New rules proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "would ban ads that market Medicare Advantage plans with confusing words, imagery or logos." These plans "have targeted older Americans and, in some cases, convinced them to sign up for plans that don’t cover their doctors or prescriptions," according to AP News.

Starting December 2024, New York state pet stores will no longer sell dogs, cats and rabbits "under a legislative ban meant to stem the sale of animals from breeding facilities that animal rights groups say subject pets to inhumane conditions," according to The New York Times. This "means that New York will join a handful of other states, including California and Illinois, that have enacted similar bans." d

State Farm is under fire for allegedly discriminating against Black customers. A lawsuit claims a nine-month study provides some proof. "The suit, which is seeking class-action status, also focuses on how State Farm’s fraud detection methods discriminate against Black customers when paying out those claims," per The New York Times. "All the plaintiffs had a harder time getting homeowners’ insurance claims paid out compared with white customers, according to the lawsuit, which may seek hundreds of millions of dollars in damages."

Brand Endorser Stephen "tWitch" Boss, perhaps best known as the DJ on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, has died. Boss and his wife Allison Holker were frequent brand influencers and endorsers. Boss was the first dancer endorsed by Gatorade. He was the runner-up on season four of "So You Think You Can Dance."

The latest criticism targeted at Elon Musk's Twitter takeover focuses on the new logo for Twitter Blue, which Fast Company calls "a garish ’80s throwback of a word mark." Maybe someone in accounting designed it "since it’s safe to assume there may not even be a design department at Twitter after all the massive layoffs and ultimatums."

For Disney to break even on the new "Avatar" film, the sequel to the 2009 hit (the highest-grossing film of all time) would have to make more than $2 billion at the global box office. "Traditionally, this would require a robust, complex, and broadly scaled marketing strategy. Even then, this film is facing a handful of unique challenges to achieve its ambitions," per Fast Company. "However, leading up to the release of what aims to be a historic blockbuster, one way or the other, Disney appears to be utilizing the least-popular tool in the marketing playbook: restraint. Yet that just …

The U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold California's ban on flavored tobacco, including menthol-flavored cigarettes, which make up about a third of the market in California, the plaintiffs told the court. Major tobacco companies tried to stop or delay the measure, which is set to take effect next week. The ban, or Proposition 31, was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November.

WHP Global, an investment company that's also the parent of Toys R Us, has purchased a 60% stake in Express as part of a $235 million investment in the retailer. The company said in a Dec. 8 release that it plans to accelerate growth by expanding internationally and licensing in non-core categories. Express currently operates 550 stores in the U.S., including in Puerto Rico. 

Just like ash trays and hand-cranked windows,  AM radio as we know it might be going by the wayside on new vehicles. "An increasing number of electric models have dropped AM radio in what broadcasters call a worrisome shift that could spell trouble for the stations and deprive drivers of a crucial source of news in emergencies," per The New York Times. "Carmakers noted that drivers can still stream AM radio on apps and not all electric vehicles have dropped it. Hyundai, which makes electric vehicles, said in a statement that it had no plans to phase out AM radio. …

In what will probably "mark the largest healthcare merger of the year," biotech company Amgen Inc. is in advanced talks to buy pharma company Horizon Therapeutics PLC. Amgen "was the last of three suitors standing in an auction for Horizon," according to The Wall Street Journal. Horizon "develops medicines to treat rare autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases."