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Economy

Should We Still Tip?

Tipping in the United States has long been a topic of debate, with opinions varying widely among Americans.

The current federal minimum is $2.13 an hour. Seven states require full minimum wage regardless of tipping, and five more states (Michigan, Arizona, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) are considering similar measures. Around another two dozen states have minimum wages that are higher than the federal minimum, but not as much as their state’s normal minimum wage.

It is important to note, that if your hourly wage with tip does not amount to the federal minimum wage of $7.25, the restaurant is required to pay the server the difference. I am not sure if there are statistic on this, but I have heard anecdotally that some places do not do this. Though I do not know if it is from either not knowing, or intentionally. (I would guess some of both)

But there is a question we could ask before that. What are the benefits of tipping vs full pay? Is the expectation for tipping every meal one we should stick to?

Is tipping an essential part of the dining experience and a way to reward good service? It can be argued that tipping encourages better service and helps to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. You could also argue that having a society that encourages tipping might encourage people to be generous all around.

For the first two points, I think tipping can help with both of those. However, I have had bad waiters before, so the possibility of not getting a tip does not end all bad service. I do believe that wanting good tips does encourage many servers to do a good job.

One thing to remember is that if we get rid of obligatory tipping, the bill will likely stay the same. The money you usually put into the tip will not just go into the food price, then be distributed out as payroll. It is possible it could change the price in certain situation, for better or for worse.

Finally, some people make a much better living because of tips. They generally are very nice, hard working people, and they get payed more for it. However, I would bet this mostly happens in semi-nice or nice restaurants.

According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, most Americans believe that they are expected to tip at more places now than in the past, but fewer are actually leaving tips. This indicates a growing dissatisfaction with the tipping culture in the United States. Additionally, a CNBC poll found that most Americans tip 15% or less at a restaurant, with some even choosing to leave no tip at all.

This is all exacerbated by automated prompts for tipping. Every automated checkout station now prompts you for a tip. More importantly, it does not distinguish between when you order some weird complex latte you would tip a barista for making, vs. buying some sparkling water.

Personally, I am leaning toward paying waiters more, and just giving tips to those who do a good job. Because food prices would be higher, it would mean that we would tip less often and in lower amounts. But it might be a good balance.

What do you think? Feel free to send us an email if you have extra thoughts on the matter. (We will include an excerpt in a future email).

Entertainment

Top Gun 3 Already in the Works

Tom Cruise is set to return for a third installment of "Top Gun," with Paramount currently working on the script. The sequel, following 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," is in the early stages of development. Although no deals are confirmed, there are plans to reunite the original film's producers – Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, and director Joseph Kosinski. Miles Teller and Glen Powell, Cruise's co-stars from "Maverick," could also make a return.

Writer Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote "Top Gun: Maverick," is developing the script, though it's not finalized yet. Paramount has not commented on the project, and representatives for Cruise have not responded to inquiries.

The decision to create another sequel is not surprising, given the massive success of "Top Gun: Maverick," which became Cruise's most lucrative film, grossing nearly $1.5 billion worldwide and earning six Oscar nominations. The announcement comes after Cruise signed a non-exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to produce theatrical films, as reported by CNN earlier this week. (Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.)

World News

Japan's Lunar Lander Lands on Moon, Mission Status Unknown

Japan's Moon Sniper robotic explorer has landed on the lunar surface, but the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is still determining its condition. The uncrewed Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission landed on Friday, January 19, JAXA is currently assessing its status for future updates.

If successful, Japan would be the third country this century and the fifth ever to achieve a safe lunar landing. SLIM, nicknamed Moon Sniper, demonstrated precision technology for a pinpoint landing on a 100-meter landing site using its "smart eyes" image-matching navigation.

The landing site is near the Shioli crater in the Sea of Nectar, south of the Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed. The mission aims to study rocks for insights into the moon's origin, examining debris created by meteorites and other impacts.

Despite the hazardous nature of landing near rocky, sloped areas, JAXA is confident in the lander's technology. The lunar space race has seen attempts and outcomes from various countries, with India achieving a controlled landing, while others faced failures.

The motivation behind lunar exploration includes accessing water in permanently shadowed regions for future human space exploration needs. If successful, the lightweight SLIM lander could serve as an effective design for small-scale lunar and planetary landings, including Mars, according to JAXA.

Sports

Chiefs-Bills Game Sets Record

The recent NFL divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, shown on CBS and Paramount+, hit a new high with over 50 million viewers. This makes it the most-watched NFL divisional playoff game to date.

Compared to last year's similar game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, Last Sunday's game had 10% more viewers, averaging over 50 million. It also outperformed any other program on all networks since the last year's Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game had the second-highest viewership over the weekend. NBC Sports reported an average of 40.4 million viewers across NBC TV, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms. It marked NBC Sports' most-watched divisional playoff game since 1994.

In summary, the Chiefs and Bills' game not only secured a spot in the AFC Championship but also broke records for NFL divisional playoff game viewership.

Mind Stretchers

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What building has the most stories?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
Missing “U” (the letter U was missing 😆 )

Yesterday’s mind stretcher was a bit tricky! But the specific phrase we were looking for was “Missing U” since the letter U was missing. 😆 A lot of creative answers were sent but the closest were Albert Knox with “Without U” and Linda Runatz with “U are out of line”

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.