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  • Super Bowl Smashes Ratings, Inflation Soars Unexpectedly, Nor'easter's Deadly Fury

Super Bowl Smashes Ratings, Inflation Soars Unexpectedly, Nor'easter's Deadly Fury

Just reporting the facts.

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Centrist Chronicle
February 15, 2024

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The recent Super Bowl not only became the longest in history but also set a new record as the most-viewed television program ever.

Data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics reveals that the overtime win of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers, with a score of 25-22, attracted an average viewership of 123.7 million across TV and digital platforms. This viewership eclipses the previous record of 115.1 million set by last year's game, where Kansas City triumphed over the Philadelphia Eagles, marking a 7% growth in audience numbers.

Nielsen refined its initial estimate from 123.4 million to the updated figure on Tuesday, after an initial announcement on Monday night.

Broadcast and streaming of the game were provided by CBS, Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+, and the NFL's digital channels.


In January, the consumer price index (CPI) experienced a year-over-year increase of 3.1%, a decrease from December's 3.4% growth yet surpassing analysts' expectations of a 2.9% rise. This annual growth rate, which measures the price changes of a broad range of consumer goods and services, represents the smallest hike since June.

On a month-to-month basis, prices rose by 0.3%, a slight uptick from the previous month's 0.2% growth. This development poses a challenge for the Federal Reserve's consideration of interest rate reductions within the year. Housing costs were the primary driver of inflation, with a 0.6% increase for the month and a 6% surge over the year, contributing to two-thirds of January's overall inflation. The core CPI, which omits volatile food and energy prices, saw a monthly increase of 0.4% and an annual rise of 3.9%.

This inflation data suggests that the Federal Reserve's initial reduction of the benchmark federal funds rate, currently set between 5.25% and 5.5% for the past six months, might be postponed until June or July.


A formidable nor'easter recently swept through regions of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, delivering snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour in certain locales. This storm caused significant disruptions, including travel delays, power outages affecting over 130,000 customers, and the shutdown of schools for countless students throughout the area.

Originating from Pennsylvania and New Jersey and extending to southern New England, the storm deposited over a foot of snow in various parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, with some areas in Connecticut and New Jersey receiving at least 15 inches. In New York City, where 3.2 inches of snow fell, snowplows were mobilized for the first time in two years—remarkable for a city that recorded a mere 2.3 inches of snow the previous winter.

A nor'easter develops from the collision between cold, dry Arctic air descending from Canada and warm, moist air from the coastal areas, generating a potent combination that can lead to substantial rainfall or snowfall across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States.