Morning Business Report: Amazon outage disrupts millions, electricity costs rise, and WeightWatchers partners with Amazon

Amazon Web Services says it has largely resolved the massive internet outage that began early Monday.

(LILAMAX)- Amazon Web Services says it has largely resolved the massive internet outage that began early Monday, crippling websites and apps for millions of users across industries.

The outage originated from a technical update to an AWS database service around 3 a.m. ET, affecting retail, social media, financial platforms, and other online operations. Amazon confirmed that service has been mostly restored after more than 24 hours, but analysts say the disruption could cost billions in lost sales and productivity.

Meanwhile, the cost of electricity for U.S. households continues to rise. Prices are up 4.5% over the past year, and federal projections show they will outpace inflation through 2026. Experts say the demand surge comes not just from climate and regional factors but also from the rapid growth of energy-hungry data centers that power cloud services and AI technology.

On Wall Street, stocks moved higher Monday, led by a strong performance from Apple, which hit a new record high and helped lift major indexes.

But optimism on Main Street is lagging. A new Associated Press poll finds 47% of Americans say they are not confident they could find a good job in today’s economy — up sharply from 37% in 2023. Economists cite hiring freezes, high living costs, and slowing wage growth as key reasons for the decline in worker confidence.

And in health and wellness news, WeightWatchers announced a new partnership with Amazon to deliver prescription medications, including GLP-1 injectable obesity treatments, through Amazon Pharmacy. Members will be able to check stock availability and receive refrigerated deliveries, while still having the option to fill prescriptions elsewhere.