, forcing more users to pay for subscriptions themselves rather than depend on their friends or family.

The price hikes likely come as streaming companies fight for a slowly dissolving customer base.

In the second quarter, streaming companies signed up 37.5 million new subscribers but they lost a whopping 34.8 million of their existing users, making the market even more competitive as new companies come onto the scene, according to The Wrap.

“Consumer perception around the new release catalogue size is all important here,” Ampere Analysis research director Richard Cooper told The Wrap.

“Services that are able to show the volume of new high profile content additions will be able to command relatively higher prices. Those services that don’t have as many new TV show and movie additions, or are not able to advertise them as effectively to consumers, will not be able to charge as much or raise prices to the same extent.”

How To Save Money On Streaming

With increased price hikes, the easiest way to save some extra money is to just abandon your subscriptions altogether.

But if you enjoy your streaming services and want to keep them, what’s the best way to go about it? A few strategies will come in handy for most consumers.

If you currently don’t have a streaming service in your name but want to add one, timing is everything.

Keep your eye out for the best limited-time deals to sign up for the services because they will mean more money in your pocket in the long run.

Occasionally, Hulu offers a Live TV plan for a $20 discount per month for the first three months of streaming. This could earn consumers a $60 savings over the first 90 days.

You also may want to choose a bundle deal for more savings in the future.

The Disney bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, allows you to get all three streaming services with added savings. Altogether, you’ll save 49 percent per month.

There are currently three tiers available: Duo Basic, at $9.99 a month for Disney+ and Hulu (with ads); Trio Basic, costing $12.99 a month for all three with ads as well as the Trio Premium, for $19.99 monthly for all three, absolutely no ads included.

If you’re only looking to watch one or a few shows and movies, Amazon Prime might be your best bet. That’s because Amazon Prime Video offers a 30-day trial completely for free.

So, if you simply watch the show or movie you’re interested in, you can cancel the subscription immediately after at no charge to you.

Or, if you plan to keep Amazon Prime Video around, consider paying for a year’s subscription upfront. It will cost you $149 at one time, but that saves you $40 over the course of the year.

Another easy way to save money on streaming services is to take stock on all the ones you pay for and how much they’re eating into your monthly budget. Are there ones you use more than others? Which ones are truly worth it based on the frequency of using them?

By looking at streaming services as a snapshot of your budget, you’ll be able to better understand which ones you should make a priority in your life.

According to Consumer Report’s American Experiences Survey of 2,097 U.S. adults in February 2023, more than 50 percent of American households subscribe to four or more streaming services.

However, if your household doesn’t use all of them equally, it might be time to eliminate some from the list as the prices continue to skyrocket.

It also might pay to become a streaming service ‘hopper.’ By choosing to only subscribe to one service a month, you can watch all the content you’re interested in from that company for that particular month before moving to a new one with different content.

This strategy allows you to have the best of both worlds for Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and more while still paying for only one service at a time.

You should also choose the cheapest subscription option, which generally comes with advertisements included, for the greatest savings.

And while Netflix might have cracked down on password sharing, many other streaming services still permit the practice. By paying for one service and sharing it with friends who have a different kind, you can save a lot of money over the span of a year.

Cheapest menu items at fast food restaurants

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Cheapest menu items at fast food restaurants

As Chipotle announces yet another price hike, customers are looking for any way to save more money at their favorite fast food restaurant.

Chipotle executives said this week that the price increase is the first modest one the restaurant has enacted in more than a year as inflation remains at high levels.

Previously, McDonald’s and Domino’s also boosted prices in an effort to curb food costs and increase profits, but the decisions by chains across the industry has many customers unsure on how to stretch their dollar.

Inflation has remained constant at 3.7 percent throughout September, with restaurant chains continuing to fight against food prices continuously inching upward. Still, there are certain strategies you can employ to get more bang for your buck at your favorite restaurants.

Savings at Chipotle

At Chipotle, you can end up with two burritos for the price of one if you just order a bowl, double your portions and ask for tortillas on the side.

You also tend to get more protein content if you ask for half-and-half, since servers tend to overestimate the amount of the half portion.

Cheapest Fast Food Menu Items

However, if you’re looking to save across all fast food chains, there are several cheap meal deals you should know about.

At Taco Bell, one of the cheapest, but most delicious options on the menu is cheesy nachos for just around $2. While at Wendy’s, you can also score a delicious small Frosty for just $3.

Those looking for something a little heartier might want to opt for the Whopper Jr at Burger King because it still costs just around $5. However, there might be an even better deal hiding in plain sight.

If you’re at Burger King for breakfast, the Mix & Match Croissan’wich is likely your best option yet, as it allows you to get two Croissan’wiches or biscuits (or one of each) for just $5.

The chain is also offering a $13 Trick or Treat Bundle for a limited time, which includes a feast of the Ghost Pepper Whopper, small fries, a small drink, a 4 piece Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries and a Hershey’s sundae pie for dessert.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something a bit lighter, consider taking advantage of Subway’s Sub of The Day deal, which offers a different 6-inch sub each day for just $3.50. The $5 Footlong disappeared several years ago, however it’s still possible to get a relatively affordable option at the sandwich chain.

One of the top tier fast food deals, however, still has to go to Wendy’s for its 4 for $4. For less than $5, customers can grab chicken nuggets, French fries, a drink, and either a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, or a Jr. Cheeseburger.

Dairy Queen has a similar option with an ice cream component called its $7 Meal Deal. It comes with your option of a cheeseburger or the 3-piece chicken strips along with French fries, a drink, and an ice cream sundae of your choice.

Xbox owns ‘Call of Duty’ but PlayStation gamers can still play

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Xbox owns ‘Call of Duty’ but PlayStation gamers can still play

Microsoft’s Xbox now owns Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Candy Crush, some of the world’s most popular video games, after it completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal, one of the largest in gaming history. But the company was keen to reassure gamers on Friday that the games will be available on other consoles.

The merger had been blocked by regulators who were concerned that Microsoft ownership of Activision would result in anticompetition in the gaming landscape as the tech behemoth could control access to the world’s most-played games.

On Friday, this all changed, after the U.K. watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority, one of the last hurdles for the deal, granted it permission to go ahead.

Microsoft agreed to sell cloud gaming rights to French company Ubisoft in August, meaning that it will not have exclusive streaming rights to the products it would now own from Activision. That move assuaged the anti-competitive concerns of the CMA. The British agency regulator was the last remaining regulatory hurdle to the deal.

“With the sale of Activision’s cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft, we’ve made sure Microsoft can’t have a stranglehold over this important and rapidly developing market,” Sarah Cardell, CMA’s chief executive of the CMA, said in a statement. “As cloud gaming grows, this intervention will ensure people get more competitive prices, better services and more choice.”

What does this mean for gamers?

Activision owns some of the most played games in the world. In addition to the Call of Duty series, Candy Crush and Guitar Hero, it also published Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise and World of Warcraft. Millions of people play these games across platforms— mobile, desktop—and consoles. As of June 2023, Activision said it had 356 million monthly active users.

Gamers played these games on a variety of platforms including on Microsoft’s Xbox, the tech behemoth’s rival Sony’s PlayStation and Japan’s Nintendo.

Video game players have been worried that the merger would lead to non-Xbox users being excluded from having access to Activision’s games.

“It’s making me feel like I need to switch to a whole different ecosystem in order to play the games that I was already playing,” Johnathan Schoepf, a PlayStation gamer based in Cincinnati, told The New York Times. “Microsoft has come and consolidated a huge part of the industry, two of the major publishing studios, and now is restricting their output on rival consoles.”

Microsoft has been keen to communicate that it will ensure the games are available across platforms.

“Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise,” Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said in a statement on Friday. “Because when everyone plays, we all win.”

McDonald’s faces boycott for giving Israeli soldiers free food

Fox News
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McDonald’s faces boycott for giving Israeli soldiers free food

McDonald’s Israel is facing calls for a boycott after it began providing free meals to Israeli soldiers following the outbreak of war against Hamas.

On X (formerly Twitter), users criticized the Israeli-owned franchise, with one writing, “McDonald’s providing free meals to the IDF, (the military forces of Israel). We should stand by our principles and take actions that align with our beliefs. Lets boycott McDonalds bcz Supporting companies that are involved in conflicts is wrong, especially when it comes to the loss of innocent lives.”

The poster continued: “Let’s raise awareness and encourage accountability from these brands. Remember, every individual’s voice and actions can make a difference in shaping a more just world.”

In a series of Instagram posts this week, McDonald’s Israel said it was donating thousands of free meals to Israel Defense Forces soldiers as well as hospitals. The fighting against Hamas began after the militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel last weekend. Over 2,700 casualties have been confirmed on both sides, according to the Associated Press.

In a caption to one post, translated by Instagram, McDonald’s Israel wrote, “Update that already yesterday we donated 4000 meals to hospitals and military units, we intend to donate thousands of meals every day to soldiers in the field and in drafting areas, and this is beyond a discount to soldiers coming to restaurants. We opened 5 restaurants that were open only for this purpose.”

Newsweek reached out to the McDonald’s press office via email for comment.

After Hamas attacked Israel with missiles and invading fighters last Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was “at war.” Airstrikes continue to be launched against the Gaza Strip, and an Israeli invasion of the region is considered likely. Israel has also cut off food, fuel and electricity to Gaza, where Hamas is believed to be holding Israeli citizens hostage.

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said in a translated post on X, “No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home. Humanitarian for humanitarian. And no one will preach us morals.”

On X, a user named Attockonians wrote: “Dear Pakistan, Let’s BOYCOTT McDonalds. Spread as much as you can.”

X user @NoOnesX_ wrote, “If McDonalds giving free meal to Israel Defense Force and not to those [affected] in GAZA then I think all Muslims around the GLOBE should boycott McDonalds.”

And X user Hassaan Bokhari said, “Boycott McDonalds! All McDonalds outlets in Pakistan must be picketed in support of Palestine.”

On Instagram, some commenters came out in support of McDonald’s Israel. “People are gold! Well done to you guys! Sacred work,” one wrote.

“Well done McDonald’s Israel,” another said.

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