Amazon has rolled out a pilot program promising jaw-dropping 30-minute delivery in a handful of cities, including Seattle and Philadelphia, under the flashy banner of Amazon Now. This ambitious service aims to deliver everything from diapers to electronics at lightning speed, raising the stakes in the retail game.

But hold on,how is Amazon pulling off this speedy feat? It’s all about the logistics, with workers swiftly picking and packing items at strategically placed facilities. Once orders are prepped, Amazon Flex drivers zoom out within two minutes, supposedly ensuring your goods arrive in record time. However, this bold initiative is already facing fierce competition from Walmart, which flaunts over 4,600 stores across the U.S. and can reach a whopping 95 percent of households in under three hours. Some Walmart orders even arrive in mere minutes, casting doubt on Amazon's speedy promise.

Yet, industry analysts are singing a different tune. They’re questioning whether Amazon can realistically sustain such a fast-paced delivery model, highlighting the massive infrastructure needed to make it all work. More warehouses, drivers, and inventory are just the beginning.

Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A is riding the wave of customer demand by testing a tantalizing chicken and waffle sandwich. This new menu item ditches the traditional bun in favor of maple-flavored waffles, packed with fried chicken, honey butter, and bacon, all served with syrup on the side. With a spicy version also available, this culinary innovation is being tested in just two cities,Baltimore and San Antonio,and so far, TikTokers are raving about the sweet-and-savory experience. 

In the retail world, Macy’s is throwing surprises left and right, boasting its strongest sales growth in three years and raising its full-year outlook. The retailer credits its success to revamped merchandising, a boost in staffing, and the rollout of reimagined “First 50” stores. Sounds great, right? Yet, they’ve also issued a warning: consumers are getting pickier, and rising tariffs might just rain on their parade as the holiday shopping season approaches. Despite the positive sales news, investor enthusiasm has been tepid, with shares slipping in premarket trading. CEO Tony Spring is playing it safe, counting on better store experiences and a broader range of price points to lure shoppers back.

On the gas front, the national average has dipped below $3 a gallon for the first time in over four years, with some states seeing prices as low as $2.40! President Trump is predicting further declines, potentially hitting $2 a gallon, thanks to increased domestic production and rebuilding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. While energy officials argue that cheaper gas means more cash for consumers, critics warn that the unpredictable market could turn this trend on its head.

In education, universities across the nation are scrambling to embrace the AI revolution. Institutions like the University of South Florida, UC San Diego, and SUNY Buffalo are launching new AI programs to meet the skyrocketing demand from students eager to break into the field. MIT’s “AI and decision-making” major is already the second-most-popular program, with South Florida’s new AI college enrolling over 3,000 students this semester alone. As tech giants pour billions into AI, students are increasingly eyeing this field as a more direct ticket to employment compared to traditional computer science routes.