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SpaceX keeps lining up the launch pads set to send up what would be the year’s 91st orbital launch from the Space Coast on Friday night.

A Falcon 9 on the Astranis: From One to Many mission carrying four satellites headed to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during a 229-minute launch window that opens at 10:39 p.m. A backup 129-minute window opens at midnight Sunday.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts less than 5% chance of bad launch conditions Friday night.

The first-stage booster for the mission is flying for the 17th time and will attempts a recovery landing downrange on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic.

SpaceX has been responsible for all but five of what would be 91 launches from either Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center this year, already besting by October this year the record of 72 set in 2023.

It would be the 67th launch from Cape Canaveral with the other 24 from KSC. For SpaceX, it would be the 86th overall with 84 being the workhorse Falcon 9 and the other two Falcon Heavy rockets. read more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press

Workers at Starbucks stores began a five-day strike Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company.

The strikes by baristas and other workers were scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks’ baristas, said at least 10 locations were closed down as of midday Friday.

The walkouts came a day after the Teamsters union announced strikes at seven Amazon delivery hubs.

Starbucks said early Friday there was “no significant impact” to its store operations.

“We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal,” the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement.

By DAVID KOENIG, Associated Press Airlines Writer

Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S.

The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day, which would top the previous holiday-season high set in 2019. The two weekends on either side of Christmas look to be some of the most crowded times on the road and at airports.

Trade group Airlines for America also foresees record travel, saying it expected U.S. airlines to carry 54 million passengers during a 19-day period that started Thursday and ends Monday, Jan. 6. The number would represent a 6% increase over last year.

A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday would likely be too close to the holidays to immediately affect flights and airport operations, but that might change if a shutdown dragged on.

What will be the busiest travel days?

Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Friday and Sunday, and on Dec. 26, Dec. 27 and Dec. 29. Flight traffic is expected to be light on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The slowest U.S. air-travel day this year — by a wide margin — was Thanksgiving Day. read more

In several of my columns, I have pointed out the advantages of Roth conversions from traditional IRAs. If you anticipate that you will not access the converted amount for several years, the advantages of tax-free interest, dividends and capital growth are considerable, as is the possibility of future increases in tax rates.

In addition, a conversion will add to the wealth of your beneficiaries because their inheritance will be tax-free. But, before you complete any conversions, take into consideration the possible potential problems.

For example, you can no longer change your mind after you execute a Roth rollover. Based on the latest regulations, you can’t reverse the conversion. So, you should review the following factors before you complete a conversion.

Rollovers and AGI

The rollover increases your adjusted gross income (AGI) in the year of your conversion, which means you will have increased federal taxes. You may also lose some credits or deductions for that year.

You also need to be aware of possible changes in your income-related monthly adjusted amount (IRMAA) surcharges. The increase in your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) can result in surcharges associated with your Part B and/or Part D Medicare premiums. The calculation is based on your MAGI reported two years ago. So, the potential surcharge for 2025 would be based on your reported income from 2023.The surcharge applies to all premiums associated with Part B and D when your MAGI exceeds the first dollar of the IRMAA specified limits. In order to avoid the surcharge, you should consider taking partial conversions each year rather than taking a large conversion in one year. read more

By Craig Joseph and Jae Bratton, NerdWallet

The average consumer plans to shell out $1,778 on holiday expenses this year, according to Deloitte’s 2024 holiday retail survey. However, the same survey also noted that “all income groups are showing signs of frugality,” indicating that households continue to feel pressure from inflation.

While searching for the best deals, remember that strategic use of credit cards can rev up your rewards — rewards that can translate into meaningful savings. And here’s more good news: Saving with a credit card isn’t as hard as you think. Taking just one or two steps can give your holiday budget more breathing room.

Here are six tips to turbocharge your credit card rewards this holiday season.

1. Open a credit card

Many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses in the form of points or cash when you open a card. The catch: To earn the welcome offer, you must spend a certain amount of money on the card within a set time frame. The holiday shopping season can be the perfect time to knock out that spending requirement and earn a hefty bonus. read more