The Daily Money

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Thu Jun 29 2023

Charisse Jones | Economic Opportunity Reporter

The weekend's getting closer! Happy Thursday everyone. It's Charisse Jones with the Daily Money headlines to keep you in the know.

If you want to find another way to restore power when the lights go out, General Motors may have you covered. The auto company has a new business unit, GM Energy, which will start offering the Ultium Home energy system, a suite of vehicle-to-home products that people can use to provide back up energy.

The products' technology and storage capabilities will allow electric vehicle owners to use their cars to provide power when there's an outage.

Customers can buy the products in bundles but GM Energy hasn't said what the packages will cost or when they will be available, adding that both will depend on what a given customer chooses to purchase.

"Certain Ultium Home product bundles are planned to be available for order in the fall of 2023," Samantha Kennedy, a spokeswoman, said. "More information on that, as well as information relating to how customers can order the initial Ultium Home products, will be made available in future updates."

Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions Thursday, a decision that could also have an impact on workplace equity.

The ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, could lead to fewer people from marginalized communities graduating from college, limiting "a pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders," Google, General Electric and other companies said in a warning to the Court.

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U.S. Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions, a decision that could also have an impact on corporate hiring and inclusion efforts.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The decision could also further fuel ongoing attacks on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, affecting how businesses decide who they hire and elevate into management.

Ford Bronco can help battle firefighters

Ford Motor Co. is joining the fight against wildfires, sending a specially outfitted Ford Bronco to New Mexico where it can offer on-the-ground information on how to battle the fire threat that has destroyed parts of Oregon, California and Arizona in recent years.

The Bronco wildland SUV which is headed to Bandalier National Monument is essentially a mobile command center. W.S. Darley Co., an Illinois-based fire rescue vehicle maker, developed the special Bronco. Kevin Sofen, its director of innovation told the Detroit Free Press that the new technology can make firefighters less dependent on cell phones, giving them an alternative way to communicate about the location and intensity of the blazes they're fighting

That can also help save firefighters lives, he said.

Fires led to the closing of Bandalier last year, and a new fire season could again endanger the 33,000-acre area which is roughly two hours north of Albuquerque.

📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰

President Biden touts "Bidenomics:" Biden gave a speech Wednesday highlighting his economic policies.

Will UPS workers go on strike? The Teamsters Union calls a strike by UPS drivers "inevitable'' if the company doesn't make a "best and final offer'' by the end of this week.

How to lower your home insurance: With Allstate and State Farm no longer offering policies to new customers in California, and Farmers Insurance doing the same in Florida, here is how you can lower your home insurance bill.

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.