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Airlines’ $54 billion in taxpayer aid prohibited them from laying off workers.
Carriers urged workers to take buyouts or offer extended leaves of absence.
The House Oversight committee is now urging the Treasury Department to press airlines on whether they used the aid package for buyouts.

Airline pilots walk through the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 27, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Two House Democrats have asked a Treasury Department watchdog to investigate whether airlines used a portion of a federal coronavirus relief package to pay for staff buyouts during the pandemic.
Airlines were prohibited from laying off staff as a condition for accepting $54 billion in taxpayer aid to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel demand collapsed in the early days of the crisis. However, carriers were able to urge workers to take early retirement packages or extended leaves of absence. Thousands took them up on the offer, including hundreds of pilots.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and James Clyburn, D-S.C., Chairman of the Reform Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, on Thursday asked the Treasury Department’s watchdog to review how airlines used the Covid-19 aid and whether it was used for buyouts or staff reductions, according to a letter reviewed by CNBC.
When travel demand rebounded sharply this year, airlines found themselves short-staffed, including in cockpits. Some airlines like American and United cut flights or grounded dozens of planes as a result, particularly to small cities. Shorter routes are flown generally by regional airlines, and airlines have hired hundreds of new pilots from those smaller carriers to fill their own ranks.
Labor shortages this year have made it harder for airlines to recover from routine issues like bad weather.
“As a result of pilot shortages, thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled, wreaking havoc on travel plans for millions of American taxpayers,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to the Treasury Department’s Deputy Inspector General Richard Delmar.
The Treasury Department, its Office of the Inspector General, and major U.S. carriers and their industry group didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

Maloney and Clyburn asked the watchdog for preliminary results by Sept. 22.
U.S. carriers began 2020 with 456,398 full-time equivalent employees, which fell to 363,354 in November of that year, according to the Department of Transportation. Airlines have been on a hiring spree for more than a year, and in June had 455,642 full-time equivalent employees.

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Since the Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the court case that gave Americans the right to an abortion, more women are turning to Plan B, the nation’s most recognized morning-after pill.
Although it’s available over the counter, Plan B is not always accessible. At an average price of $40-$50, it’s too expensive for many low-income people. Some states allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense it, and retailers tend to place the product out of reach for customers.

Now, even more restrictions could be on the way for Plan B. The Food and Drug Administration’s labeling warns that the product may “prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb” — a statement that scientists and medical professionals say is not backed by scientific evidence but was included on the label in order to get Plan B’s over-the-counter status approved. Many anti-abortion activists argue that any interference with an egg is considered an abortion; medical professionals say otherwise. 
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the court revisit its past ruling on contraception. Confusion around the language on the label could mean trouble for the brand and its consumers. So what does the future look like for Plan B?
Watch the video to learn more.

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The rate of flight delays and cancellations rose this year over pre-pandemic 2019.
Airlines have scaled back their schedules to give themselves more breathing room for routine disruptions.
Fares were higher than 2019 this year but declined after the peak summer travel period.

Travelers make their way through Orlando International Airport on New Year’s weekend, despite thousands of flight cancellations and delays across United States.
Paul Hennessy | Lightrocket | Getty Images

It was a pricey and chaotic summer for air travel.
A bigger share of flights were delayed or canceled during the main late spring and summer travel season, which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, compared with the same period of pre-pandemic 2019. Fares surged along with fuel prices and as millions of consumers booked trips after two years of forgoing flights. Domestic round trips averaged $342 between May and September, nearly 11% more than the same period in 2019, according to fare-tracker Hopper.

Labor shortages made it even harder for airlines to recover from routine events. Overambitious carriers trimmed their packed schedules to give their operations more breathing room. Overwhelmed European hubs capped passenger numbers. Even airline employee travel perks were scaled back.
Government agencies and airlines sparred over who was to blame. And on Sept. 1, the Department of Transportation published a dashboard that spells out what customers are owed when airlines delay or cancel their flights.
Fares are finally starting to decline along with temperatures, but vacation travel demand is still strong, executives said this week.
“We’re seeing a really strong September,” Patrick Quayle, United Airlines’ senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said at a Cowen industry conference this week. “It does not appear that summer has come to an end. It’s that strong.”
As airlines prepare for the fall — and busy year-end holidays — here’s how they handled the heat this summer:

Vacationing like it’s 2019

Passenger numbers this summer surged compared with the past two years. During Labor Day weekend, the Transportation Security Administration screened about 8.76 million people, marking the first holiday weekend since the Covid pandemic began that was busier than one in 2019.

Disruptions rise

Airlines canceled or delayed a greater share of their flights compared with 2019. Thinner staffing levels and training backups meant they had fewer crew members to step in when scheduled employees like pilots reached federally mandated workday limits.
Operations improved in August and over the important Labor Day weekend for some airlines. Delta Air Lines reduced cancellations by 25% in August compared with July, CEO Ed Bastian said in a staff memo Thursday, which was reviewed by CNBC. Over Labor Day the carrier canceled 15 mainline flights out of 16,636 departures, he said.

Airport delays varied around the country but some of the biggest hubs had greater shares of late-arriving flights, often driven by spring and summer storms.

Complaints soar

Traveler complaints to the Transportation Department soared, along with flight disruptions.

Fares cool

Domestic round-trip fares surged this spring, reaching a peak in May of $404, up 25% from three years ago, according to Hopper data. But a drop in prices, combined with a seasonal lull as business travel remains below 2019 volumes, is making for some fall deals.
Domestic airfare is averaging $299 in September, still up 2% from the same month three years ago. And airline executives expect travel demand to spike around the holidays.
“Though we’ll slow down for a bit following the summer peak, the holiday travel season will be here before you know it,” American Airlines COO David Seymour told employees this week.

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AppleTV+ won the Best Picture award at the Oscars and is looking to snag Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys.
“Ted Lasso” is up again for Outstanding Comedy Series and its new show “Severance” is on the ballot for Outstanding Drama Series.
The goal of the iPhone maker’s streaming service is to burnish the brand and help sell Apple products, not to garner subscribers.

Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein star in AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso.”

Is this the year of Apple TV+?
The streamer’s historic Oscar win for Best Picture was overshadowed by an altercation between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock in March, but big wins at Monday’s Emmys could cement the service as one of the most reputable content providers in the streaming space.

“Apple TV+ follows a ‘less is more’ strategy,” said Peter Csathy, founder and chairman of advisory firm Creative Media. “Fewer titles but bigger names and premium quality.”
In recent years, Csathy noted that Apple TV+ has built a small but critically acclaimed catalog that is “almost becoming the new HBO,” which was known for quality series prior to its merger with HBO Max.
Apple TV+, which has been around for less than three years, has earned 52 total Emmy nominations across 13 different titles in 2022. HBO and HBO Max notched 140 nominations combined and Netflix received 104.
Apple TV+’s breakout hit “Ted Lasso” is up again for Outstanding Comedy Series, while its new show “Severance” is on the ballot for Outstanding Drama Series. Competition in both categories is steep, in part because of new entrants like “Squid Game,” “Yellow Jackets” and “Abbot Elementary.” This is also the last year of eligibility for “Better Call Saul” and “Ozark.”
Earlier this year, Apple TV+ won the Best Picture award at the Oscars for “CODA,” marking the first time a streaming platform got the top prize. Troy Kotsur, who starred in the film, also became the first deaf man to win an Oscar for acting.

Already, streaming services have used the prestige associated with Hollywood nominations or awards to encourage subscriber sign-ups or sign top talent. Over the past decade, Emmy awards for shows like “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Crown” have burnished the reputation of Netflix, enabling the service to bring on top talent like Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and Guillermo del Toro.

Still from AppleTV+’s “Severance.”

Such prestige is even more critical for Apple, which has long partnered with the biggest names in music and Hollywood for its cachet. That’s because the primary goal for Apple TV+ is to sell Apple products — not to garner hundreds of millions of subscribers.
“Apple has always used content as marketing for its products,” said Csathy. “For Apple, the streaming service is just the means to the end — and the end is more sales of iPhones, Macs, Apple TVs, etc. As long as Apple TV+ screams quality, then it serves its purpose in Apple’s overall engine.”
Though streaming services generally provide limited metrics, Apple has been particularly quiet since it launched its streaming video platform in November 2019. Unlike many others in the space, the company does not disclose data about financial performance, content spending or subscriber numbers for individual shows or the service as a whole. (Even “Severance” executive producer Ben Stiller has expressed frustration about Apple’s vague statistics.)When Apple CEO Tim Cook is asked about the service, he usually points to nominations and awards, suggesting that’s the metric Apple is using to judge its success.”In two and a half years since launch, Apple TV+ has now earned 250 wins and over 1,100 award nominations and counting,” Cook told analysts on an earnings call in July.
In June, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated that the service has between 20 million and 40 million subscribers and that is generates around $1 billion to $2 billion in annual revenue. That would be a drop in the bucket compared to the company’s overall balance sheet, which tallied $366 billion during fiscal 2021.
Apple TV+’s spending on content is estimated to pale in comparison to rival streamers. Netflix is expected to spend around $17 billion on content this year and Disney about $32 billion spread across its media divisions. By contrast, Bernstein suggests Apple spends just north of $3 billion, while Rayburn estimates the number to be closer to between $1 billion and $2 billion.
Those projections would suggest that the service could be losing money.
Dan Rayburn, a media and streaming analyst, noted that there’s no clear data showing Hollywood recognition translates to increased subscribers. But for Apple, he noted that calculation really doesn’t matter.
“If Apple TV+ gets 10 million subs, or they get 20 million subs, does it move the needle from a revenue standpoint? No.” said Rayburn. “They don’t even have to disclose to Wall Street because it’s not a material impact on the company.”
— CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed to this report.

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As of Thursday, a Mega Millions jackpot won in July remained unclaimed, according to an Illinois Lottery spokesperson.
If the winner doesn’t claim the jackpot by Sept. 27 — 60 days after the July 29 drawing — the prize will default to the annuity option.
The one-time reduced lump-sum option — which is what most jackpot winners choose — for this $1.34 billion windfall is $780.5 million.

A customer at the 7-Eleven on Chino Hills Parkway in Chino Hills receives there lottery tickets on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 where Fridays Mega Millions payout is expected to exceed $1 billion.
Will Lester | Medianews Group | Getty Images

The clock is ticking for whoever landed the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot in late July — if they want to claim their prize as a lump sum.
In Illinois, where the winning ticket was sold, Mega Millions winners get a year to claim their windfall if they want to receive it as an annuity spread over three decades. But they only get 60 days if they would rather take the prize as an upfront, reduced lump sum, according to the Illinois Lottery. 

This means if the winner doesn’t claim the jackpot by Sept. 27 — 60 days after the July 29 drawing — the prize will default to the annuity option.
“They have a choice that will be made for them if they don’t make it,” said Susan Bradley, a certified financial planner and founder of the Sudden Money Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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The $1.34 billion jackpot, which marked the second-largest prize in the game’s history, was won by a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois. 
As of Thursday, the jackpot remained unclaimed, according to Illinois Lottery spokesperson Meghan Powers.

“For a prize of this magnitude, it’s not unusual for a winner to take a little bit longer to claim the prize as they may want to seek professional legal and financial advice prior to claiming,” Powers said.

Whether the prize is taken as a lump sum or an annuity, there are pros and cons to each option that are best sorted through with the help of a team of professionals, Bradley said.
That team could include experts in financial areas such as taxes, wealth advice, investments, trusts and philanthropy. 
“Right now, this winner, in a perfect world, has already set up a brain trust,” Bradley said.

The lump-sum option is $780.5 million before taxes

The lump-sum, cash option — which most winners of big lottery jackpots choose — for this $1.34 billion prize is $780.5 million.
The amount would be reduced by a 24% federal tax withholding, or about $187.3 million. Another 4.95% would be withheld for state income taxes, which works out to $38.6 million. That would leave the winner with $554.6 million, although additional taxes would likely be due.
“Some people say take the lump sum because you manage it instead of the state,” she said. “But that’s loaded with all sorts of responsibilities that people can’t see coming.”

In other words, the cash amount would catapult the winner into possessing an amount of money that most people don’t see in a lifetime. To preserve the wealth, decisions would need to be made about investment and tax strategies, philanthropic goals, spending and gifting, insurance and more.

You may need to plan for a ‘replacement fund’

On the other hand, an annuity can appeal to winners who would rather have annual income for three decades, Bradley said. For this $1.34 billion jackpot, the yearly amount before taxes works out to average payments of $44.6 million, according to usamega.com.
In that scenario, however, the winner should give thought to what happens in 30 years when the payments stop.
“They should have a replacement fund,” Bradley said, referring to winners who opt for an annuity. This generally means setting aside a portion of their annuity income every year when the payment arrives.
“Assume 50% of the annual payment is yours after taxes,” she said. “Then split it in half again and put half in your replacement fund.”
It’s worth noting that the Illinois Lottery allows winners of prizes worth $250,000 or more to remain anonymous — which means you can keep your name out of the public eye.

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Whether it’s student loan forgiveness or banning books, education policy in the United States can get contentious.
One controversial education policy that goes back to the 1990s is the charter school.

A charter school is a publicly funded school that is established by a private group. The group creates a contract with the state and local government, which lays out specific accountability requirements. The government has the ability to shut the school down if it doesn’t meet those standards. What’s more, these schools are exempt from certain state laws and regulations that traditional public schools must follow, but they are expected to meet educational standards.
“We have more autonomy to be able to have a more flexible budget and make just different academic decisions,” said Natalie Wiltshire, chief operating officer at KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools.
KIPP, which stands for the “Knowledge Is Power Program,” is the largest charter management organization in the U.S., according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Nearly 3,000 students attend KIPP schools in Philadelphia. Admission is determined through a lottery system, with 97% of the students identifying as Black or African American and 76% qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
“KIPP has changed my life immensely,” said Daniel Harris, a KIPP alumnus who is now a teacher at KIPP West Philadelphia Elementary Academy. “My family was lower income, but I know that’s not what [my teachers] saw me as. They saw me as a person who cared about his education, cared about his future, and wanted the best for himself and the people around him. That’s what KIPP was about.”

At the organizational level, though, critics say charter schools harm the wider public school district, due to funding and transparency concerns.
“I’m opposed to publicly funded charter schools that are run privately,” said Joseph Roy, superintendent of schools at the school district in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “Don’t tell me you’re a public school if you’re not governed by the public.”
When a child leaves a district-run public school, the tax dollars follow that student to the charter school. Opponents of charter schools say even though the student is leaving the school, it doesn’t reduce the traditional public school’s costs.
“What winds up happening is there is a downward spiral because as the money goes out with kids, the services the district can provide become less and less,” said Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, an advocacy group that is outspoken against charter schools. “So more parents leave for charter schools. And it puts some districts in critical places where they’re really not able to service the kids that they have.”
“Right now we’re operating parallel school systems and at some point it’s going to break,” Burris said.
Watch the video above to learn why charter schools are still so controversial.

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The news comes after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on Thursday, with the country now in a state of national mourning.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Minute of silence on the death of Queen Elizabeth II during match between Manchester United and Real Sociedad.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

The Premier League and English Football League have postponed this weekend’s round of fixtures following the Queen’s death on Thursday.
The news comes after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on Thursday, with the country now in a state of national mourning.

In a statement, the Premier League said: “At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.
“Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.
“As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.
“This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”

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“Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course.”
In their statement, the EFL said: “Further to discussions on Friday morning it has been determined that all EFL fixtures from 9-10 September will be postponed as a mark of respect by the National Sport to the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
“This is aligned with the approach that the Premier League and the FA will take with their competitions this weekend. Further information, in respect of how football, Clubs and their supporters will commemorate Her Majesty’s reign will be confirmed at an appropriate point.
“Details regarding rearranged games will be announced in due course.”

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There was a time when Western Europe was the destination of choice for Russian tourists.
But things have changed.

Max, a Russian in his 40s, used to stroll museums in France, enjoy fine cuisine in Italy, and go on hikes on the hills of Spain.
Then Russia invaded Ukraine. This year, Max, who told CNBC that he’s not comfortable sharing his last name, “did not even consider” Europe as a vacation destination. 
“I am aware of the problems with obtaining visas to European countries,” he said.
Last week, the European Union agreed to suspend a 2007 travel agreement with Moscow which facilitated the issuance of visas to Russians. The move will make it more difficult and expensive for Russians to travel to the bloc.

In the future, when Putin leaves and we become a normal country again, I hope that I will be able to visit Europe again.

Russian citizen

The closure of EU airspace to Russian airlines in February also made traveling difficult.

“The bad irony is that I am absolutely against the war and Putin, but I also experience travel difficulties,” Max said.
“In the future, when Putin leaves and we become a normal country again, I hope that I will be able to visit Europe again. I love Italy very much.”

Fewer Russians in Europe

Max is one of many Russians who traded European holiday destinations for other countries this summer.
EU countries like Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Greece were among the top 20 destinations most booked by Russian travelers before the war’s outbreak, according to data from ForwardKeys, a travel data company.

EU countries like Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Greece were among the top 20 destinations most booked by Russian travelers before the war’s outbreak, according to ForwardKeys data.
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino | Moment | Getty Images

However, Olivier Ponti of ForwardKeys said Russian air travel to Europe over the summer was just 26% of what it was in 2019.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has certainly restricted the holiday choices of its citizens, as direct flights to many popular destinations have been banned,” he said. “It is still possible for Russians to visit Europe, but they now need to change planes in places like Istanbul or Dubai.”

Where are Russians going?

According to ForwardKeys, which examined flight arrival data, several leisure destinations saw an increase in the market share of Russian visitors in June, July and August compared to 2019.

Maldives (from 5% to 20%)
Seychelles (3% to 7%)
Turkey (4% to 8%)
United Arab Emirates (1% to 3%)

Most of those countries were popular with Russian visitors before the war too. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), Turkey was the top destination for Russian tourists in 2019, followed by the Russia-occupied territory of Abkhazia, the UAE and Maldives. 
Analysts from the EIU told CNBC that the Maldives has long been a preferred destination for wealthy Russians who can easily obtain tourist visas on arrival to stay up to 90 days.

Russian tourist arrivals to Europe decreased during the summer, but rose in the Maldives, a favorite vacation spot for the country’s wealthy citizens.
Nicolas Economou | Nurphoto | Getty Images

A more favorable exchange rate in Turkey since mid-March likely boosted travel numbers there, EIU analysts Mario Bikarski and Federica Reccia told CNBC. The Turkish lira currently stands at 18.23 against the dollar— near record lows after Turkey’s central bank slashed its benchmark rates in August despite inflation being near 80%.
Still, Russians’ ability to travel may be further curtailed, they said. In addition to the EU’s suspension of its 2007 preferential visa agreement with Moscow, Bikarski and Reccia said, economic problems could discourage Russians from traveling.
“As the war grinds on, we also expect the deteriorating economic outlook to weigh on Russians’ propensity to travel.” More