Consumer News: Black Friday shoppers spend a record $11.8 billion online

Virginia has one of the highest concentrations of data centers in the U.S.

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Dominion Energy says its upcoming $11-a-month rate hike is driven by grid upgrades and inflation not Virginias rapidly growing data-center industry.

• Critics note that Virginia hosts one of the nations largest concentrations of data centers, which consume massive amounts of electricity and have raised public concern about grid strain.

• Modern data centers especially those built for AI can use power equivalent to tens of thousands of homes, prompting ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, cooling, and reliance on cleaner energy.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved a utility rate increase for Dominion Energy customers that will add about $11 to the average monthly electric bill starting in January.

Critics were quick to point out that Virginia has one of the highest concentrations of data centers in the country, but Dominin said that had little effect on the rate. Instead, it said grid upgrades and inflation are responsible for the increase, not data centers which have been a hot topic of conversation lately.

If you arent exactly clear about what data centers do, you probably arent alone. A data center is a specialized building full of computers (servers), storage systems, and network equipment that store, process, and move digital information for things like websites, cloud storage, streaming, and AI. Its essentially the physical internet behind online services.

Data centers, by their very nature, increase electricity demand. They use a lot of electricity mainly because:

• They run thousands to tens of thousands of powerful servers at once, often 24 hours a day, so the core computing load is huge.

• All those servers generate a lot of heat, so large cooling systems (air conditioning, fans, or liquid cooling) must run constantly to keep the equipment from overheating.

• They need extra infrastructure that also draws power: backup batteries and generators, power conversion equipment, networking gear, security systems, and building systems.

• Modern AI and other highperformance computing tasks are especially energyintensive, so newer data centers built for AI can use as much power as a small city.

Whats typical?

A typical modern data center uses on the order of a few to a few dozen megawatts of power continuously, which is like tens of thousands of homes running at once. Operators are trying to make them more efficient by improving cooling, tightening how power is delivered and measured (PUE), using smarter software, and shifting to renewable energy.

How much energy is typical?

Large hyperscale facilities can easily use 20100+ MW, and some planned AI-oriented campuses are being designed for hundreds of megawatts or more. Small commercial data centers with a few hundred to a couple thousand servers usually draw about 15 megawatts (MW) of power. That is roughly comparable to the average usage of several thousand U.S. homes, depending on local consumption

Across the whole country, U.S. data centers together used about 183 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, a bit over 4% of all U.S. power use, and that share is expected to more than double by 2030.

Key efficiency metric (PUE)

• The main yardstick for efficiency is Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), which is total facility power divided by the power used just by the IT equipment (servers, storage, networking).

• A perfect data center would have a PUE of 1.0; many older facilities were around 2.0 or worse, while efficient modern and highperformance centers try to get close to 1.2 or below, meaning most power goes into actual computing rather than overhead like cooling and lighting.

Whats being done to cut energy use?

• Better cooling: Operators are switching from basic air conditioning to more efficient methods such as hot/cold aisle containment, liquid cooling directly to chips, and using outside air or water (free cooling) when climate allows, which can cut cooling energy by 1050%.

• Smarter operations: Software and AI are used to balance workloads, power down idle servers, and tune cooling in real time so the data center does not run all systems at full power unnecessarily.
  Cleaner power and design: Many large data center operators sign longterm contracts for wind or solar, build onsite generation or storage, and design buildings, power distribution, and equipment layouts specifically to reduce losses and improve efficiency.

FDA signals sweeping changes in vaccine policy

FDA vaccines chief says internal review found 10 child deaths linked to Covid shots
Shift would remake flu immunization strategy and tighten standards for all vaccines
Public-health experts question the claims and warn of confusion, lack of evidence

The Food and Drug Administration is moving ahead with plans to upend its approach to immunizations for respiratory illnessesincluding seasonal flu vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an attorney with no medical training, is a longtime vaccine skeptic.

The latest development is an email sent to FDA staff by the agencys vaccines division director, Dr. Vinay Prasad, claiming that 10 children had died as a result of Covid vaccination, the Wall Street Journal reported. He did not provide evidence, methodology or case details to support the claim, which he said was based on initial analysis of reports submitted to an FDA safety-monitoring system. Such reports, experts note, can be incomplete, unverified or inaccurate.

Prasad wrote that the revelation marked the first time the U.S. FDA will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children, adding: The truth is we do not know if we saved lives on balance. The email also criticized Biden-era vaccine mandates.

Policy shift follows broader changes under HHS leadership

The proposal is the latest in a series of dramatic shifts on vaccine policy under Kennedy's leadership.

Kennedy has already announced that the U.S. would drop recommendations for pregnant women and children to receive Covid shots. In September, a vaccine advisory panel he reassembled voted to scrap affirmative recommendations for adults; instead, Covid vaccination would be left to individual decision-making between clinicians and patients.

The changes outlined in Prasads email would have far-reaching effects. He said the FDA will revise the annual flu vaccine framework, calling the current model a catastrophe of low-quality evidence. Manufacturers would be required to submit larger studies on multiple vaccines administered at once, and the agency would demand broader clinical trials before expanding approvals to populations such as children and pregnant women.

Prior promises will be null and void, he wrote regarding vaccine approvals in pregnancy.

Experts question data and warn of public confusion

The claims also drew pushback from infectious-disease specialists. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, said Prasad should have published any findings in a peer-reviewed journal where scientists could vet the evidence.

You dont know what data he has. What does this do? All it does is scare people, Offit said. Its just dangerous and irresponsible.

Previous analyses by the U.S. government, the World Health Organization and independent researchers have found serious side effects from Covid vaccines to be rare, with benefits generally outweighing risks. A 2023 meta-analysis reviewed four reported child deaths following Covid vaccination; two involved children with complex medical histories, one childs autopsy showed a flu infection, and a fourth case remained under review.

Vaccine makers respond cautiously

A spokesman for Moderna pointed to a September statement saying the company was aware of no new safety concerns, including deaths, related to its Covid vaccine. Pfizer and Novavax, which also supply vaccines to the U.S., did not respond to inquiries.

The proposed FDA overhaul is likely to reshape how vaccines are evaluated, developed and recommended in the U.S.and to spark fierce debate over the evidence used to guide those decisions.

Black Friday urgency pushes consumers to spend more

• Black Friday promotions trigger urgency and impulsive online buying

• Convenience features like one-click checkout fuel overspending and debt

• Experts urge shoppers to add friction, track triggers and plan purchases

Americans spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday last year, according to Adobe Analytics, reflecting the powerful psychological pull of deep discounts and limited-time offers. Retail researchers say the annual surge in promotions creates a sense of urgency that can override financial caution. When shoppers are convinced a deal is fleeting, they are more likely to buy first and think later.

The widespread use of one-click checkout, stored credit-card information and buy now, pay later loans amplifies that impulse. These tools promise convenience and instant gratification a quick dopamine spike that often comes before consumers take a moment to consider whether a purchase is necessary. As a result, many shoppers overspend during the holidays and wind up carrying debt well into the next year.

Experts warn of psychological triggers behind holiday purchases

Financial therapists say the mechanics of Black Friday deals intentionally play on emotional vulnerabilities. Sales can serve as an outlet for stress, boredom or a desire for reward, especially during a busy and sometimes emotionally charged holiday season. Without guardrails, these forces can push consumers into patterns of unhealthy spending.

Nathan Astle, a certified financial therapist, recommends removing the runway for impulse purchases by deleting stored payment information from online accounts, apps and mobile wallets, in a New York Times report. Anything that makes spending slightly less convenient reduces the likelihood of overspending, he said.

Other experts advise adding intentional delays to the buying process. Strategies include setting a 24-hour waiting period before making any discretionary purchase or listening to a full song before pressing the checkout button a small pause that can interrupt the emotional rush that leads to impulse buying.

Small behavioral shifts can rein in holiday overspending

Researchers say introducing points of friction can help curb automatic spending behaviors. For in-store shoppers, this can mean carrying items by hand instead of using a cart, intentionally limiting how much can be purchased. For online shoppers, creating wish lists instead of loading items into a cart can often provide the same sense of satisfaction without completing the purchase.

Planning ahead also makes a significant difference. Financial counselors recommend making a list of what you truly need and noting regular prices before Black Friday begins. Armed with this information, shoppers are better able to determine whether a discount is genuine or artificially inflated.

Another key step is identifying personal triggers whether certain product categories, social-media ads or influencer recommendations. Unfollow or mute accounts that nudge you toward impulse buys, and steer clear of haul videos that glamorize excessive consumption.

Understanding emotional spending improves long-term habits

Experts emphasize that holiday overspending is often a symptom of deeper emotional patterns. Keeping a money journal can help shoppers recognize what they were feeling before, during and after each purchase. That awareness can reveal hidden motivations such as loneliness, stress or boredom that fuel unnecessary spending.

While Black Friday deals promise big savings, financial counselors say the best bargain may be slowing down long enough to understand the forces driving your decisions.

Tips to avoid holiday overspending

• Delete saved payment info: Removing stored cards and one-click options forces a pause before you buy.

• Use a 24-hour rule: Wait one day before purchasing anything that isnt essential.

• Add friction: Carry items in-store instead of using a cart, or create an online wish list instead of adding to your cart.

• Make a must-have list: Decide what you actually need before sales begin and note regular prices to spot real deals.

• Identify your triggers: Mute influencers, skip haul videos and avoid product categories that tempt you.

• Play a buying pause song: Listen to one full track before checking out online to disrupt impulse spending.

• Keep a money journal: Track what you buy and how you feel before and after purchases to catch emotional spending patterns.

Intense solar radiation corrupted flight-datal modification needed immediately

• Mandatory software change affects thousands of A320-family jets worldwide

• Airlines warned the repair must be done before next flight, risking cancellations

• Solar radiation glitch linked to incident that injured passengers on JetBlue flight

Airbus has ordered an urgent software change for a significant number of its best-selling A320-family jets after determining that intense solar radiation can corrupt data used by critical flight-control systems. The European planemaker said the issue emerged after a recent incident and acknowledged the fix would cause operational disruptions across global fleets.

A bulletin sent to airlines and reviewed by Reuters says the software change must be completed before each affected aircrafts next routine flight, raising the likelihood of widespread cancellations and delays. The timing coincides with one of the busiest U.S. and international travel weekends of the year.

Incident tied to sudden altitude drop on JetBlue flight

Industry sources attribute the unexpected recall to an October 30 JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark that experienced a sudden, uncommanded loss of altitude. Several passengers were reportedly injured during the drop. The crew diverted Flight 1230 to Tampa, where the aircraft landed safely. The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the event.

JetBlue and the FAA declined immediate comment.

Regulators preparing emergency order

Airbus said the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is preparing an emergency directive requiring airlines to install the fix. For roughly two-thirds of the affected jets, the repair involves reverting to an earlier version of the flight-control softwarea process expected to take about two hours, according to industry officials.

Significant strain on global maintenance capacity

Even a short grounding is expected to add pressure to already-strained airline repair operations. Maintenance facilities are coping with labor shortages, limited capacity and a backlog caused by hundreds of Airbus aircraft already sidelined for unrelated engine inspections and repairs.

Hundreds of aircraft may also require hardware changes rather than software alone, which could result in much longer delays.

At the time of Airbuss announcement, roughly 3,000 A320-family jets were airborne worldwide.

Airlines begin identifying affected aircraft

American Airlines and Hungary-based Wizz Air said they have already determined which jets in their fleets will need the mandatory software change. United Airlines said its fleet is not affected.

Airbus, while acknowledging the potential for significant passenger disruption, said the fix is necessary to ensure safe operation across the global fleet.

If your flight is disrupted

If you're notified of a delay or cancellation

• Check your airlines app immediately. Most carriers rebook automatically, but better options may be available if you act quickly.

• Look for partner-airline transfers. Many airlines have interline agreements that allow rebooking on other carriers during widespread disruptions.

• Confirm whether the aircraft issue is safety-related. While the Airbus directive is precautionary, airlines may offer more flexible rebooking if safety maintenance is required.

Know your rights

• U.S. passengers: There are no federal compensation rules for delays, but you are entitled to a refund if your flight is canceled or significantly changed and you choose not to travel.

• EU passengers: Under EU261, travelers flying from the EU or on EU carriers may be eligible for compensation if the disruption is not classified as an extraordinary circumstance. Airlines may argue the emergency directive qualifies as extraordinary, but refunds and rebooking rights still apply.

• Hotel and meal coverage: Some airlines provide vouchers during maintenance-related overnight delaysask, even if it's not automatically offered.

If you're stuck during a connection

• Go directly to an airline agent, not just customer service lines. Agents at smaller gates often have shorter queues.

• Use alternative airports. Ask whether rebooking through nearby airports (Baltimore instead of D.C., Providence instead of Boston, etc.) could get you moving faster.

• Track your bags. If rebooked, confirm your checked bags are retagged properly; many delays result in stranded luggage.

If your travel is time-sensitive

• Ask for endorsements. Airlines can authorize another carrier to honor your ticket at no extra charge.

• Consider refund + rebook. Sometimes buying a new ticket, even on a different airline or airport, may be faster than waiting for operational recovery.

• Document all expenses. Keep receipts for hotels, meals, ridesharesthese may help with reimbursement or travel insurance claims.