Republicans secured a majority in the House; Thanksgiving dinner prices rose 20%; and Starbucks workers were set to go on strike.

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter/Editor

Republican House majority; Thanksgiving prices; Starbucks strike

Nov 17, 2022

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter/Editor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter/Editor), Ben Burke (Digital Producer)

Republicans secured a majority in the House of Representatives; Thanksgiving dinner prices up 20% compared to last year; and Starbucks workers were set to go on strike. These stories highlight the Daily Rundown for Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.

Republicans secure House majority – More than a week after the midterm elections, Republicans reached the 218-seat threshold needed to flip the House from Democratic control Wednesday. The race that decided the House turned out to be in California, where incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia, R, defeated Democratic challenger Christy Smith.

Republicans now hold a 218-211 majority in the House and could pick up a few more seats before all the results are official. The result is a split government, after Democrats retained control of the Senate over the weekend.

Thanksgiving dinner price hike – According to a survey published Wednesday by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Thanksgiving dinner this year is expected to be 20% more expensive than last year. The expected price hike is the largest since the Farm Bureau’s first Thanksgiving dinner cost survey in 1986.

“General inflation slashing the purchasing power of consumers is a significant factor contributing to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said in a statement. “Other contributing factors to the increased cost for the meal include supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine.”

As for the cost of the Thanksgiving turkey specifically, the bureau cited “a slightly smaller flock this year, increased feed costs and lighter processing weights” as reasons behind a 21% price hike from last year.

Starbuck workers to go on strike – Starbucks workers at more than 100 U.S. stores said they’re going on strike Thursday. It would be the largest labor action since a campaign to unionize the company’s stores began late last year.

Workers are seeking better pay, more consistent schedules and higher staffing levels in busy stores. Starbucks opposes the unionization effort, saying the company functions best when it works directly with employees.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Tags: 2022 Elections, Democrats, Election, House of Representatives, House Republicans, Inflation, Republicans, Starbucks, Strike, Supply chain, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, Ukraine, Unions

REPUBLICANS WIN MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE…OFFICIALLY CREATING A SPLIT IN CONGRESS.
HOW MUCH MORE WILL THANKSGIVING DINNER COST YOUR FAMILY THIS YEAR?
AND THOUSANDS OF STARBUCKS WORKERS ARE GOING ON STRIKE TODAY.
GOOD MORNING I’M KARAH RUCKER
AND HERE’S YOUR DAILY RUNDOWN.
REPUBLICANS HAVE NOW WON ENOUGH SEATS TO TAKE THE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE — PASSING THE 218-SEAT THRESHOLD FOR PARTY-CONTROL ON WEDNESDAY. THERE ARE STILL ***SIX OUTSTANDING HOUSE-RACES YET TO BE CALLED.
THE MAJORITY CALL ALSO TRIGGERS A CHANGE IN **LEADERSHIP.
CURRENT HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY ‘WHAT WILL BE NEXT’ IN HER FUTURE AS SHE PASSES DOWN THE GAVEL TO THE GOP.
THANKGIVING IS ONE WEEK AWAY…AND AS FAMILIES GROCERY SHOP THIS WEEK IN PREPARATION OF THE HOLIDAY…
YOU CAN EXPECT THE BILL TO BE 20 PERCENT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR’S.
THE COST OF AN AVERAGE THANKSGIVING DINNER IS 34 PERCENT HIGHER THAN IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.
A SIGN OF THE TIMES AS INFLATION REMAINS HIGH.
TWO THOUSAND STARBUCKS EMPLOYEES WON’T BE SHOWING UP TO WORK TODAY ACROSS ONE HUNDRED STORES NATIONWIDE.
THE EMPLOYEE STRIKE IS AN EFFORT TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS TO UNIONIZE.
EVEN WITH 264 STORES VOTING IN FAVOR OF UNION REPRESENTATION…
THERE HAVE BEEN ZERO CONTRACTS NEGOTIATED…
EVEN THOUGH SOME STORES VOTED TO UNIONIZE MORE THAN ONE YEAR AGO.
THE STRIKE IS EXPECTED TO BE A ONE-DAY EVENT…AND THEN BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL TOMORROW.
STARBUCKS HAS LARGELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF UNIONS NATIONWIDE IN 20-22.
WITH THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES UNIONIZING THIS YEAR HITTING A 17-YEAR HIGH.