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1. Huge winter storm hits air travel across US
A massive snow storm stretching across half the U.S. has already begun to disrupt air travel even as it's expected to progress through the weekend. CNBC reports airlines have already canceled more than 1,300 flights scheduled for Friday.
"More than 400 U.S. flights were canceled on Friday, with 1,325 canceled from Saturday’s schedule, according to flight tracker FlightAware," the news outlet reports. "The majority of Saturday’s cancellations were at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, with 900 scrubbed flights, and at Dallas Love Field, with 139 cancellations, each about half of the day’s schedule."
Officials with American Airlines said they were currently positioning aircraft and staff to “set the stage for a fast, safe recovery once conditions improve.”
2. Inflation remained elevated through November as GDP revised up
Both inflation and consumer spending are up in the U.S., according to the latest government data, much of which was delayed by the recent government shutdown.
The New York Times reports inflation has remained stubbornly high, coming in at 2.8% through November — well ahead of the Federal Reserve's 2% target.
"Altogether, the numbers tell a story in which inflation — while far down from its highs after the pandemic — continues to nag households. Goods inflation, for instance, which had been notably cooling since 2022, swung back up after the Trump administration announced tariffs last spring," the newspaper reports.
Meanwhile, revised economic growth numbers were more positive, with ABC News reporting gross domestic product hit the highest mark in two years by growing 4.4% in the third quarter of 2025.
3. 2026 tech trends revolve around automation
Artificial intelligence-powered search and better chatbots are at the top of the wish list for hoteliers entering the new year, and experts believe this could be the year where more meaningful automation takes hold industrywide, CoStar News' Natalie Harms reports.
In an industry that traditionally loves to be a slow mover on adoption, AI could quickly become a game changer, said David Sjolander, vice president of HTNG operations at the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
"In our industry, things don't usually change very fast," he said. "It's usually pretty slow and AI is forcing us to move a lot quicker than we are used to moving."
4. Minnesota businesses close in protest
Hundreds of Minnesota businesses are planning to close today in protest of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the state, the New York Times reports, with organizers deeming it a "general strike."
Most of the crackdown and the strike actions are centered around Minneapolis and St. Paul, the newspaper reports.
“There’s a time to stand up for things, and this is it,” Al’s Breakfast owner Alison Kirwin told the Times. “If it takes away from a day of our income, that is worthwhile.”
5. Driftwood appoints co-founder as new CEO
Driftwood Capital co-founder and long-term President and Chief Operating Officer Carlos Rodriguez Jr. has been named CEO of the company, according to a news release. He started the company in 2015 with his father and outgoing CEO Carlos Rodriguez Sr., who will serve as executive chairman.
The Miami-based hotel investment, operating and lending platform currently has roughly $3.5 billion in assets under management.