Epoch Business Companies

At least some versions of Gatorade will no longer have synthetic colors, PepsiCo said on April 16.
One new version, Gatorade Lower Sugar, has no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors, in addition to having less sugar than regular Gatorade.
Gatorade is working to remove synthetic colors from all its products, and will later in the spring roll out powder sticks without artificial colors.
Gatorade also plans to debut three of its Gatorade Thirst Quencher and Gatorade Zero flavors, including fruit punch, with colors from fruits and vegetables rather than artificial dyes.
“By listening to consumers, we’re learning more of what they want and don’t want in their Gatorade,” Mike Del Pozzo, president of PepsiCo Beverages U.S., said in a statement. “We’re on a journey to remove artificial colors from our product portfolio while maintaining the bold Gatorade color people know and love.”…

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Ford Motor Company announced a recall of 1,392,935 F-150 trucks due to an issue with the vehicles’ transmissions that could result in an unintended downshift into second gear at high speeds.
According to a recall notice posted April 17 on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s X account, the affected trucks were manufactured between March 2014 and August 2017 and span model years 2015-2017. The downshift problem, federal regulators say, stems from degraded electrical connections in the vehicles’ six-speed transmissions’ lead frames, which are caused by repeated thermal cycling and vibration.
A sensor in the transmission may send a faulty signal to the transmission’s power train module that could result in a temporary and unintended downshift into second gear, the NHTSA said….

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Allbirds, following the sale of its assets and shoe brand, announced on April 15 that it is pivoting to artificial intelligence (AI) and will receive $50 million in a convertible financing facility. Allbirds will change its name to “NewBird AI.”
“The rise of AI development and adoption has created unprecedented structural demand for specialized, high-performance compute that the market is struggling to meet. … Enterprises, AI developers, and research organizations are unable to secure the compute resources they need to build, train, and run AI at scale,” Allbirds said in its press release. “NewBird AI is being built to help close that gap.”
Its stock rose around 582 percent on April 15, rising from $2.49 to $16.99; 288 million shares were exchanged. On April 16, its stock fell almost 36 percent to $10.91….

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A federal judge on April 17 temporarily blocked Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of local broadcast station owner Tegna amid antitrust challenges from eight states.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento issued a preliminary injunction, finding that plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claims that the merger would reduce competition in ​local television markets and make it difficult for distributors like DirecTV to reject Nexstar’s demands for higher prices.
“Based on the foregoing, the court finds defendants’ rebuttal evidence is insufficient to overcome plaintiffs’ prima facie case. Plaintiffs establish ‘a reasonable probability of anticompetitive effect’ in the market,” the judge wrote in a 52-page ruling….

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Volatility in global cocoa markets has been pushing candymakers to revisit their chocolate supplies.
Over the past couple of years, international confectioners have been spooked by the wild swings in cocoa prices, fueled by supply challenges in West Africa and growing worldwide demand.
The cocoa market stabilized after peaking in December 2024 at almost $12,000 per metric ton. As of April 17, cocoa futures are slightly above $3,000 on the U.S. ICE Futures exchange.
While there are still issues in global supply chains—aging infrastructure in Ghana and other West African countries, black pod disease, and fertilizer shortages—changes in demand helped bring down prices….

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Blue Origin successfully landed a 29-story reusable rocket booster for the first time on April 19, marking a new wave of possibilities for the Jeff Bezos-led company to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The New Glenn rocket booster, nicknamed Never Tell Me the Odds, took off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just before 7:30 a.m. ET and landed on a sea-based platform hundreds of miles downrange nearly 10 minutes later.
Bezos posted a video showing the successful landing on the platform, called Jacklyn, located east of Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean.
“During the final descent onto Jacklyn, the three middle BE-4 engines on the booster will reignite to slow down the vehicle,” Blue Origin said on X….

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Uber bought an approximately $318 million stake in German delivery platform Delivery Hero from Dutch technology investment company Prosus, the European companies announced on April 17.
Delivery Hero, started in 2011 as a food delivery service, said the nearly 13.6 million shares sold to Uber represent around 4.5 percent of its shares outstanding.
“We welcome Uber’s additional investment in Delivery Hero. As a global tech leader, Uber’s increased position is a meaningful endorsement of our platform, our strategy, and our ongoing work to deliver long-term value for all shareholders,” CEO and co-founder Niklas Ostberg said.
Prosus said the sale price of 20 euros a share was a 22 percent premium over Delivery Hero’s average trading price over the past month….

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USA Rare Earth said on April 20 that it has agreed to acquire Brazil-based Serra Verde Group in a deal valued at approximately $2.8 billion, a significant move to expand production of rare-earth elements outside Asia.
The company said it will purchase 100 percent of Serra Verde through a combination of $300 million in cash and 126.849 million shares of newly issued stock.
Based on USA Rare Earth’s closing share price of $19.95 on April 17, the transaction implies an equity value of about $2.8 billion for Serra Verde.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
Barbara Humpton, CEO of USA Rare Earth, which is based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, described the acquisition as a step toward a global rare earth platform….

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Eli Lilly and Company announced on April 20 that it will acquire clinical-stage cancer biotechnology company Kelonia Therapeutics for $7 billion.
The acquisition expands Eli Lilly’s pipeline into experimental cancer treatments, specifically in vivo genetic therapy. Kelonia Therapeutics is advancing CAR-T genetic medicines that reprogram a cancer patient’s T-cells to fight cancer and underlying diseases. Its lead program, KLN-1010, targets cancerous myeloma plasma cells that affect bone marrow.
Jacob Van Naarden, executive vice president and president of Lilly Oncology and head of corporate business development, said in a statement that in vivo CAR-T therapies have helped patients fight a range of cancers, but barriers to access and manufacturing challenges have limited their widespread use….

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Apple announced a shakeup to its top leadership on April 20, with Tim Cook to become executive chairman of the company’s board of directors and John Ternus the next CEO.
In a statement, Apple said the decisions were unanimously approved by the board and follow a “thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.”
The pair will begin their new roles on Sept. 1.
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in the statement.
“I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”…

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President Donald Trump said he opposes a potential merger between American Airlines and United Airlines, while suggesting the federal government could help keep struggling Spirit Airlines afloat.
Speaking Tuesday on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said he was not in favor of a tie-up between two of the nation’s largest carriers.
“I just heard it a few days ago. I know them both very well. I don’t like it, no,” he said.
The president moved on to say that he did not “mind mergers” in general, and that he would welcome a deal that might save Spirit Airlines from going out of business. He also floated the idea of federal assistance for the discount airline….

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Online interactive gaming platform Roblox has agreed to settle with West Virginia, Alabama, and Nevada for a combined $35.78 million, committing to strengthen children’s safety through measures such as mandatory age verification and chat restrictions.
Roblox reached an $11.08 million settlement with West Virginia. In an April 21 statement, the office of West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey said that Roblox has agreed to “major child safety overhaul.” The settlement came after an investigation conducted by the office found that the platform exposed child users to sexual predators, sexual and violent content, and grooming risks.
McCuskey said there were “serious failures that left children exposed to real danger.”…

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SpaceX announced on April 21 that it has an agreement in place that gives it the right to acquire artificial intelligence coding startup Cursor for $60 billion later this year.
If SpaceX does not opt to acquire the company, it will instead pay Cursor $10 billion for the collaborative work the two have already been doing. It is unclear if the payment would be made in SpaceX stock or cash.
The company revealed the deal in a post on X.
“SpaceXAI and @cursor_ai are now working closely together to create the world’s best coding and knowledge work AI,” it stated.
SpaceXAI is not a standalone company but an informal brand name used for the combined SpaceX and xAI entity after SpaceX acquired xAI earlier this year….

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has entered into a $300 million agreement with Palantir Technologies to modernize farm programs and strengthen agricultural security.
The deal, announced on April 22, is meant to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burdens and provide greater oversight of risks to the nation’s food supply.
At its center is the USDA’s “One Farmer, One File” initiative, launched in February and aimed at reducing waste and duplication.
Under the partnership, Palantir will provide software tools designed to help both farmers and USDA staff work more efficiently.
Field staff will have access to mobile tools aimed at reducing administrative tasks and speeding up program delivery….

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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg’s aggressive turnaround plan announced in early 2026 appears to be taking hold, as the Arlington, Virginia-based aerospace manufacturer reduced its net loss by 77 percent in the quarter ended March 31.
Boeing on April 22 reported a net loss of $7 million in the first quarter versus a net loss of $31 million in the same quarter of 2025.
While Boeing is still burning through cash, the net cash outflow was $1.45 billion in the first three months of 2026—a slower pace than the $2.29 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2025.
“We’re building on our momentum with a strong start to the year and growing record-breaking backlog across our business, while supporting our customers with inspiring missions like Artemis II,” Kelly Ortberg, Boeing president and CEO, said in a statement….

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The Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for 140,201 Ranger pickups due to malfunctioning sun visor or headliner wiring harnesses that could result in a fire in the 2024–2026 models.
According to a report posted on April 22 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the damaged wires could create a short circuit and possibly cause a fire in the front of the vehicle near the windshield.
The NHTSA noted that the sun visor or headliner wiring harnesses could be damaged due to excessive tape thickness or improper harness positioning following installation. The report also stated that exposed wiring could come into contact with sheet metal, possibly causing arcing and soot buildup over time….

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Microsoft will invest $25 billion ($17.9 billion) over three years to expand artificial intelligence capabilities in Australia, including data centres, job training, and cybersecurity.
The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on AI with the federal government, under which it will follow new national guidelines for data centres and AI infrastructure released in March.
Industry and Science Minister Tim Ayres said the investment would support Australia’s AI-driven economy and help train three million workers.
“This MoU outlines how the Australian government and Microsoft will work together to strengthen AI infrastructure, improve safety measures and encourage adoption across the economy,” he said….

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Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery overwhelmingly approved Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition, according to a company statement.
In a special April 23 meeting, Warner Bros. stockholders agreed to support the merger, following months of intense bidding between Paramount and streaming giant Netflix.
Preliminary tallies indicate that Warner Bros. investors voted by a wide margin to approve the merger agreement with Paramount.
The results will be finalized once the independent inspector of elections certifies the numbers. The company will submit the official vote totals to the Securities and Exchange Commission in a Form 8‑K filing.
“We appreciate the support and confidence our stockholders have placed in us to unlock the full value of our world-class entertainment portfolio,” said Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr., chair of the Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors….

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JetBlue Airlines has been sued in a class action lawsuit seeking damages for allegedly using consumers’ personal data to increase airfares.
The case was filed on April 22 in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York.
Brought by plaintiff Andrew Phillips of New York, the litigation states that Phillips booked his ticket on JetBlue’s website, which included a flight from New York to Florida. As required, he provided his contact and payment information, as well as desired airfare and accommodations, according to the lawsuit. However, Phillips was unaware that the airline’s tracking code had also collected and provided other information to a third party….

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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on April 23 became the latest drug manufacturer to enter a Most Favored Nation drug pricing agreement with the United States.
President Donald Trump announced the deal from the Oval Office.
“With this announcement, 17 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, representing 80 percent of the branded drug market, have now agreed to sell their drugs to American patients at the lowest prices anywhere in the world,” Trump said.
With Regeneron’s agreement, all of the pharmaceutical CEOs that Trump directly asked to join the Most Favored Nation pricing model have responded favorably.
Trump has said his aim in making the deals is to correct the long-standing practice by pharmaceutical companies of charging Americans about three times more for prescription medications than those in other countries….

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The Supreme Court on April 27 will hear oral arguments in a case with major implications for privacy rights—and how law enforcement uses Americans’ cellphone data while investigating crimes.
The case, Chatrie v. United States, centers on law enforcement’s use of “geofencing warrants”—judge-authorized requests for cellphone location data near the scene of a crime.
Okello Chatrie told the Supreme Court that the government’s use of these warrants, which resulted in a criminal conviction over his robbing a bank while his smartphone was on his person, violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The government, meanwhile, has argued that such data are not protected when provided voluntarily to a “third party” such as Google….

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The Chinese communist regime’s economic planning agency said on April 27 that it had blocked foreign investment in Meta’s proposed acquisition of AI startup Manus.
The National Development and Reform Commission said it had “made a decision to prohibit foreign investment in the Manus project” and ordered the parties involved to withdraw the transaction.
The decision was made by the commission’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment in accordance with the Chinese laws and regulations, the statement said. No further explanation for the decision was given.
The announcement was made less than three weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, a trip that the White House confirmed last month….

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Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation said on April 27 it will begin a weeklong testing campaign in New York City, having successfully completed three days of test flights across the city’s heliport network.
Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi launched from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and made stops at Downtown Skyport on the southern tip of Manhattan, West 30th St. heliport on the West Side, and E. 34th St. Heliport on Manhattan’s eastern waterfront.
The routes are potential commercial flight patterns for Joby Aviation’s electric air taxis that could quietly and with zero operating emissions traverse Manhattan in less than 10 minutes, the company said….

This post was originally published here.