October 17th is the 291st day of the year. There are 75 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is National Pasta Day, National Mulligan Day, Forgive an Ex Day, National Body Confidence Day, Wear Something Gaudy Day and Four Prunes Day

ON THIS DAY WITH NICOLET
— On this date in 1902, the first Cadillac was produced in Detroit

— On this date in 1931, Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion

— On this date in 1949, Northwest became the first U.S. airline to serve alcoholic beverages in flight

— On this date in 1991, John Mellencamp faints during a radio station appearance in Seattle and is rushed to the hospital, where the cardiologist cites “too much coffee, stress and not enough breakfast” as the cause. His chain-smoking doesn’t help either.

THINGS U NEED 2 NO
Walmart has launched a new Macaroni & Cheese to celebrate the Wicked movie release. The microwavable cups have a pink or green cheese that changes color. The movie premieres on November 22^nd

The new Doritos restaurant in Los Angeles opened earlier this week.  New dishes are being added every day including a dessert that features vanilla ice cream and crushed nacho cheese Doritos.

Taco Bell recently launched a “name your price tool” on its app. The app suggests menu items based on your preset dollar amount. Customers can input an amount between $5 and $25 to see what they can afford. The feature does not include costs for drinks, combos, and sauces. The tool helps diners stay within their budget 

ALDI is providing a Thanksgiving feast for 10 people under $47. The average cost per person is $4.70 or $2 less than Walmart. They are rolling prices back to 2019. Their holiday meal features a Butterball turkey, gravy, rolls, macaroni and cheese, stuffing and ingredients to make cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, a sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

Butterball unveiled a new “Cook from Frozen” Thanksgiving turkey that goes straight from the freezer to the oven.  It takes five hours to cook, and they claim it tastes just as good.  It’s for people who want to avoid the disaster of forgetting to thaw it out.  It can take three days or more in the fridge. 

Frito-Lay is buckling to public pressure and upping the number of chips in some bags by 20%.  Customers have been complaining about shrinkflation for years.

Walmart is out with its annual list of the most popular pet Halloween costumes by state. Across the 50 states, cow is the most popular pet costume for Halloween 2024. A distant second is cowboy, followed by pig.

Researchers found that too much candy in childhood could lead to life as a violent criminal.

Airbnb owners in Mexico City are renting out tents in their living rooms.  They cost $20 a night. Some owners are setting up as many as eight tents in a room.  Guests enjoy amenities like WiFi, a TV, and a hair dryer

A 10-month-old fire station in Germany burned to the ground yesterday, because the city opted not to install smoke detectors.  They say the damage is estimated at around $24 million. 

A poll asked 3,000 Americans, “Are you generally enjoying this presidential election, or do you wish it were over?”  67% say they can’t wait until it’s over . . . but 21% say they’re enjoying it, and wish it could continue. 

Emergency responders in Argentina needed three hours to free a man whose arm became lodged in the toilet while he was trying to retrieve dropped cash. Emergency workers removed floor tiles and uprooted the toilet, but the man remained stuck until they used heavy equipment and a plumber’s torch to completely destroy the throne. The man was trying to retrieve $24.

Disney World and Disneyland are introducing a new pass that allows visitors to skip long lines. The Lightning Lane Premier Pass is good for one day and costs between $129 and $449.

Prada has unveiled a new, chic, “next-gen spacesuit” for astronauts.