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Granola marketed to breastfeeding mothers and sold nationwide is being recalled over concerns that it may be contaminated with salmonella.

The Hampton Grocer, Inc., a New York-based company, is recalling certain 8-ounce packages of its Lacnola Lactation Granola after an ingredient used in the product was linked to a positive salmonella test, according to a company announcement posted Aug. 14 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The granola was sold nationwide through The Hampton Grocer’s website, Amazon and other online retailers between Oct. 21, 2025, and Aug. 12, 2026.

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“The Hampton Grocers, Inc. of Montauk, NY is recalling Lacnola Lactation Granola, 8oz, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the announcement noted.

The recalled product comes in a pink stand-up pouch with UPC 850035324554. 

Consumers should check their packages for either of the following lot codes and expiration dates:

POPULAR REESE’S, ALMOND JOY ICE CREAM BARS RECALLED OVER LABELING ERROR

The lot code and expiration date are printed in black ink on the upper-left side of the back of the package.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, according to the notice.

The potential contamination was discovered after a supplier said one of its products tested positive for salmonella. The granola contains the same organic moringa powder used in that product.

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Production has been halted while the company and FDA investigate.

Consumers who purchased the recalled 8-ounce packages are being urged to throw them away and contact the place of purchase for a full refund.

The Hampton Grocer could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

Relief from high beef prices may depend on something that can’t be fixed overnight: rebuilding America’s shrinking cattle herd.

America’s ranchers are facing their smallest cattle herd in 75 years, a shortage now rippling from pastures to some of the nation’s largest meatpackers.

Tyson Foods announced last week that it will close beef facilities in Illinois and Utah and pursue the sale of another in Washington as it reshapes its beef business amid what the company called one of the most historic cattle shortages the country has ever experienced. Tyson said recent USDA data suggest supply constraints are likely to persist.

THE UNEXPECTED FORCE KEEPING BEEF PRICES HIGH AND WHY THE PRESSURE COULD LAST FOR YEARS

USDA data shows the U.S. entered 2026 with about 86.2 million cattle and calves, the smallest herd since the early 1950s. That’s down from roughly 94.7 million cattle and calves in 2019, a decline of more than 8 million animals.

Rebuilding that lost supply will take time, particularly after years of conditions that pushed ranchers to shrink their herds.

Chief among them is persistent drought.

“The biggest thing has been drought,” Eric Belasco, head of the agricultural economics department at Montana State University, previously told Fox News Digital.

He said years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.

The effects are reaching beyond ranches and into grocery stores, where consumers are paying more for beef.

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According to USDA data, the retail value of Choice beef rose from about $8.51 per pound in August 2024 to $10.49 per pound in July 2026, an increase of roughly 23%.

Behind that price pressure is a cattle supply crunch that experts say has been years in the making.

“The biggest thing has been drought,” Eric Belasco, head of the agricultural economics department at Montana State University, previously told Fox News Digital.

BEEF PRICES ARE CLOSE TO RECORD HIGHS — BUT AMERICANS AREN’T CUTTING BACK

He said years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds.

Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.

For consumers waiting for cheaper beef, the path to relief starts with rebuilding America’s cattle herds, a process that could take years.

Mark Cuban told Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that he “doesn’t understand business” during a heated clash over California’s proposed 5% billionaire wealth tax, warning it could drive startup founders and investors out of the state.

The exchange centered on California’s Proposition 40, a controversial ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on residents with more than $1 billion in assets.

The measure has been endorsed by the California Democratic Party, while some notable leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have expressed opposition.

In a video posted on X on Saturday, Khanna made the case for the tax, arguing that it would help preserve health care for working-class Californians. He said the “Sacramento establishment” and lobbyists opposing the measure were “blatantly out of touch.”

STEVE HILTON WARNS CALIFORNIA ECONOMY WILL ‘ABSOLUTELY COLLAPSE’ UNDER ‘INSANE’ BILLIONAIRE TAX

Cuban responded by arguing that founders of rapidly appreciating startups can become billionaires on paper without having hundreds of millions of dollars in liquid assets available to pay the proposed tax.

“They are the definition of cash poor, stock rich,” Cuban wrote on X.

He warned that the measure could cause startup founders and investors to leave California.

“If this passes, only idiot startup founders stay in Cali,” Cuban wrote.

TRUMP WARNS NEW HOCHUL, MAMDANI PIED-À-TERRE TAX COULD ACCELERATE NYC WEALTH EXODUS

Cuban went further, warning that the measure could also influence where he invests.

“I will make NOT being in California a pre requisite for an investment,” he continued.

“Ideology is not a strategy Ro,” he added.

Khanna then proposed a workaround for founders whose wealth is largely tied up in private-company stock.

“Why not a non recourse loan for pledged stock as collateral for this situation?” Khanna wrote.

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Khanna proposed addressing the concerns surrounding illiquid founders by allowing them to pledge shares in their companies as collateral for a government loan that could then be used to pay the wealth tax.

The loan could remain outstanding for roughly 10 years, after which the founder would either repay the government in cash or the government would take possession of the pledged shares. Because the loan would be nonrecourse, the founder would not be personally liable if the company failed.

Cuban blasted the proposal.

“Ro, that’s insane,” he wrote.

Cuban argued that California would effectively lend founders money that would immediately be returned to the state as payment of the tax, meaning the arrangement would initially generate no additional cash revenue from those taxpayers.

“What’s the point of that?” he wrote.

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Cuban also argued that California could eventually wind up owning shares in private companies if founders were unable to repay the loans.

“Cali, You make it. We take it!” Cuban wrote.

Khanna pushed back on Cuban’s criticism, arguing that the government would still collect the tax from billionaires with liquid assets.

“The government would still collect from the vast majority of billionaires who are not illiquid,” Khanna wrote.

Khanna claimed that 72% of billionaire wealth is held in public stock and said the proposed financing mechanism would be aimed at true “paper billionaires” whose fortunes are tied to illiquid assets. He argued that if a private company succeeds, California would ultimately collect on the loan, while founders would not be personally liable if the company failed.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS TO CONSIDER BALLOT MEASURE TO INCREASE TAXES ON BILLIONAIRES

Khanna then broadened his argument, telling Cuban that ordinary Americans support higher taxes on billionaires.

“Mark, come on a road trip with me around California, Pennsylvania and the country and ask ordinary Americans how they feel about a billionaire tax,” Khanna wrote. “Most say, I promise you, why only 5 percent?”

Cuban shot back: “You don’t understand business Ro.”

He argued that even a successful founder could spend 10 years growing a company, create thousands of jobs and pay hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state taxes without ever having $250 million in liquid assets available to repay the proposed state loan.

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“Is that what you want your state to be?” Cuban wrote.

“Next tweet we can discuss who the money is going to with Prop 40,” he added.

Harvard University’s investment arm disclosed a $2.2 billion stake in SpaceX, revealing a massive payoff from an early investment in Elon Musk’s rocket company following its blockbuster public debut.

Harvard Management Company reported the position in a regulatory filing Friday, making SpaceX the largest individual stock holding disclosed in its $4.3 billion portfolio of U.S. equities.

The investment highlights how SpaceX’s record-setting June initial public offering delivered significant gains for university endowments that gained exposure to the company through venture capital investments, in some cases more than a decade ago.

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Harvard Management oversaw about $57 billion as of June 2025, according to the latest publicly available figure.

Harvard is not the only university investor benefiting from SpaceX’s move into the public markets.

The University of California’s investment arm disclosed a position worth roughly $1 billion in a filing this week, while the University of North Carolina and Washington University in St. Louis also held investments in the company.

Harvard’s position could include both shares owned directly and stock distributed to the university through private investment funds. 

Harvard Management Company and SpaceX did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment.

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SpaceX currently carries a valuation of more than $1.8 trillion. The gains arrive as university finances face pressure from uncertainty over federal research funding, demographic changes that are reducing the pool of college-age students and weaker returns from private equity.

Large university endowments have nevertheless delivered strong recent performance. 

Endowment funds managing more than $500 million returned a median 18.9% before fees in the year ended in June, according to the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service.

SpaceX shares have fluctuated since the company debuted at $135 per share. The stock fell 0.9% Friday to close at $140.

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Investment managers overseeing more than $100 million in U.S. equities generally must submit Form 13F within 45 days after the end of each quarter, providing a snapshot of their holdings in securities traded on U.S. exchanges.

Kettle Cuisine LLC is recalling more than 3,000 Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits sold exclusively at select Walmart stores because of possible Listeria contamination, according to a company announcement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The recall covers 3,240 14-ounce Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits with UPC 194346474004 and a use-by date of Aug. 22, 2026. The products were distributed from June 30 through July 7, to select Walmart stores across 29 states.

Kettle Cuisine initiated the recall after routine company testing produced a presumptive positive result for Listeria monocytogenes, according to the announcement. The company said it is continuing to investigate in coordination with the FDA.

No illnesses associated with the recalled soup have been confirmed, the company said.

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FOX Business reached out to Kettle Cuisine for additional information about the testing, whether the presumptive positive result has been confirmed and whether additional products or lots are being tested.

FOX Business also reached out to Walmart for comment, including whether all affected products have been removed from store shelves and how the retailer is notifying customers who may have purchased the recalled soup.

The affected products were distributed to select Walmart stores in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Consumers should not eat, serve, sell or distribute the recalled soup, according to the announcement. They should dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

POPULAR HAIR PRODUCT RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER POTENTIAL EXPLOSION HAZARD

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms including fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Infection can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women, according to the recall notice.

Consumers should not rely on the product’s smell or appearance to determine whether it is safe, the announcement said. People who handle the recalled soup should wash their hands and clean and sanitize refrigerators, freezers, containers, utensils, countertops and other surfaces that may have come into contact with it.

Anyone who ate the recalled product and develops symptoms of listeriosis should contact a healthcare provider, according to the announcement.

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Consumers with questions can contact the Kettle Cuisine hotline at 617-409-1104.

On a quintessential Beverly Hills street in 1985, a restaurant that would help transform the pizza industry opened its doors.

After years of practicing law as federal prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, co-founders Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax chose to leave the courtroom behind to pursue their dream of becoming restaurateurs.

“We didn’t want to open just a restaurant. We decided to be bold. We said we want to open a national and international chain of restaurants,” Rosenfield told Fox News Digital.

With its Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and polished approach to casual dining, California Pizza Kitchen helped popularize California-style pizza among diners across the U.S. and eventually around the world. The chain became a household name while helping bring a distinctive, California-inspired approach to pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts.

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California Pizza Kitchen has more than 120 restaurants in 10 countries. But at one point, CPK existed only in a single storefront on South Beverly Drive.

Rosenfield recalled the restaurant’s early days in Beverly Hills as “hectic,” with actress Shirley MacLaine becoming its first customer on opening day.

“Even before we opened, we knew we had a blockbuster on our hand. We created barbecue chicken pizza. And in the early days of CPK, it was complete craziness. Everybody was coming for barbecue chicken pizza,” said Rosenfield. His book, “The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizza,” was released July 21.

Rosenfield and Flax employed a real estate strategy that helped expand CPK’s reach, opening restaurants in and around shopping malls.

“CPK also had a hand in changing the way America eats because we were pioneers in going into upscale shopping centers around America at a time when… there was all fast food,” Rosenfield said. “We brought this polished, casual dining to the best malls in America.”

After Rosenfield and Flax grew CPK to more than 200 locations worldwide, the pizza giant was acquired for $470 million by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2011.

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At the time of the acquisition, the  San Francisco-based firm described itself as “one of the most active acquirers of leading brands in the restaurant and retail sector.”

Nine years after Golden Gate Capital acquired the chain, CPK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 30, 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic compounded its existing financial troubles.

Rosenfield, however, told Fox News Digital he believes CPK’s troubles began before the bankruptcy filing, arguing that Golden Gate Capital damaged the culture he and Flax had spent decades building.

“As founder, it’s hard to sit back because I had no role in it whatsoever. So, we’re armchair quarterbacks looking from the outside,” he said.

“I believe that they damaged the culture from day one. They wanted to remake it in an image different than we had remade it in. And in the meantime, it wasn’t successful,” the co-founder continued. “And it continued to decline on that basis, unfortunately. As I said, while we sat and watched it, and then it was ultimately driven into bankruptcy.”

Golden Gate Capital declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

California Pizza Kitchen emerged from bankruptcy in November 2020, and Rosenfield, who said he still dines at CPK every several weeks, is optimistic about the chain’s future under new ownership that he believes is “committed” to restoring the brand’s success.

The acquisition of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) by New York-based Consortium Brand Partners was announced in December 2025 for a deal valued just under $300 million. Rosenfield said he is “thrilled” with the direction the restaurant is headed in under the new ownership.

“I believe they want to bring the brand, not only to its former glory, but to new glory,” said Rosenfield. “I have confidence in this team. And for the first time in all these years, my partner, Larry Flax, and I are very excited about where it could go.”

Rosenfield reflected on the legacy he and Flax built from a small, leased space in Beverly Hills, telling Fox News Digital that the 41-year-old restaurant chain “accomplished” exactly what they envisioned from the beginning.

“I love that everybody has a CPK story. That’s what drove me to do the book,” the co-founder said. “It’s accomplished what we wanted. Grandparents, parents, kids all have a place that they can all go to and agree to go to.”

“While I said that I believe that they did damage to the culture in the years past, I think the food has been incredibly consistent. And I’ve always been extremely, I’m extremely proud of the brand,” Rosenfield said.

Nearly one in four American workers with employer-sponsored health insurance say they are stuck in jobs they want to leave because they fear losing coverage.

About 24% of U.S. workers with job-based insurance – roughly 23 million adults – are experiencing “job lock,” up sharply from 16% in 2021, according to a report from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America.

The survey defines job lock as remaining in a job despite wanting to leave due to concerns about losing health insurance.

“Job lock is on the rise in America,” the report noted. “Nearly a quarter of U.S. employees report staying in a job they want to leave to keep their health insurance, a powerful constraint on worker mobility, productivity, entrepreneurship and wage growth.”

The surge comes as soaring healthcare costs squeeze household budgets. 

About half of Americans said they struggle to consistently pay for needed medical care or prescriptions, while 51% are worried about affording healthcare over the next year — the highest level in five years, as noted in the report.

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Workers under greater financial strain were far more likely to report feeling trapped.

Among those with medical debt, 44% reported job lock, more than double the 21% rate among those without medical debt.

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Nearly half of respondents who cited healthcare costs as a “major financial burden” reported job lock. The rate rose to 53% among those experiencing “a lot of stress” over medical expenses, the report noted.

Chronic health problems also made workers more likely to stay at their jobs. 

About 29% of those with at least one chronic condition reported job lock, compared with 17% of those without one.

That rate grew to 41% among people with three or more diagnoses.

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Women were also more likely than men to remain in unwanted jobs for health benefits, at 30% compared with 20%, according to the report.

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The findings were based on a national survey of 5,660 adults conducted from Oct. 27 to Dec. 22, 2025. The analysis focused on 2,322 employed adults with employer-sponsored insurance.

“The effects extend beyond morale – reducing labor market efficiency, upward mobility and quality of life,” as noted in the report. “With coverage tied to employment, a growing share of American workers report making career decisions based on insurance rather than opportunity.”

Weeks after a recall was issued for more than 1.5 million cartons of one dozen eggs due to the risk of salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has upgraded the recall to the highest risk level.

On Wednesday, the recall was moved up to a Class I, which signifies “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The upgrade comes as nearly 98 people have been sickened across 17 states, with 26 hospitalizations, according to a July 24 update from the FDA.

No deaths have been reported.

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Officials said the recalled products were sold under several brands, including Kroger, Brookshire’s, Country Morning, Simple Truth, and Sunups, as well as various bulk Grade A and Grade AA eggs.

The eggs were distributed to retail and food service customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, as well as other smaller retail outlets, according to the FDA.

The vast majority of those sickened — 73 — were in Texas. 

Customers in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York and West Virginia, each reported a handful of cases.

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The FDA said that distribution of recalled eggs “has been confirmed for states listed, but product could have been distributed further, reaching additional states.”

Midwest Poultry Services initiated the voluntary recall, affecting 1,589,577 dozen cartons of white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs, in the last week of July.

The affected products were produced at two farms in Texas, according to the FDA.

Officials said the issue was discovered during routine environmental testing.

The salmonella scare comes amid a deadly outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to lettuce that causes explosive diarrhea.

Fox Business’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

Latin Americans have had it with socialism.

Over the past decade, more than half of Latin America’s nations have voted socialists out. From large countries like Argentina to tiny ones like El Salvador, socialists have been replaced with conservative leaders who’ve made significant progress turning their economies around.

That list could grow as Cuba and Nicaragua are on the cusp of collapse after their oil lifelines from Venezuela were cut after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.

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The real incentive for dumping socialism is voter recognition that it just hasn’t worked. What is working are policies based on market solutions.

In Argentina, monthly inflation has tumbled from 25% to just 2%. Massive cuts in government have led to fiscal surpluses, and Moody’s upgraded its investment outlook to positive.

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“We’re here to tell you that collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause,” Argentine President Javier Milei said in a 2024 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After the ouster of a socialist government in Ecuador, economic conditions there improved, with the GDP rebounding 3.7% in 2025 and the nation returning to international bond markets this year.

LATIN AMERICA’S SOCIALIST EXPERIMENTS LEAVE DEVASTATING TRAIL OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND POVERTY

In Costa Rica, voters’ rejection of the ruling leftist party coincided with an estimated 20% relative decline in poverty from 2021 to 2024.

And those are just a few examples of the progress being made. Latin America has had many course changes over the years, and all this could turn around again. But probably not while memories of many socialist failures are so fresh and painful.

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Latin America’s growing rejection of socialism also coincided with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s cancellation of 83% of USAID programs, which he claims were doing more harm than good.

Wherever LeBron James goes this season, it will be the hottest ticket in town.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer announced last month that he will play his unprecedented 24th NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers, automatically reigniting some key Eastern Conference rivalries.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted he was holding off on announcing each team’s schedule because he had no idea where James was going. But when James’ decision was announced, Silver went to work, and it’s now paying dividends.

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The Sixers will open the 2026-27 season at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks will hang their first championship banner in 53 years. And while those ticket prices likely won’t reach the five-figure average of the NBA Finals, it will still be a must-see.

StubHub said Friday that the Oct. 20 game is the site’s most in-demand NBA game of the entire season, with the current get-in price at more than $1,500.

In fact, each of the top five and seven of the top 10 highest-demand games is a Sixers contest, and the Sixers are StubHub’s most in-demand NBA team, increasing 12.5 times from last year’s schedule release and up from No. 6 overall.

Christmas Day demand is nearly 50% ahead of last year, with LeBron’s return to Los Angeles for the Sixers-Lakers among the biggest draws.

James announced his decision in a post on X, saying he thought he was done at the end of last season and that he had likely played his final game. 

However, “I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

LEBRON JAMES’ 76ERS DEBUT SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER KNICKS SHOWDOWN AT MSG

The 76ers will be the fourth team James has played for in his illustrious career. For Philadelphia, James is the second major star to join the team this offseason after they acquired Jaylen Brown in a stunning trade with the Boston Celtics.

Last season, the 76ers were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and they hope the additions of James and Brown can propel them to a championship. James is looking to become the first player in NBA history to win an NBA title with four teams. 

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While James may not be the force he once was, he still remains a productive player entering his 24th season. In 60 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game and was named an All-Star for the 22nd time, extending his NBA record.

Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

Cooluli is recalling about 250,000 minifridges after receiving at least 19 reports of the appliances smoking, sparking, burning, melting, overheating or catching fire, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recall covers certain 10-liter and 15-liter Cooluli minifridges because an electrical switch can short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards, the CPSC said.

Cooluli has received reports of property damage totaling more than $80,000. One consumer also reported a smoke inhalation injury, according to the agency.

The affected minifridges were sold online at Amazon.com and Cooluli.com from January 2019 through October 2024 for between $80 and $120.

POPULAR HAIR PRODUCT RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER POTENTIAL EXPLOSION HAZARD

The recall includes certain minifridges from Cooluli’s Infinity, Classic, Glow Beauty and Vibe series. The affected products have an internal power supply and two power input ports, AC and DC, on the back instead of a single DC port.

The recalled minifridges were sold in several colors, including black, blue, green, white and red, as well as designs featuring multicolored patterns, photos and logos. “Cooluli” is printed on the front.

The recall covers batch numbers 1535 through 1545 and 1200000 through 1202080. Consumers can find the model and batch numbers on a label inside the minifridge door.

The CPSC urged consumers to stop using the recalled minifridges immediately and contact Cooluli for a free replacement power cord.

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Consumers will be asked to enter their model and batch numbers on Cooluli’s recall website to determine whether their minifridge is affected. Those with recalled units will be instructed to unplug the minifridge, cut the power cord and submit photos showing the refrigerator’s model and batch numbers.

Cooluli will provide affected consumers with a replacement DC power cord and a permanent sticker to cover the AC port, according to the CPSC.

FOX Business reached out to Cooluli for comment on the recall, the reported incidents and the steps the company is taking to address the issue.

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The minifridges were manufactured in China by Ningbo Iceberg Electronic Appliance Co., Ltd., and imported by Brooklyn, New York-based Lisse USA LLC.

Consumers can contact Cooluli at 718-834-5312 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or email recall@cooluli.com for more information.

New data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that while overall delinquency rates improved for overall debt burdens, new delinquencies rose slightly for auto loans and mortgages and remained elevated for credit cards.

The New York Fed found that aggregate delinquency rates improved in the second quarter of 2026, with 4.7% of outstanding debt in some stage of delinquency.

“Delinquency rates across most products have held steady over the past two years,” said Joelle Scally, economic policy advisor at the New York Fed. “Still, new delinquencies for auto loans and credit cards remain at elevated levels, a trend we’ll continue to monitor.”

Credit card debt that is over 30 days delinquent has remained relatively steady at about 9% of outstanding balances since it reached that level in 2024, while auto loans are at about 8% and mortgages around 4%.

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For debt flowing into serious delinquency, which is defined as 90 days or more past due, those transitions have held relatively steady over the past year but have edged slightly higher.

Credit card delinquencies were slightly higher than a year ago, rising from 6.93% to 6.97% when comparing the second quarter of 2025 to 2026, respectively.

The share of auto loans that entered serious delinquency also rose over that period, rising from 2.93% to 3% when comparing the second quarter of 2025 to 2026, while mortgages entering serious delinquency also ticked higher from 1.29% to 1.52% in that period.

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Student loans were a notable exception, with the resumption of reporting defaulted student debt causing some distortions after the pandemic era pause on defaults concluded.

When excluding charged-off debt, new credit card delinquencies have been at around 3% of balances since 2024, with the most recent reading at 2.95%. Credit card debt that reached 90 days past due accounted for 6.97% of the balance in the latest quarter, while those that are beyond 90 days past due were at 2.3%.

The New York Fed noted in its analysis that from the third quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2026, the percentage of credit card balances that were more than 90 days delinquent increased from 7.6% to 12.8%.

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That stock figure includes charged-off debt, the inclusion of which was noted by economists as differing from the flows into delinquency that reflect a relatively steady level of consumer health.

New York Fed economists said that they found the “stock delinquency rate is rising because of a pool of stale, charged-off debts that lenders have been reporting for longer durations, rather than a fundamental worsening in the incidence of delinquency.”

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A popular hairstyling mousse sold to salons and consumers in multiple states is being recalled over a potential explosion hazard.

Henkel Corporation is voluntarily recalling certain 6.76-ounce cans of Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Grip Extra Strong Mousse, according to an Aug. 11 notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Germany-based company said a “potential packaging issue” could allow the product to leak from the aluminum cans while under pressure, creating an explosion hazard.

POPULAR REESE’S, ALMOND JOY ICE CREAM BARS RECALLED OVER LABELING ERROR

Henkel became aware of the problem after receiving one customer complaint and two reports from salons.

“Bruising on the hand was reported by the customer and no other injuries were identified,” the FDA noted.

Affected batch codes include:

RECALL ISSUED FOR DOG AND HORSE MEDICATION AFTER GLASS FIBER FOUND IN VIALS

The recalled mousse was distributed through 21 distributors in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington, according to the FDA.

It was also sold directly to hair professionals and consumers.

NEARLY 12 MILLION BOTTLES OF ROHTO EYE DROPS RECALLED OVER STERILITY CONCERNS, FDA ANNOUNCES

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Consumers who purchased one of the recalled cans are encouraged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

FOX Business reached out to Henkel for comment.

When the federal government began depositing a $1,000 seed contribution into newly launched Trump Accounts for eligible children in July, personal finance expert and Ramsey Solutions personality George Kamel didn’t hesitate to claim the funds for his own young son.

Though Kamel gladly took “a little money back” from Uncle Sam, he issued a cautious warning to parents across America about the program’s tax fine print — and the costly mistake well-meaning families could make.

“As someone who has a 1-year-old and 3-year-old, I took advantage of this. And on the Fourth of July, that $1,000 came into the account for my son, and I went, ‘Woo! A little money back from the government that I’ve given so much to,’” Kamel told Fox News Digital.

“If you can understand the power of compound growth, then this Trump Account was worth it just to get your mind thinking about it,” he continued. “But the truth is, the tax benefits are not great on this.”

WHY RAMSEY FINANCIAL EXPERT SAYS THERE’S ‘NO MAGIC AGE’ TO CLAIM SOCIAL SECURITY

The initiative, which debuted as part of the Trump Accounts rollout in 2026, is a provision of the new tax legislation that will provide $1,000 to every eligible newborn U.S. citizen whose parents enroll the child in the program. No contributions are necessary, but parents can deposit up to $5,000 per year, which will be invested in a qualifying U.S. stock index fund.

During a July 31 public Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump said that more than 7 million Trump Accounts had been opened since the program’s launch date.

“Here’s the math on this: If you get the free $1,000, well, that could grow to almost half a million or more by the time my kid is 65, without ever adding anything to it,” Kamel said before mentioning other ways to invest in children’s futures.

“Save the 529 plan for education. That has way better tax advantages. You’re using after-tax income, you withdraw it tax-free, it grows tax-free. That is the best move for education expenses,” he explained. “When it comes to other things, like a custodial Roth IRA is great, but you need earned income. So the real power of the Trump Account is that there is no earned income needed.”

At age 18, without any additional contributions, the account is estimated to be worth about $5,800. By age 55, it could reach roughly $200,000. Kamel also said it could grow to about $5 million by age 65.

However, Kamel’s primary warning was directed at parents who rush to invest for their children while neglecting their own debt, emergency funds or retirement savings.

“I love that we’re bringing this conversation to the forefront with these Trump Accounts… But the sad truth is most Americans aren’t investing for themselves, let alone have the ability to invest for their kids,” he said. “We tell people, hey, become debt-free, don’t owe other people money, have an emergency fund so that you have the margin to build wealth for yourself. And once you’re investing 15% of your own income into your own retirement, then and only then should you be thinking about investing for your kids.”

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“The truth of the matter is, a lot of kids are having to support their aging parents who didn’t plan for their own retirement. So now they’re having to fund their retirement while trying to support their own life and their own kids. So this has put a real bind and burden on the younger generations,” Kamel continued. “And I don’t wanna do that to my kids.”

“So if you can get this early, this mindset, that compound growth is the key… I hope that you have the ability to leave that legacy where your kids went, ‘Wow, I can’t believe the advantage that my parents gave me by setting me up in this way.’”

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FOX Business’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

A Frontier Airlines flight reportedly declared a medical emergency Thursday after four flight attendants became sick with headaches and nausea shortly before landing in Florida.

Frontier Flight 1046 was traveling from Cleveland to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when the pilots requested that emergency medical personnel meet the Airbus A321 at the gate, according to air traffic control communications reported by PYOK.

The aircraft landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport without incident, where emergency responders were waiting, according to the outlet.

As the aircraft approached South Florida, one of the pilots alerted air traffic controllers to a “developing medical” situation on board.

BUDGET AIRLINE JETSTAR TO CHARGE PASSENGERS FOR STORING BAGS IN OVERHEAD COMPARTMENTS

“If you could call the tower and have them meet at our gate for a developing medical,” the pilot said in the radio call.

When asked about the nature of the medical emergency, the pilot said multiple flight attendants were experiencing symptoms.

“All my flight attendants have headaches, and now three, now four, are nauseous,” the pilot said.

RYANAIR PASSENGER RECOUNTS BEING PARTLY SUCKED OUT AIRPLANE WINDOW: ‘I AM LUCKY’

The aircraft, a 10-year-old Airbus A321, departed Cleveland shortly before 8 a.m. on Thursday. It was scheduled to return to Cleveland at 11:30 a.m., but that flight was canceled, according to PYOK.

The cause of the flight attendants’ illnesses was not immediately known, and their conditions after landing were unclear.

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FOX Business has reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment.

More than 200,000 magnetic building toys were recalled over an ingestion hazard after two children who swallowed magnets required surgery, according to federal regulators.

About 213,500 Goody King Magnetic Building Cubes and Blocks sets are affected by the recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday.

The building cubes can break or open, allowing the magnets inside to become loose, posing an ingestion hazard for children that could even lead to death.

TOYOTA RECALLS 655K CAMRYS GLOBALLY OVER DISPLAY DEFECT THAT CAN KNOCK OUT SAFETY INDICATORS

“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and/or blockage of the intestines, blood poisoning and death,” the commission said.

Importer Yi Suen Commerce is aware of two children who have ingested magnets from the cubes and needed surgery to remove them.

The company also knows of at least 27 reports of the cubes breaking or opening, causing the magnets to become loose and accessible to children.

Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled magnetic building cubes immediately and contact Yi Suen Commerce for a full refund.

POPULAR REESE’S, ALMOND JOY ICE CREAM BARS RECALLED OVER LABELING ERROR

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The cubes contain small, powerful magnets that allow the cubes to stick together and create 3D designs. The toy sets are available in various themed designs and colors, including forests, dinosaurs and unicorns.

The toy sets were sold online at Amazon from January 2024 through July 2026 for between $17 and $50 in sets of 45, 56, 100, 120, 150 and 300.

Once again, the inflationistas who are really rooting against new Fed head Kevin Warsh have been proven wrong. The June inflation numbers went negative. The July inflation numbers did almost the same thing. Consumer prices were basically flat, and producer prices the same.

I don’t really think much of the producer price index the way it’s been reconfigured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but anyway it was flat, 0.0 percent, for July. So for the last 3 months, the PPI is running 1.3 percent at an annual rate. And the CPI is up 0.5 percent at an annual rate. You can chop and slice and dice these numbers 100 different ways, but the reality is, disinflation is setting in this summer.

And just to confuse the matter, if you look at the old Producer Price Index, before the BLS mucked it up, and when it used to actually represent wholesale prices, the old way shows two negative prints in June and July and a 0.7 percent annual rise over the past 3 months. Now, that doesn’t mean that the inflation battle is over. It just means that Mr. Warsh was correct in not moving to raise the Fed’s target rate in his first few months in office.

Mr. Warsh is steady as you go, with a clear commitment to bring inflation back to its 2 percent target. A feat that his predecessor, Jay Powell, couldn’t achieve for five years. And as the Wall Street Journal editorial board points out, Mr. Warsh is not using “forward guidance”  because it’s not necessary and people should focus on the actual data — not a dozen Federal Reserve regional presidents babbling all over the country. And the chairman himself is not leaking to certain reporters about what he intends to do. In other words, Mr. Warsh is cleaning up the system.

Now in terms of the inflation numbers, for context, the Cleveland Fed’s median CPI for the last 12 months is 2.7 percent. And its 16 percent trimmed mean is 2.6 percent. Mr. Warsh watches these alternative measures. So, the Fed is likely to stay on hold for a while, to see if the underlying inflation numbers come down to the 2 percent target. Along the way, they will hopefully be reducing their balance sheet holdings of Treasuries and treasury-backed securities.

Yet progress is progress, the Warsh critics are wrong. And the S&P 500 stock market index hit a new record high today, 7,800. And I know some people don’t like it when President Trump boasts about the stock market records. But I like it. As he put it on Tuesday night: “The country is doing well. The stock market, a fantastic record. We have 79 records so far in a short period of time.”

That’s right, I like it a lot. And you know who else likes it? Roughly 156 million American adults. That’s right. Ordinary working folks are participants in the stock market. It’s not just the wealthy pied-à-terre crowd in NYC, or rich people for short. It’s roughly 58 percent of adults, according to the Gallup poll, which comes to about 156 million American adults who own stock one way or another: index funds, ETFs, IRAs, brokerage accounts, bank accounts, even union pension funds.

That last one’s kind of my favorite, because most of the union leaders, most of them corrupt and stealing from those pension funds, filled with lefty Trump haters, even they benefit because a big chunk of their funds are invested in stocks. So the market’s having another great year, with a booming high-tech and manufacturing related economic prosperity, that all has a lot to do with Trumpian policies.

Is that going to help in the midterm elections? I’m going to bet that it does help. Americans love Trumpian free enterprise prosperity, not socialism.

Tyson Foods announced Thursday it will close two facilities and is pursing the sale of another as it makes “strategic changes” to its beef business.

The company will end operations at its Joslin, Illinois, beef plant and its Eagle Mountain, Utah, case-ready facility, while pursuing a sale of its Pasco, Washington, beef facility, according to a Tyson Foods press release.

“Tyson Foods will anchor its beef business around three strategically located beef facilities in the central United States: Dakota City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas and Amarillo, Texas, to create a more competitive footprint amidst one of the most historic cattle shortages the country has ever experienced,” the company said. 

HIGH BEEF PRICES HITTING CONSUMERS AS MEATPACKING GIANT WARNS OF SUPPLY STRUGGLES

“Recent USDA cattle inventory data, which included continued evidence of limited heifer retention, indicates these supply constraints are likely to persist, requiring strategic action.” 

Tyson Foods said it will assist affected employees in applying for jobs at other facilities.

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This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Meta is partnering with North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to expand the pipeline of skilled workers needed to build and maintain America’s rapidly growing AI infrastructure.

The partnership, announced Wednesday, will give Meta access to NABTU’s network of apprenticeship and training programs while helping connect skilled trades workers with Meta projects across the U.S.

“The Meta partnership with North America’s Building Trades Unions means avenues of communication are open, access to our recruitment and training pipeline of skilled craft will become available, and we’ll be able to deploy craft on an as-needed basis to Meta projects anywhere across America,” Sean McGarvey, president of NABTU, told FOX Business.

NEW MEXICO COURT ORDERS META TO PAY $567M, OVERHAUL TEEN PROTECTIONS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Demand for skilled trades workers has grown rapidly as tech companies invest in data centers and other infrastructure needed to power AI.

McGarvey said the demand is being felt across a range of trades, including HVAC technicians, laborers, operating engineers and more.

NABTU represents more than 3.2 million skilled craft professionals in the U.S. and Canada through an alliance of 14 national and international unions. 

Its unions and contractor partners operate more than 1,900 apprenticeship and training facilities across North America and invest more than $3 billion annually in training and education, according to the announcement from Meta.

ZUCKERBERG LAYS OUT VISION TO PUT SUPERINTELLIGENT AI IN EVERYONE’S HANDS

NABTU currently has roughly 300,000 people enrolled in its registered apprenticeship system, according to McGarvey, who added that that number could grow significantly.

“We currently have that 300,000, and we can ramp that up to a million, based on demand,” he said.

Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said skilled trades workers will be critical to building the infrastructure needed for the U.S. to compete in AI.

“We are so proud to work with NABTU on this partnership,” Powell McCormick said in a statement. “I have had the privilege of working with President McGarvey since I took on this new role, and we are excited to work together on skilled trades.”

“This is an important moment, and these men and women of the skilled trades are building the American infrastructure needed to ensure America’s values lead the AI race globally,” McCormick added.

META, OTHER COMPANIES MUST FACE THOUSANDS OF LAWSUITS OVER CHILD SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION, APPEALS COURT RULES

The agreement comes as Meta expands its investment in U.S. infrastructure and workforce development.

The tech company said the partnership builds on its Future Is For Everyone Fund, which is aimed at investing in communities, including teachers, first responders and energy and water infrastructure.

McGarvey said the jobs created by the AI boom could last well beyond the initial construction of data centers because the facilities will need regular upgrades.

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“The need for skilled craft on a constant basis in these digital facilities is ongoing long after initial construction is complete,” he said.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of certain Reese’s and Almond Joy ice cream bars after an internal review found inaccurate nutritional information on the products’ cartons.

The Class III recall covers Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bars and Almond Joy Ice Cream Bars and extends to the retail store level, according to a recall notice posted by SpartanNash.

The Food and Drug Administration defines a Class III recall as a situation in which use of or exposure to a product “is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

WHOLE FOODS RECALLS SALSA, GUACAMOLE AND PREPARED FOODS IN 12 STATES OVER SALMONELLA CONCERNS

The company said certain nutritional information was inaccurately declared on the nutrition panel. However, the ingredients and allergen information listed on the packaging are correct, according to the recall notice.

The Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bars can be identified by UPC 8-40473-40024-5 and are sold in six-count packages. The Almond Joy Ice Cream Bars carry UPC 8-40473-40029-0.

All lot codes of the affected products are included in the recall.

TOYOTA RECALLS 655K CAMRYS GLOBALLY OVER DISPLAY DEFECT THAT CAN KNOCK OUT SAFETY INDICATORS

The recall notice did not specify which nutritional information was inaccurate. Consumers who rely on the nutrition panel to monitor their dietary intake should therefore be aware that some of the information printed on the affected cartons may not be accurate.

FOX Business reached out to The Magnum Ice Cream Company for additional information about which nutritional values were incorrectly listed, how many products are affected, where they were distributed and whether the company has received any consumer complaints or reports of adverse health effects.

FOX Business also contacted the FDA for additional information about the Class III recall and any reported adverse health consequences, as well as SpartanNash for details about the affected products’ retail distribution. Responses were not immediately received.

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SpartanNash instructed customers who may have purchased the recalled ice cream bars not to consume them and instead return the products to the store for a refund or replacement.

Consumers with questions or concerns about the recall can contact The Magnum Ice Cream Company at 1-800-634-7532. SpartanNash customers can contact the retailer’s customer service center at 1-800-451-8500.

China’s increasingly aggressive activity around Taiwan and other flashpoints in East Asia could trigger a wider conflict even if Beijing is not prepared to launch a full-scale invasion, according to a China expert.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joined FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss China’s military posture toward Taiwan and the risk that confrontations involving U.S. allies could spiral into a broader war.

Chang argued that turmoil at the top of China’s military has left Beijing less prepared for a major operation against Taiwan. He pointed to vacancies on the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, saying the leadership body currently lacks operational officers.

FORD BOOSTS US LINCOLN PRODUCTION AS IT PHASES OUT IMPORTS FROM CHINA

“China right now, its military, is in no position to invade the main island of Taiwan,” Chang said. “That means that China has to intimidate Taiwan into submission because it can’t use force.”

Chang said his larger concern is that Beijing could stumble into a conflict through confrontations elsewhere in the region. He cited Chinese activity around Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, where tensions with the Philippines have persisted, as well as disputed islands in the East China Sea claimed by both China and Japan.

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“I do worry about China backing into a confrontation, and I think that may even be probable,” Chang said.

Those encounters, Chang warned, could become especially dangerous if Chinese President Xi Jinping finds himself unable to de-escalate after a confrontation begins.

“That’s how the war starts in East Asia,” Chang said. “It doesn’t start with Xi Jinping saying, I’m invading Taiwan this afternoon. It starts through an accident that no one can control.”

PENTAGON BOOSTING THAAD INTERCEPTOR PRODUCTION WITH NORTHROP GRUMMAN, LOCKHEED MARTIN DEAL

Chang also argued that Beijing’s pressure campaign may be having the opposite effect on Taiwan, strengthening resistance to Chinese rule rather than pushing the island toward submission.

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A group of nine pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) announced Thursday that they will work with an industry group to boost the transparency of prescription drug pricing through the TrumpRx platform.

FOX Business exclusively learned that the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) and nine PBMs reached an agreement to showcase the cash price of prescriptions from TrumpRx within their benefit tools. The agreement aims to give patients better visibility into the cost of the medication and how they might save money on it.

“President Trump has made lowering prescription drug costs for Americans a priority, and this commitment is a step in the right direction,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz told FOX Business.

“By making negotiated drug prices available alongside cash prices on TrumpRx, this agreement will give patients greater visibility into how much they’re paying and help them find the best possible deal,” Oz explained. “That’s the kind of transparency we need to boost competition, drive down costs, and deliver better value for American patients.”

AMERICANS SAVE MORE THAN $700M ON PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THROUGH TRUMPRX, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

The nine PBMs that are participating include CarelonRx, CVS Health, Express Scripts, Humana, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Navitus Health Solutions, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics and WellDyne.

Patients will be able to see TrumpRx prices if they’re enrolled in plans from those PBMs, including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans. The arrangement will cover all drugs that have a price on TrumpRx – either a presidential deal or a standard price.

PRESIDENT LAUNCHES TRUMPRX.GOV WEBSITE OFFERING AMERICANS DISCOUNTED PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES: ‘HISTORIC’

“Consumers and patients are better off when they have more options and a clear view of their costs,” said PCMA CEO David Marin. “If there are times when a product is cheapest on TrumpRx, patients should know that. This administration has embraced the use of real-time benefit tools to give patients more information, and we strongly embrace this technology.”

“This commitment will allow consumers to compare options and make better informed choices about costs and where they access prescription drugs. It’s a no-brainer for our industry and for American families,” Marin added.

TWO MAJOR DRUG COMPANIES ARE THE LATEST TO JOIN TRUMPRX

PCMA noted that the nine PBMs participating in this announcement are expected to provide price transparency on their benefit platforms starting on Jan. 1, 2027, though some may do so in other ways.

Some of the PBMs will use their Real Time Benefit Tools to display the cash price available on TrumpRx compared with the cost of the prescription through their plan’s coverage benefit at a network pharmacy, while others may pull in the TrumpRx pricing using other methods.

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Ford is preparing to expand U.S. production of Lincoln vehicles as the automaker moves toward ending imports from China for American customers, a move Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick highlighted while discussing the Trump administration’s push to expand domestic manufacturing.

Lutnick joined FOX Business’ Larry Kudlow on “Kudlow” to discuss the Trump administration’s auto tariffs and efforts to expand domestic manufacturing.

“They’re bringing their manufacturing home,” Lutnick said. “Ford is going to rock us with bringing manufacturing back to America.”

Ford plans to expand U.S. production of Lincoln vehicles beginning in 2030 and eventually stop importing vehicles from China for the luxury brand’s American customers. The company expects the expansion to generate thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs, but has not disclosed how much it plans to invest or which plants will receive the additional production.

FORD BOOSTS US LINCOLN PRODUCTION AS IT PHASES OUT IMPORTS FROM CHINA

Lincoln’s U.S. lineup currently includes the China-built Nautilus. Ford has not said whether Nautilus production will move to the U.S. under the plan or identified which China-imported vehicles will be affected.

The automaker already has a sizable U.S. manufacturing footprint. Ford said it assembled more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2025 and employs approximately 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the country.

Lutnick pointed to Ford and other automakers as examples of companies increasing their focus on American manufacturing, and argued that tariffs are helping drive investment and jobs back to the U.S.

MANUFACTURERS SAY GOP TAX LAW PROTECTED JOBS, PRESERVED WAGES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ACROSS EVERY STATE

“Thousands of jobs, thousands and thousands of jobs coming back to America because of these tariffs on automotives,” Lutnick said.

He also emphasized the need to prepare younger workers for increasingly automated manufacturing jobs.

“We’re gonna have to train young people for these high-tech jobs,” Lutnick said. “We are going high-tech in America.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NEW TARIFFS ON 60 TRADING PARTNERS AS TEMPORARY DUTIES EXPIRE

Lutnick said the administration’s focus extends beyond final assembly to building advanced manufacturing capacity inside the United States.

“We are going to build these factories here in America, and that’s the key,” he said.

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Brittany Miller contributed to this report. 

Ford Motor Co. is giving its Louisville Assembly Plant a massive makeover as it prepares to build a new electric truck in 2027.

The automaker is investing $2 billion to transform the roughly 3-million-square-foot Kentucky factory from gas-powered vehicle production to EV manufacturing, according to an announcement from Ford.

The plant will build Ford’s new Fathom midsize electric truck using the company’s Universal EV Production System, which is designed to cut parts, simplify assembly and speed up production.

“It is simply foundationally different from how we have done things before,” Kevin Young, Ford’s advanced program manufacturing chief, said in a statement. “Operators can see everything in front of them and don’t need to bend or reach to do it.”

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The Kentucky overhaul is part of a broader $5 billion investment that Ford says will create 4,000 jobs across the Louisville Assembly Plant and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan.

Under the new system, the Fathom will be built in three major sections – the front, rear and battery deck – allowing employees to work on each section simultaneously before joining them together.

Ford is also turning to large aluminum castings that replace what once was dozens of smaller stamped and welded parts.

FORD REHIRES EXPERIENCED ENGINEERS AFTER AI MISSES THE MARK

The new system will allow the Ford Fathom to be assembled 40% faster than products currently built at the Louisville plant, according to the company.

The plant is also getting a major technology upgrade.

Wi-Fi access points have nearly tripled from 385 to 1,080, and Ford says the plant will have the highest level of final-assembly automation of its factories worldwide.

Employees have also been training in Michigan on the new production process, which the company says is designed to make assembly work easier and more efficient.

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“We’ve engineered an 84% reduction in reaching over the fender,” Bryce Currie, Ford’s chief manufacturing officer, said in a statement. “The wiring harness is also more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds lighter than in our first-gen electric SUV, making it much easier to install.”

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Ford remains on track to begin prototype builds using production-ready parts in the first quarter of 2027, with Fathom production expected later that year.

Wealthy homebuyers are increasingly looking to lower-tax, business-friendly states such as Texas as taxes and regulation play a bigger role in where affluent Americans choose to live and invest, according to Mauricio Umansky, founder and CEO of global brokerage The Agency.

“That trend is definitely happening,” Umansky told FOX Business of affluent residents leaving high-tax blue cities and states. “… But not only tax friendly — business friendly.”

Umansky, whose firm has 170 offices across 17 countries, said policies that raise the cost of owning or selling high-end real estate are affecting luxury markets.

He pointed to New York City’s pied-à-terre tax and Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, commonly known as the “mansion tax,” as examples.

THE MILLION-DOLLAR HOME IS BECOMING SURPRISINGLY NORMAL

“The pied-à-terre tax is really hurtful,” Umansky said. “In Los Angeles, we have the ULA tax, which is very hurtful.”

Those policies are helping redirect some wealth toward markets including Texas, he said.

“You are seeing a lot of the wealth go, and they’re going to places like Dallas, Texas,” Umansky said. “You’re seeing a lot of growth there. So there’s a shift.”

Texas is not the only market drawing interest. Umansky said buyers with greater flexibility are considering other parts of the country, including the Southeast, as remote work gives them more freedom over where they live.

Still, Umansky said the movement of wealth does not mean traditional luxury strongholds such as California and New York are collapsing.

“We’re definitely seeing a trend of exodus, but still growth,” he said, describing the market as a “very mixed” picture.

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Los Angeles is beginning to show signs of recovery at the high end, Umansky said, as sellers become more flexible on pricing and buyers begin making offers.

The Hamptons also remains strong, while California continues to generate significant wealth, including from the artificial intelligence boom. Both California and New York remain critical economic engines despite some residents looking elsewhere, Umansky said.

Umansky added, “I think it’s super imperative for our country that we continue to protect California and New York.”

His comments come as New York City faces scrutiny over its new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes, including recent criticism from billionaire investor Bill Ackman and Citadel founder Ken Griffin.

President Donald Trump argued in a Truth Social post Tuesday that the tax could ultimately cost the city more than it generates if wealthy property owners and taxpayers relocate to lower-tax states such as Florida and Texas.

CASH-STRAPPED HOAS RAMP UP FORECLOSURES AGAINST DELINQUENT HOMEOWNERS: REPORT

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Trump’s comments came one day after a New York judge temporarily restrained Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration from moving forward with parts of the tax rollout after three homeowners sued over how the city implemented the surcharge.

Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Wayne Ozzi ordered the city to take down a disputed property roll covering more than 900,000 homeowners and temporarily barred officials from imposing or collecting the surcharge based on the roll without first making the individualized determination and providing the notice required under state tax law. A hearing on the dispute is scheduled for Aug. 31, while an appeal filed by the city triggered an automatic stay of the judge’s order.

The lawsuit challenges the administration of the tax rather than the legality of the surcharge itself. 

FOX Business’ Brittany Miller contributed to this report.

A ticket sold in Illinois matched all six winning numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing to claim the $1.040 billion jackpot.

The grand prize has an estimated cash value of $450.5 million and ranks as the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot ever won, according to Powerball.

The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was won on Nov. 7, 2022, when a ticket sold in California claimed a $2.04 billion Powerball prize. A $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot won on Christmas Eve ranks as the second-largest prize in U.S. lottery history.

The white balls drawn Wednesday were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69. The red Powerball was 9, and the Power Play multiplier was 2X.

ARKANSAS WINNER CLAIMS $1.8B POWERBALL JACKPOT, CHOOSES CASH OPTION

“Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winner in Illinois,” said Stephen Durrell, chair of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Kansas Lottery.

“For more than three decades, Powerball has shown that a winning ticket can be sold anywhere the game is played, giving every $2 ticket the chance to change not only a winner’s life, but generations to come,” Durrell continued. “As participation continues to grow across markets, players are helping fuel larger jackpots and create even greater excitement for the game.”

The winner will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $1.040 billion or a lump-sum payment of $450.5 million.

Both prize options are before taxes.

GEORGIA RESIDENT IDENTIFIED AS WINNER OF $983M MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT, LARGEST EVER IN STATE

If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

Four other tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina matched all five white balls. The Match 5 prize is $1 million except in California, where payouts are determined on a pari-mutuel basis. A fifth ticket sold in Massachusetts also matched all five white balls and included the Power Play option for an additional $1, doubling the prize to $2 million, according to Powerball.

The Powerball jackpot was last won May 2, when two tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize.

Wednesday’s jackpot was the largest Powerball prize won so far this year. The drawing was the 44th in the current jackpot run and the first run to include players from the United Kingdom since Powerball ticket sales launched there July 21.

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The jackpot will now reset to $20 million for the next drawing Saturday.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

FOX Business’ Matthew Kazin contributed to this report.

Whole Foods announced Wednesday that it is recalling certain produce and prepared foods containing fresh jalapeño peppers supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors over potential salmonella contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration said the recalled products were sold in 12 states and have “Best Before” dates ranging from Aug. 7 through Aug. 16.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled Whole Foods products, according to the FDA.

The recall includes select salsas, guacamole, pico de gallo and prepared foods, Whole Foods said. A full list of affected products is available on the FDA’s website.

18 PREPARED FOODS UNDER ALERT AS JALAPEÑO SALMONELLA OUTBREAK SICKENS 345

The products were sold in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

A Whole Foods spokesperson said Wednesday’s recall was issued because the products contain jalapeños that were sourced from Coast Citrus Distributors and are connected to the distributor’s recall. Some affected products were also included in a Taylor Fresh Foods recall announced Sunday.

The Whole Foods action comes amid a broader salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños that has sickened 345 people and hospitalized 36 across 27 states, according to federal officials.

Prior to the Whole Foods announcement, at least 18 ready-to-eat meat and poultry products had already been identified in a USDA public health alertin Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.

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On Monday, Taylor Farms announced a recall of prepared foods containing jalapeños sold by retailers including Walmart and Whole Foods in several states over potential salmonella contamination.

The FDA advised consumers who purchased any of the recalled Whole Foods products to discard them or bring a valid receipt to a Whole Foods Market store for a full refund.

According to federal regulators, illnesses linked to the jalapeño outbreak began between June 19 and July 20, 2026.

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Officials said several major brands and retailers have been affected by the outbreak, including Taylor Farms, Deli Kitchen, H-E-B’s Higher Harvest and Meal Simple brands, Marketside, Wawa, Albertsons, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Hannaford.

Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA also received affected jalapeños imported from Sinaloa, according to federal officials.

Chipotle switched its jalapeño supplier at affected locations beginning July 20 and is no longer serving the implicated product, while QDOBA stopped using jalapeños at all of its restaurants as of July 28.

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Coast Citrus Distributors has agreed to recall the remaining implicated product and is no longer importing jalapeños from the grower linked to the outbreak.

Food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever.

FOX Business’ Bonny Chu and Reuters contributed to this report.

McDonald’s is moving into energy drinks, teaming with Red Bull as the fast-food giant expands its beverage lineup while working to drive more customers to its U.S. restaurants.

Starting Aug. 17, participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide will sell the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer, marking the company’s entry into the energy drink category.

The drink combines Red Bull with blue raspberry syrup and freeze-dried dragonfruit. Customers can substitute Red Bull Zero for a reduced-sugar version or purchase an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull separately.

The beverage expansion comes as McDonald’s works to improve customer traffic after its U.S. business delivered slower-than-expected sales growth during the second quarter.

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Comparable sales in the U.S., McDonald’s largest market, increased 0.8% during the quarter, below the 1.06% growth analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected. U.S. comparable sales grew 2.5% a year earlier.

CEO Chris Kempczinski said execution problems, including inconsistent promotion of value offerings and reduced use of digital deals, contributed to weaker customer traffic.

“We don’t have a strategy problem. We simply didn’t execute at the level we needed to in the second quarter,” Kempczinski said.

McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden said the company planned to use more national digital offers and personalized promotions to “reenergize our high-frequency customers.”

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The Red Bull rollout builds on McDonald’s expansion of its core beverage lineup with crafted sodas and Refreshers.

“We’ve seen growing enthusiasm for our crafted sodas and refreshers as fans look for more variety and options to fit every occasion,” Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer for McDonald’s USA, said. “They loved the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer when we first tested it in the U.S., so we’re excited to give fans nationwide the energy they’ve been craving with Red Bull. And we’re just getting started.”

McDonald’s is also expanding its crafted soda lineup with a Vanilla Swirl, which combines vanilla flavor and cold foam with a choice of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coke Zero Sugar.

Other offerings will vary by location and include Orange Dream with Fanta and reduced-sugar crafted sodas made with Diet Dr Pepper, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar and Sprite Zero Sugar.

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Both McDonald’s Refreshers and Red Bull Energizers contain caffeine, according to the company.

Ford Motor Company plans to expand U.S. production of Lincoln vehicles beginning in 2030 and eventually stop importing vehicles from China for the luxury brand’s American customers.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said Wednesday that the expansion is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs. Ford did not disclose how much it plans to invest or identify the plants that would receive the additional production.

The move would mark a shift for Lincoln’s U.S. lineup, which currently includes the China-built Nautilus.

The redesigned Nautilus is assembled at the Changan Ford plant in Hangzhou, China, and exported to the U.S. The previous generation was produced at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada.

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Ford did not specifically say whether production of the Nautilus would move to the U.S. under the 2030 plan or identify which China-imported vehicles would be affected.

The announcement comes as Ford and the broader auto industry continue to navigate higher costs and uncertainty tied to tariffs and changing global trade policies.

Ford reported approximately $3 billion in gross costs related to tariffs implemented or revised in 2025, with an approximately $2 billion impact on earnings before interest and taxes after offsets, according to the company’s latest annual report.

Ford did not say whether tariffs or other trade considerations played a role in its decision to phase out Lincoln imports from China.

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Lincoln already produces multiple vehicles in the U.S. For instance, the Navigator is assembled at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, while the Aviator is produced at the Chicago Assembly Plant. Both vehicles are also exported to markets including Canada, Mexico and the Middle East.

The additional production would expand Ford’s already sizable U.S. manufacturing footprint. The company said it assembled more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2025, more than any other automaker, and led the industry in U.S. vehicle exports and hourly autoworker employment.

Ford employs approximately 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the U.S., according to the company.

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Several details of the 2030 expansion remain unclear, including which models will be produced domestically, where that production will be located and how much Ford plans to invest.

Kroger has closed at least three dozen stores since announcing plans last year to shutter 60 locations that were not “delivering sustainable results” by the end of 2026. 

The Cincinnati-based grocery giant did not release a full list of stores or banners slated for closure, but online searches listed 39 locations across nine banners as no longer operating. Local reports also confirmed that many of the locations were part of the broader store overhaul.

As of January 2026, Kroger operated 2,697 supermarkets across 35 states under roughly 20 banners, including Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food and Drug, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Pick ’n Save, QFC and Ralphs, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. 

The company said the closures are intended to help it “run more efficiently and ensure the long-term health of our business,” according to FOX 26 Houston, which reported that two Houston-area locations were slated to close in April.

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The closures come as Kroger announced plans last month to acquire regional grocery chain Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion, which would add another 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

The acquisition is expected to strengthen Kroger’s presence across several Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic markets. 

At least three of the impacted locations were or are expected to be replaced by Kroger Marketplace stores as part of the company’s efforts to consolidate operations. Kroger Marketplace stores are larger-format locations that offer an expanded selection of non-grocery merchandise, including clothing, toys, home goods and furniture. 

The impacted locations include: 

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FOX Business reached out to Kroger for more information.

Social Security beneficiaries are still expected to see a larger cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2027 than they did this year, though it has decreased as inflation eased in July.

By law, the annual Social Security COLA is calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index (CPI) inflation data for the months of July, August and September based on a variant of the dataset known as CPI-W. The COLA boosts beneficiaries’ payments to account for a rise in the cost of living, and the COLA for 2026 amounted to a 2.8% increase.

The BLS released the July CPI inflation data Wednesday that showed consumer prices were up 3.4% from a year ago. That’s down from a 3.5% annual reading in June.

Several groups have released estimates for the 2027 COLA based on the July data and estimates for the next two months of data, which have the COLA landing in a range from 3.2% to 3.6%.

INFLATION COOLED IN JULY BUT REMAINED ELEVATED AS FED WEIGHS RATE HIKES

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released the lowest of those estimates, projecting the COLA will ultimately be at 3.2% when the final data is released this fall. It noted in its analysis that CPI-W was flat in July and is up 3.4% over the last year.

“High COLAs can provide helpful near-term support to seniors, but also impose significant costs for a Social Security retirement fund that is just six years from insolvency,” CRFB said, adding that automatic benefit cuts of 22% would occur if the fund is depleted.

CRFB has proposed reforms to COLAs aimed at helping to shore up Social Security’s solvency, including a COLA cap for high-income beneficiaries as well as a flat rate COLA.

ONE TYPE OF SOCIAL SECURITY ADJUSTMENT COULD CUT THE 75-YEAR SHORTFALL IN HALF

The AARP, which advocates for policies it views as beneficial to people over the age of 50, estimates that the 2027 COLA will be 3.5% in its first-ever COLA estimate to be released before the third-quarter inflation reports come out.

“The sooner that we can give them reliable information as to how much their benefits might [increase next year], the sooner they can start planning,” AARP VP for Financial Security Rich Johnson said.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about how food and, especially, energy prices will play out over the next two months. This is not set in stone.”

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The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) released an estimate that puts the 2027 COLA at 3.6%, which would represent an increase of 0.8 percentage points when compared with the 2026 COLA. 

The TSCL analysis noted that if the estimated COLA were to take effect today, it would amount to an increase of $69.75 in average benefits, rising to $2,007.28 from $1,937.53.

TSCL executive director Shannon Benton said in a statement that, “One of the wildcards in this year’s forecast has been inflation’s volatility. It started the year at 2.2%, then surged to 4.4% by May before falling back to 3.5% in June.”

“That kind of instability can throw off forecasts, but our model is designed to avoid chasing every spike and dip, which has kept our predictions on a relatively steady course,” Benton added.

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The official 2027 COLA will be announced Oct. 14 after the BLS release of September CPI inflation data. It will take effect starting with payments to beneficiaries in January.

Home Depot CEO Ted Decker is taking a temporary medical leave of absence, the company announced on Wednesday.

The home improvement retailer expects Decker, who also serves as chair and president, to return “within the next few months,” according to a Home Depot news release.

During his absence, Senior Executive Vice President Ann-Marie Campbell will oversee Home Depot’s day-to-day operations. Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail will oversee Home Depot’s financial management and the company’s Pro subsidiaries.

HOME DEPOT CUTS 800 JOBS, ORDERS CORPORATE STAFF BACK TO OFFICE FULL TIME

Independent lead director Greg Brenneman will chair Home Depot’s board while Decker is on leave.

“The Home Depot has the best management team in retail. Both Ann-Marie and Richard are strong, seasoned executives who have worked together for more than 20 years,” Brenneman said in a statement. “We are confident in Ann-Marie’s and Richard’s ability to lead the company during this time, and we look forward to Ted’s return.”

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Campbell has been Home Depot’s senior executive vice president since November 2023 and began her career at the company as a cashier in 1985, according to an SEC filing.

McPhail has served as the company’s CFO since 2019 and joined Home Depot in 2005.

“At this time, no changes have been made to Ms. Campbell or Mr. McPhail’s compensation related to their assumption of the responsibilities of the Office of the CEO,” the filing noted.

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At the end of its first quarter, Home Depot operated 2,361 retail stores and more than 1,280 SRS locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company has more than 470,000 associates.

FOX Business reached out to Home Depot for more details.

The boom in weight-loss drugs may have transformed the obesity market, but Novo Nordisk’s CEO says the industry is still only scratching the surface with tens of millions of Americans potentially eligible for treatment.

Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar joined FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss the adoption of GLP-1 drugs, their potential economic impact and the company’s outlook for medicines, including Wegovy.

“We are clearly at early innings,” Doustdar said, pointing to the large population living with obesity and relatively limited use of GLP-1 medications. He said more than 100 million people in the U.S. are suffering from obesity, while “somewhere around ten, 15% in a good day” have used a GLP-1.

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“There is a long runway still,” he said.

Beyond weight loss, Doustdar said wider use of the drugs could eventually help Americans save on healthcare costs while bringing broader economic benefits.

“I do think as we get there, not only you see the health benefits of these drugs, you also see the economical benefit of these drugs,” he said.

Doustdar pointed to medication use as one area where a healthier, smaller population could reduce consumption. He used insulin, another product sold by Novo Nordisk, as an example of how dosage can vary with body size.

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“I sell insulin, and I know that a person who is larger does more insulin dose than someone who’s smaller,” he said.

He also pointed to the potential value of healthier people returning to work and becoming more productive, arguing that the benefits could extend beyond the number on a scale.

“Then of course comes on top of that, the economical value that comes from people getting back to work healthier,” Doustdar said. “People are more productive.”

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The slowing U.S. labor market is presenting more challenges for a housing sector facing affordability challenges, with would-be homebuyers struggling to save amid persistent inflation and a less dynamic employment outlook.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday released the jobs report for July, which showed the U.S. economy unexpectedly shed 23,000 jobs for the month, when economists had expected a gain of around 80,000. While the unemployment rate declined to 4.1%, it was due to a decline in the labor force participation rate as more individuals exited the workforce.

“The labor market is really the underpinning of the housing market,” Realtor.com Senior Economist Joel Berner told FOX Business in an interview. “When people don’t feel confident about their jobs and their income, they’re not very likely to make a huge purchase like buying a home.”

Berner said the July jobs report was a “pretty rough report” between the economy losing jobs on net for the month with wages growing at a slower pace than inflation.

US ECONOMY UNEXPECTEDLY SHED JOBS IN JULY

“This is not a great recipe for the housing market,” Berner added. “Not only does it affect people’s confidence, but it affects how much they’re able to save for their down payments.”

He noted the decline in the labor force participation rate and suggested that could lead to “slower job growth, slower wage growth, less competition from workers to get those higher wages.

“That just means more of the same of what we’ve been talking about — that wages will grow slower than inflation and people will struggle to save, and then struggle to buy homes,” he added.

MORTGAGE RATES HIT HIGHEST LEVEL IN NEARLY A YEAR

Relief on the affordability front is also unlikely to arrive for prospective homebuyers in the near term because mortgage rates have trended higher in recent weeks and are likely to remain around their current levels through the end of the year.

“In this high mortgage rate environment — mortgage rates just jumped to their highest point in the year — it’s kind of a double whammy for first-time homebuyers especially,” Berner said.

“They’re not able to save as much for a down payment, and then when they go to buy a home, they have to finance more of their purchase at higher rates, so the affordability squeeze is really coming from all angles,” he added.

FED’S HAMMACK SAYS MULTIPLE RATE HIKES MAY BE NEEDED TO TAME INFLATION

Berner said he sees the higher mortgage rate environment persisting through the end of the year since the Federal Reserve appears more likely to hike interest rates than cut amid elevated inflation despite the slower labor market.

“I think the mortgage rate environment that we’re currently living in is about where we’ll be for the remainder of the year,” he said, adding that the softness in the market is likely to persist.

“We’re really seeing a slowdown in terms of listing prices this year, a little bit higher sales activity than last year, because buyers and sellers are kind of meeting in the middle at a better pace than they were in the last couple of years,” Berner said.

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“But this high mortgage rate environment just means more tepid demand from potential homebuyers, and that means more falling prices and potentially fewer listings coming onto the market as well, because sellers are looking around saying, ‘I don’t know if I can sell my home for a price that I want,’ and just deciding to forego doing that,” he said.

Mark Walter’s time as the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers is up after less than a year.

After purchasing his stake in the organization for a $10 billion valuation in October, the Lakers were sold to American businessmen Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record price of over $12 billion.

“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss,” Kushner and Iger said in a statement, via ESPN. 

“Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

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“Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life — an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family. I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead,” Walter said in a statement.

Iger is the former CEO of Disney, holding that title two separate times. He stepped down in March. Kushner, the younger brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared, founded Thrive Capital and Oscar Health.

Kushner and Iger were in the sweepstakes for purchasing an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas. Walter, though, is under federal investigation for alleged tax fraud.

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When Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers were passed down to his children, and Jeanie has been serving as the team’s governor ever since. Reports stated she would be the governor of the team for five more years even after the sale to Walter.

The Lakers are in a new era now headlined by Luka Dončić after LeBron James’ eight-year tenure ended earlier this summer. The NBA’s all-time scorer joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year contract.

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The Lakers won 11 of their 17 championships under Buss ownership, with their last in 2020. Walter remains the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and the majority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fox Business’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

A federal appeals court refused to dismiss thousands of lawsuits against Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat, allowing complaints alleging the platforms were designed to be addictive to young users to move forward.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Meta and TikTok attempting to overturn a lower court ruling requiring the firms to face more than 3,000 lawsuits filed in federal court, ruling the companies appealed too early.

The social media companies claimed that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 — which generally shields online platforms from being liable for content posted by their users — also prohibits lawsuits on allegations they failed to warn the public about the addictive design of their platforms.

Section 230 has largely protected several companies from lawsuits regarding content posted on their platforms.

NEW MEXICO COURT ORDERS META TO PAY $567M, OVERHAUL TEEN PROTECTIONS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Most appeals come after a case has reached a ruling or a verdict, but the companies claimed that they should not have to wait until the litigation wraps up to challenge the lower court’s rejection of their immunity defense.

However, the court ruled the companies cannot use Section 230 to dismiss lawsuits, saying it can only be used as a liability defense against claims, meaning the appeal was premature.

The statute “merely provides a defense to liability — not immunity from suit,” Judge Jacqueline Nguyen wrote.

The court’s decision clears the way for lawsuits alleging social media companies designed platforms to encourage addictive behavior, failed to verify users’ ages and did not adequately block harmful content.

The panel also denied Meta’s attempt to postpone a trial set to begin on Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general accusing the company of illegally collecting and using children’s data, designing its social media platforms to addict young users and misleading consumers about child safety on the platforms.

The company had claimed that the trial could not move forward while the appeal was pending.

Fox Business reached out to Meta and TikTok for comment.

Attorneys representing thousands of school districts and people suing Meta and other tech firms in federal court, said in a statement the ruling would allow the states’ trial to move forward, as well as a trial over claims brought by school districts set for February.

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“A trial is how the public finds out what Meta knew about its products’ impact on children, when it knew it, and what it chose to do with that knowledge,” the attorneys said. “Meta has fought to keep that evidence from the public.”

This comes after a New Mexico judge last week found Meta had created a public nuisance in the state, ordering it to pay $567 million into a teenage mental health fund and adopt youth-safety measures.

In March, a jury in California ruled against Meta and Google’s YouTube, while a jury in New Mexico ruled against Meta on child safety risks.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Toyota issued a recall for about 655,000 of its Camry vehicles globally over a display error that may deactivate safety indicators such as turn signals and hazard lights, the automaker announced on Tuesday.

The global recall involves vehicles produced between December 2023 and July 2026 across manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Japan and Thailand.

Among those vehicles, a total of 508,354 model year 2025-2026 Camry Hybrids in the U.S. are affected by the recall, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NEARLY 50,000 CHRYSLER VEHICLES RECALLED OVER SEAT BELT SAFETY DEFECT

The affected vehicles are equipped with a 7-inch display combination meter that may be blank at startup. Only the LE, SE and Nightshade trims have the smaller 7-inch display. The XLE and XSE trims use a larger 12.3-inch driver display, so these models are not affected.

Turn signals, hazard lights and other warning buzzers, such as reminders to fasten the seat belt and remove the key from the ignition, may also be deactivated due to the defect in affected vehicles.

“The 7-inch combination meter may become blank at startup,” the automaker said in a statement. “This can also deactivate the turn signal and hazard lamps and certain warning buzzer sounds (such as the smart key reminder and the driver/passenger seat belt reminder). This can cause the vehicle not to meet certain federal safety standards.”

SOME OLDER FORD VEHICLES POSE ‘UNREASONABLE’ SAFETY RISKS, REGULATORS WARN

“If certain required information is not displayed in the combination meter, if the turn signal/hazard lamps do not function, or if certain warning buzzers do not activate, there can be an increased risk of injury or a crash depending on the specific situation,” the statement added.

The NHTSA warns that these display issues increase the risk of a crash for both drivers who may be unable to see telltale indicators and other road users would not know the driver’s intent to turn or indicate a vehicle hazard.

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Toyota Motor North America said it will notify owners of the affected Camrys, so they can bring their vehicles to a dealer for a software update free of charge.

U.S. owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed starting on Sept. 21, with all expected to be sent out by early October.

Prince Street Pizza has built a cult following that includes some of Hollywood’s biggest names, but the company says the key to taking its famous New York slices nationwide is staying true to the original.

The New York City-born brand has expanded from its original SoHo shop to roughly 20 locations across the U.S. and Canada, with parent company Best Buddy Hospitality CEO Lawrence Longo pointing to strong demand and a relentless focus on product quality as drivers of that growth.

“I think it’s important to stay close to the principles that made it special in the first place,” Longo told FOX Business. “And that comes down to the quality of the product.”

That commitment extends to the dough. Longo said Prince Street uses a New York WaterMaker system to replicate the characteristics of New York City water at its locations outside the Big Apple.

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“Every time we sign a new lease, we get the water from that city, and we send it to the lab, and they create a filtration system that turns our water into New York City water,” he said.

The goal is to make the pizza feel as close as possible to the original Prince Street shop, according to Longo.

“The idea is that when you walk into a Prince Street Pizza, you should feel like you walked into a pizzeria in New York City,” Longo said.

Known for its Sicilian-style square pies and pepperoni-loaded slices, Prince Street sees room for further expansion.

“Sicilian-style pizza hasn’t been really done right at scale across America,” he said.

The brand has also attracted a long list of celebrity fans, including Adam Sandler, who Longo said has visited locations in New York, Malibu and West Hollywood.

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Still, Longo said that famous customers do not receive special treatment.

“Whether you’re a celebrity or just a regular customer, we love everybody,” he said.

Prince Street is now focused on building a larger national footprint. Longo said he is “handpicking some of the best operators around America” with the goal of becoming the country’s leading Sicilian pizza brand.

The company is also expanding beyond restaurants.

Longo created “Delivering Happiness,” a video series starring actor Nick Turturro as a pizza delivery driver visiting guests including Dana White, Alex Rodriguez, Bert Kreischer and Ice-T. The project has since expanded through TikTok Radio and iHeartMedia, he said.

“We’re becoming a media company in a way,” Longo said.

Prince Street has also leaned into entertainment partnerships, including a Disney collaboration that recreated Little Nero’s Pizza from “Home Alone” at select locations. The campaign earned a Clio Award.

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Despite those new ventures, Longo said Prince Street’s growth strategy comes back to staying “true” to what made the original SoHo shop successful.

“How do you scale a cult brand?” he said. “You really stay true to what made it successful in the first place.”

If you haven’t seen it already, please go into the New York Times archives — that’s right, I’m recommending the Times — for an article by Thomas Edsall entitled “A Working-Class Party Without Many Workers.” Mr. Edsall is a former Washington Post columnist. And he wrote a very important piece. In a nutshell, he uses polling data that non-college educated people do not agree with the Democratic Socialists of America on key issues such as open borders, defunding the police, abolishing ICE, and support for an array of transgender rights.

What’s more, using the DSA’s own surveys, they are 85 percent non-Hispanic whites. Only 9 percent are Hispanics, and only 5 percent are Asian Americans. And 4 percent are blacks. And only 4 percent of the members held blue-collar jobs.

So you have to ask yourself, while comrade Abdul El-Sayed, comrade Francesca Hong, comrade Zohran Mamdani, and comrade Hasan Piker may claim to speak for the working class, the reality is that they don’t speak for the working class. 

Let me say right here there is an important political leader who speaks for the working class and their values, his name is President Trump. If you find this ironic, since the DSA has Trump Derangement Syndrome to the tenth power or more, it’s nonetheless a political fact of life.

Now, Mr. Edsall notes that the Democratic Party writ large has positive views of socialism, and that helps explain why many of the leading Democrats welcome the comrade socialists into their big tent, with the exception of Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senators John Fetterman and Joe Manchin. Yet not many.

In the main, the Democratic party regulars are welcoming the socialists, and the socialists are going to be a big open target of Republicans in the coming midterm elections. At a minimum, the socialists are going to give the GOP the Senate. I can’t yet vouch for the House. Yet Michigan and Maine and perhaps some others are going to go Republican.

It would be great if the GOP had a tax-cutting message to help working folks going into these elections, because yelling at socialism and communism may not be enough, especially to carry the House. The key point, though, is that while the socialists say they speak for the working folks, they don’t really have many working folks behind them at all. And Mr. Trump’s free enterprise policies are doing very well, thank you very much.

Domino’s is putting its own name on a new pizza as the restaurant chain looks to give customers a personal-size option built for individual tastes.

The Michigan-based pizza giant said Tuesday that it will launch the Domino, a Detroit-style pizza made for one, at restaurants nationwide on Aug. 31.

Shaped like the company’s red-and-blue domino logo, the new pizza is cut into two slices and allows customers to choose their sauce and add up to three toppings.

The company is positioning the product as an alternative for customers who want different toppings when ordering pizza with family or friends, as well as for individual meals and on-the-go occasions.

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“The Domino fills a gap in our portfolio,” said Joe Jordan, chief operating officer and president of Domino’s U.S., and incoming CEO. “When everyone wants something different, traditional pizza falls short. The Domino lets every person build the exact pizza they want.”

Domino’s said the pizza uses its buttery-flavored pan dough with Parmesan cheese baked into the crust. It comes with two layers of cheese and is finished with the chain’s garlic seasoning.

The company said consumers in independent testing rated the Domino as one of the most delicious products it has introduced. Domino’s did not provide additional details in its announcement about the testing methodology or sample size.

FOX Business reached out to Domino’s for additional details about the product’s development, consumer testing, pricing and potential impact on franchisees.

DOMINO’S REBRANDS FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE

The Domino will also be included in the chain’s Mix and Match promotion, allowing customers to select a two-topping version as one of two or more eligible menu items for $6.99 each. Prices may be higher at some locations, according to the company.

The launch comes as Domino’s operates a global network of more than 22,500 stores across more than 90 markets.

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Domino’s reported more than $20.6 billion in global retail sales during the four quarters ended June 14. Independent franchise owners operated 99% of its stores at the end of the second quarter.

The company has also leaned heavily into digital ordering in its home market. More than 85% of Domino’s U.S. retail sales in 2025 came through digital channels, according to the company.

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack on Monday said that she thinks there will be a need for more than one interest rate hike to prevent inflation from becoming more entrenched across the economy.

Hammack made the comments in an interview with Yahoo Finance that followed her dissent from the Fed’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged. She and two other members of the central bank’s monetary policy panel voted in favor of raising interest rates by 25 basis points.

“I would say in general, one 25-basis-point move probably doesn’t do a whole lot for the economy,” she said. “So it’s probably some number of [movements]. But I don’t want to prejudge what that number is going to be.”

Hammack added that “I don’t know exactly where we will end,” adding that she thinks the current target range for the benchmark federal funds rate of 3.5% to 3.75% is not “meaningfully restricting” the economy amid stubborn inflation.

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“When I’m talking to businesses, I’m not hearing that they’re sensing any restraint from investments in growth based on where interest rates are,” she said in the interview. “So to me that says that now is the time to act.”

Hammack said that the longer the central bank waits to address inflation through higher interest rates, the more difficult it will be to return inflation to the Fed’s 2% target.

Inflation has been running well above that target, with the consumer price index (CPI) up 3.5% through June, while the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge – the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index – was 3.7% in June.

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Hammack said in the interview that raising rates is similar to gradually applying the brakes when approaching a stop sign so as to glide to a stop, rather than slamming the brakes with a more dramatic policy move to stop price growth.

“I think that now is the time for us to start acting, to start bringing more restraint into policy,” she said.

“Nothing would make me feel better than to be wrong, that we need to change the stance of policy to help bring inflation back to target. But from where I sit, I just don’t see it coming back on its own,” Hammack added.

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The Cleveland Fed president also discussed the July jobs report, which showed a loss of 23,000 jobs when economists expected a gain of around 80,000 jobs, but said in the interview that she is “still not seeing a problem” with the labor market given that the 4.1% unemployment rate is near her estimate of full employment.

Fed policymakers will hold their next meeting in mid-September, and they’ll have fresh inflation data to parse in the meantime with the July CPI data set to be released on Wednesday and the PCE reading for the month due in late August.

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President Donald Trump blasted New York City’s new pied-à-terre tax and said his administration is examining whether the federal government has legal authority to intervene, escalating a fight over a surcharge targeting luxury second homes.

Trump argued in a Truth Social post Tuesday that the tax could ultimately cost New York more than it raises by encouraging wealthy property owners and taxpayers to leave for lower-tax states such as Florida and Texas.

“The NYC Pied-a-Terre Tax is costing New York City and State a fortune in that the money, eventually to be gotten, is very little compared to to the TAXES PAID by the tens of thousands of people who are fleeing the City, never to return,” Trump wrote.

He added that Florida, Texas and other states are benefiting financially from people leaving New York and called the policy a dangerous political “experiment.”

NEW YORK’S WEALTHY RUSH TO AVOID MAMDANI’S SECOND-HOME TAX

The president also raised the prospect of federal action.

“I am looking to see if the Federal Government has any legal right to avert this disaster, before it is too late, for the millions of people who cherish New York and want to see it thrive, as opposed to becoming a filthy, crime ridden, decrepit place of mockery and scorn,” Trump wrote.

Trump did not identify what federal law or executive authority his administration could potentially use to challenge the city tax.

The White House did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for additional details about what federal authority or action the Trump administration is considering.

MAMDANI’S TAX ROLL BLUNDER WILL BACKFIRE ON EVERYDAY NEW YORKERS AS BUYERS HEAD SOUTH, DEVELOPER WARNS

Trump’s comments come one day after a New York judge temporarily restrained Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration from moving forward with parts of the tax rollout after three homeowners sued over how the city implemented the surcharge.

Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Wayne Ozzi ordered the city to take down a disputed property roll covering more than 900,000 homeowners and temporarily barred officials from imposing or collecting the surcharge based on the roll without first making the individualized determination and providing the notice required under state tax law.

The lawsuit challenges the administration of the tax rather than the legality of the surcharge itself.

“We disagree with today’s ruling, but we are confident in both the pied-à-terre surcharge and the City’s ability to implement it fairly and effectively,” Mamdani spokesman Matt Rauschenbach said following the ruling.

MAMDANI EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NYC HOMEOWNERS TO SEEK EXEMPTION FROM NEW PIED-À-TERRE TAX

“This surcharge asks those who own second homes valued at $5 million or more to contribute their fair share to the city they benefit from,” he added.

Mamdani has said about 17,000 homeowners in a city of 8.5 million are potentially affected by the surcharge.

The Mamdani administration did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on Trump’s criticism and his argument that the surcharge could drive wealthy taxpayers and property owners out of New York.

Trump also linked the surcharge to New York City’s congestion pricing program.

“Financial, and then Social, RUIN, is a 100% certainty – And then the Radical Left Jihadists charge Congestion Pricing on top of everything else,” Trump wrote.

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Whether the surcharge ultimately causes significant numbers of property owners or taxpayers to leave New York remains unclear.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on Trump’s criticism of the surcharge or the possibility of federal intervention.

The legal fight over the rollout is continuing as the Mamdani defends the surcharge and Trump considers whether the federal government has an avenue to intervene.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday announced the deployment of a new radar at Newark Liberty International Airport that’s designed to prevent incidents from occurring on busy runways.

The new radar, known as the Surface Movement Radar Model 4, allows air traffic controllers to track aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways in all weather and visibility conditions and prevent runway incursions that could result in accidental collisions. The SMR-4 will represent a capability improvement over the 30-year-old radar that’s being replaced.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford spoke at the event and said that it was the deployment of the fifth surface movement radar in the U.S.

“We will deploy 53 of these surface movement radars across the country at our top 44 busiest airports in the U.S.,” Bedford said, adding that the radar system was built in Syracuse, New York, as onshoring production of critical infrastructure was a key component of the agency’s modernization effort.

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“We think of modernization not just as replacing all of this old equipment. And again, this is a 30-year-old box: we can’t maintain it, they don’t build it, they don’t supply replacement parts for it. So when these things break, they’re no longer available to us, so getting this investment is critical,” he explained.

“It’s not just that we’re purchasing and deploying new equipment, we have brought these jobs back to the U.S. which is a key focus of the secretary and the president,” Bedford said.

FAA ROLLING OUT NEW TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE RISK OF RUNWAY ACCIDENTS

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who also spoke at the unveiling, noted that the surface awareness radar will “give us better technology to see airplanes, to see vehicles on the ground at Newark Airport. It’ll see aircraft on final approach. It is a more resilient system,” he added.

“It allows controllers on a dark night, or controllers in bad weather, if they can’t see out of the tower and see what’s happening on the tarmac, they can actually use this radar to see on their screens where everything is at – airplanes, vehicles – and again, it keeps the American public safer as we use American skies,” Duffy said.

AMERICAN AIRLINES JET CANCELS TAKEOFF AFTER LAX RUNWAY INCURSION

The Department of Transportation and FAA noted in a release that they’ve installed 96 new systems around the country over the last year that are related to the agency’s surface awareness initiative.

FAA data shows that there have been 1,102 runway incursions in the agency’s fiscal year 2026 so far – down from 1,197 in the same period a year ago. The data includes operational incidents, pilot deviations, vehicle or pedestrian deviations, and other forms of incursions.

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The federal budget deficit is now expected to surpass $2 trillion this fiscal year, which would be one of the largest shortfalls on record as spending growth continues to outpace tax receipts.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Monday released its monthly budget update for July, which showed the federal government ran a nearly $1.8 trillion deficit through the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026, which runs through the end of September.

That figure represents an increase of $169 billion when compared with the same 10-month period in fiscal year 2025. Federal spending increased $308 billion from a year ago, outpacing the $139 billion rise in tax receipts.

CBO also noted it now estimates the budget deficit will rise to $2.1 trillion, up $200 billion from last fiscal year, for the full fiscal year 2026 based on information available through the end of July.

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“CBO expects 2026 outlays to be close to the February baseline amounts. Revenues, by contrast, are anticipated to be about $200 billion below the February projections, mostly because of smaller-than-expected collections of tariff duties – a result of a Supreme Court ruling handed down after CBO’s baseline was released,” the agency wrote.

Increased spending was primarily driven by the cost of servicing the federal government’s more than $39 trillion national debt, as well as rising expenses for the government’s three largest mandatory spending programs – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Costs related to paying interest on the debt were up $117 billion, or 14%, in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026 compared with the same period a year ago. The rise was attributed to higher long-term interest rates, as well as the larger national debt.

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Spending on Social Security benefits rose $70 billion, or 5%, from a year ago due to higher average benefits following inflation adjustments and an increase in the number of beneficiaries.

Medicare costs increased $66 billion, or 8%, from a year ago due to increased enrollment and higher payment rates for healthcare services. Medicaid spending was up $45 billion, or 8%, because of rising costs per enrollee.

Tax revenue from both payroll and taxes rose by a combined $202 billion, or 5%, compared with a year ago. Withholdings from workers’ paychecks were up $141 billion, or 5%, amid rising wages and salaries. Tax refunds paid to individuals rose $23 billion, or 7%, due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BUDGET DEFICITS IN US HISTORY?

Corporate income tax collections were down $89 billion, or 23%, due to provisions in the OBBBA that expanded deductions for investments and resulted in fewer tax receipts.

Collections of customs duties including tariffs increased $18 billion, or 13%, compared with the same period a year ago.

Through April, monthly collections were higher than they were a year ago, but net collections have declined sharply since May when the government began paying out tariff refunds under a Supreme Court ruling from February. CBO noted that about $100 billion in tariff refunds have been issued to date.

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Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), said in a statement that federal borrowing has grown to an “astounding” level and that a deficit on track to surpass $2 trillion when the economy isn’t in a recession “is not normal.”

“Incredibly, such an enormous level of borrowing barely scratches the surface of our fiscal deterioration,” she explained. “We are about to hit the sobering milestone of $40 trillion in gross national debt, and things are only likely to get worse.”

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“If lawmakers want to correct our fiscal course, they should start by targeting a reasonable fiscal goal, like 3% of GDP deficits, and then create a bipartisan commission to figure out how we should get there. We can no longer afford to put off the difficult decisions – the time to act is now,” MacGuineas added.

Chrysler is recalling nearly 50,000 vehicles over a seat belt defect that could increase the risk of injury in a crash, according to federal regulators.

The recall affects certain 2023-2025 Dodge Hornet and 2023-2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

A total of 48,777 vehicles are covered by the recall, the NHTSA said in its announcement, noting that an estimated 1.6% have the defect.

CHRYSLER RECALLS 1.27M RAM PICKUPS OVER POTENTIAL SEAT BELT SAFETY ISSUE

The recall was issued because the rear outboard seat belts may become twisted and fail to retract properly.

A seat belt that does not retract may fail to properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

SOME OLDER FORD VEHICLES POSE ‘UNREASONABLE’ SAFETY RISKS, REGULATORS WARN

The NHTSA said that drivers can take their cars to a dealer, so the seat belt retractors can be replaced, free of charge.

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Notification letters will be sent to owners starting on September 24.

Nearly 30,000 pounds of imported raw beef from South America have been recalled in two states over the failure to reinspect the product after arriving in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Florida-based Corte Argentino USA LLC is recalling about 29,628 pounds of raw beef products that were imported from Argentina “without the benefit of import reinspection into the United States,” which checks documentation, labeling, packaging, the product’s general condition and sometimes samples for contaminants, FSIS announced on Friday.

After incoming shipments meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requirements, they must be reinspected by FSIS.

MORE THAN 3,200 POUNDS OF PASTRAMI, CORNED BEEF RECALLED OVER POSSIBLE LISTERIA CONTAMINATION

The products were distributed to distributors and retailers in Florida and Texas.

The affected products were produced between May 15 and May 20. They have use or freeze-by dates between September 15 and September 20.

The recall includes various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Top Sirloin Butt” (“Cuadril Sin Tapa”), “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Eye Round” (“Peceto”), “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Topside Cap Off” (“Nalga AD S/Tapa”), “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Flat” (“Carnaza Cuadrada”) and “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Knuckle” (“Bola de Lomo”).

The affected products feature Argentinian establishment number “EST. N° OF. 2025” and shipping mark “26644-AA.”

The issue was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury in connection with the consumption of the recalled products, FSIS said. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury is urged to contact a healthcare provider.

CLIMBING ROPES RECALLED OVER RISK OF DEATH FROM FALLING, REGULATORS SAY

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FSIS said it is concerned that some affected products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.

Consumers who have purchased these products are instructed not to consume them and to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans agreed that autonomous vehicles should be regulated as the Amazon subsidiary’s fleet of autonomous vehicles launched its first paid service in the United States in Las Vegas Monday. 

In June, one of Zoox’s robotaxis drove into heavy smoke at an active emergency scene in Las Vegas. Zoox issued a software recall following the incident and has since updated the technology to better detect and respond to fire and smoke.

Evans told FOX Business host Liz Claman the company believes in transparency and taking responsibility.

“These are rare edge cases,” Evans told “The Claman Countdown” on Monday. “We learn and we continue to improve our processes along the way to make them better and better.”

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“Sometimes it’s software, sometimes it is firmware, sometimes it is just using simulation,” she added. “We throw the best at it, we root cause, we learn, we improve and we deploy.”

Evans’ remarks come as federal officials press autonomous vehicle (AV) developers to improve interactions with first responders and emergency personnel, warning that failures to do so could pose a serious risk to public safety.

“To state it bluntly: an AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Jonathan Morrison wrote in July.

Evans, who thanked Morrison for his partnership in advancing American innovation, said she believes autonomous vehicle regulation is necessary.

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“I want to unequivocally say we agree with the administrator and the administration and the regulatory agency. We need to be regulated,” she said. “And EV scenes are extremely important, because it’s about saving lives all around.”

After providing free Zoox rides in Las Vegas since 2023 under a three-year pilot program, the Amazon robotaxi brand officially began charging customers for rides on Monday.

“We have essentially, so far, the same number as people who are taking free rides,” Evans told FOX Business.

Unlike competitors such as Waymo, which retrofits regular cars for driverless operations, Zoox’s vehicles are pedal-free, steering-wheel free and passenger-focused. The robotaxis feature face-to-face campfire-style seating for up to four passengers.

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Roughly 65 Zoox are currently deployed in Las Vegas and Evans said production is “ramping up,” with the company’s California factory is doubling output to five to six vehicles per day.

The CEO also told FOX Business where the company could expand next, beyond Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin and Miami, where Zoox currently operates pilot programs.

“We will be entering Atlanta and LA and… we have big ambitions,” Evans said. “We want to be everywhere where we are welcome and show and deliver these wonderful and lovable experiences to customers around the U.S.”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, appearing on an ABC Sunday talk show interviewed by Jonathan Karl, had a word salad answer to a simple question that is every bit as bad or even worse than anything Vice President Harris has ever produced. 

Here’s the setup by Mr. Karl, who should have been much tougher in this interview: “So you have Wisconsin coming up next, Francesca Hong, who is the Democratic Socialist of America supported candidate for governor.” Mr. Karl added: “What do you make of those controversial statements I’m sure you’ve seen?” adding, “How do you, how do you get around that? AOC replied: “My understanding is that Francesca Hong has made clear her present stances.” Mr. Karl: “Yeah, she’s moved away from a lot of that.” AOC: “Right, she’s moved away from it and I have a local city councilman that has this saying, ‘woke one was crazy.”

This is beyond goofiness. AOC is trying to back out of a lot of issues and values that she herself has stood for. And there’s no such thing as blaming something called “woke one.”  You can’t laugh off defunding the police, or 20 million illegal immigrants from open borders, or closing down schools and colleges and businesses — which created unbelievable physical and mental hardship and torment and loneliness and alcohol and drug addictions. And suicides and family breakups. And just about everything else that these crazy left-wingers believed in.

Framing white supremacy as an embedded/systemic American problem, “Defund the Police” as a racial-justice project, immigration rhetoric centered on racialization and systemic cruelty, the Green New Deal’s combination of climate policy with sweeping system injustices, abolish ICE, men in women’s sports.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez cannot laugh this stuff off. She said it and one way or another she continues to say it because she believes it. By the way, because she believes it, a recent poll shows her growing unpopularity in her own congressional district in New York City’s outer boroughs.

People are onto her. Now the same holds true for the front-runner in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor, Francesca Hong. She has a whole litany of far-left socialist or communist policy ideas. And she’s trying to sluff them off as some old internet posts. But they are not. She said them and she believes them.

No more Thanksgiving because it’s a “colonizer holiday.” Abolish the police department that “exists to uphold white supremacy.” She wants a state public option for healthcare, a state public bank, publicly owned grocery stores, to repeal Governor Scott Walker’s right to work laws, illegal migrant state IDs, sanctuary policies, a $20 minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and a 17 percent tax on millionaires and corporations.

We don’t need any of this for Wisconsin or Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan, or for that matter Zohran Mamdani’s New York. Or anywhere in America. American free enterprise and free market capitalism is working very well, thank you very much.

The Atlanta Fed is looking for 6 percent growth in the current quarter. The unemployment rate is historically low 4.1 percent. Private jobs are rising and government jobs are declining. Manufacturing and construction output and jobs are running at the fastest pace in decades. Inflation is modest. And President Trump has changed the culture towards traditional and religious values. Tell the comrades to stay home.

A restaurant industry veteran who has led some of America’s best-known chains sees major growth potential in one segment of the dining business.

G.J. Hart, CEO of Houston-based SPB Hospitality, told FOX Business that the “upscale casual” category is “there for the taking” as the company looks to expand J. Alexander’s, one of the brands in its portfolio.

Hart, who previously served as CEO of Red Robin, California Pizza Kitchen and Texas Roadhouse, said consumers continue to respond to restaurants that deliver both value and a strong experience.

“It’s a space that, from my perspective, my thesis is that it will continue to resonate with consumers, because you’ve got a pretty decent value for a great experience,” Hart said.

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Hart added, “[J. Alexander’s] has been around a long time and it’s very well respected, has a very loyal guest base. … There’s a ton of opportunity to grow [J. Alexander’s] in those strong markets and build out from those core markets and fill a need that’s out there.”

Unlike restaurant segments dominated by national chains, Hart said upscale casual is still made up largely of regional operators.

“When you think about who the real players [are] in upscale casual, it’s mostly regional players,” he said. “… Us becoming bigger will help us get stronger in that space, and I think it’s a space that’s there for the taking.”

SPB Hospitality owns a portfolio of restaurant brands including J. Alexander’s, Logan’s Roadhouse and Krystal.

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Hart said the company is preparing to open six to eight restaurants annually as it ramps up its growth plans.

“We’ve got a fairly aggressive plan,” Hart said.

SPB Hospitality is working to ensure it has the infrastructure, training and management pipeline needed to support those new locations, he said.

Since becoming CEO of SPB Hospitality in September 2025, Hart said he has focused on making restaurant operations easier and applying lessons from his time leading Texas Roadhouse, California Pizza Kitchen and Red Robin.

“The basics are the same,” Hart said, pointing to leadership, communication and giving employees a voice.

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As SPB Hospitality enters its next phase of growth, Hart said the larger challenge is keeping its brands relevant as consumer preferences evolve.

“What I’ve learned in all these brands and now bring to [J. Alexander’s] and SPB is this idea around relevancy,” he said. “How do you stay relevant for today’s ever evolving consumer and consumer needs and consumer wants?”

Apple is reportedly in the process of testing memory chips made by Chinese company CXMT across its lineup of devices, including in iPhones and MacBooks, as it looks at options to address the shortage of memory chips.

The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that Apple has held early talks with CXMT about the company providing chips that would be used in devices sold in China, citing people familiar with the matter.

Apple is hoping to receive approval from the White House for the arrangement, which could face scrutiny under rules that aim to block U.S. firms from transferring technology and sensitive data to Chinese companies, including CXMT.

The Journal reported that while the rules allow Apple to buy off-the-shell components from CXMT, it couldn’t order custom chips built to the company’s specifications. If the arrangement moves forward, Apple may be forced to redesign parts of its products sold in the Chinese market that would use standard CXMT chips.

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Laptop makers HP and Acer have obtained limited quantities of memory chips and are looking to lock in additional supplies for next year, the Journal reported. The deals with HP and Acer were previously reported by Nikkei Asia.

Apple has raised prices on its products in markets around the world, which it has attributed to surging memory chip costs amid a shortage caused by demand from artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

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CXMT is the largest chipmaking company in China based on market value, and the report noted it has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing supplier of DRAM memory chips.

Reuters previously reported that the firm was considering building a second memory chip plant in Beijing to expand its output, as the Journal’s report from the weekend noted that CXMT maxed out its production this year.

The company is giving priority to domestic tech companies in China and is aiming to more than double its current production capacity by 2028, the Journal reported.

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U.S. companies are restricted in their dealings with CXMT because it’s among the companies on a Pentagon list due to links with the Chinese military.

The list indicates that CXMT is directly and indirectly affiliated with the Chinese government’s Ministry of Information Technology, while it’s also indirectly linked to an agency that manages and supervises state-owned enterprises.

FOX Business reached out to Apple and CXMT for comment.

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Reuters contributed to this report.

The U.S. government’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is at its lowest level since 1983 as inventories that were already low before the Iran war come under increasing pressure.

Data released by the Department of Energy on Monday showed that the number of barrels of oil in the SPR declined by 6.1 million barrels last week, ending the week at 298.7 million barrels in inventory.

That is the lowest level in the EIA’s weekly data on SPR stocks since January 1983.

SPR inventories have fallen this year after President Donald Trump in March authorized the release of up to 172 million barrels in response to the impact of the Iran war on energy supplies, as Iranian attacks have slowed the flow of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

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The Trump administration announced the releases on March 11, 2026, while EIA data shows that the SPR had about 415.4 million barrels of oil in inventory during the middle of March – with inventories now down about 116 million barrels as of early August.

The latest SPR releases follow a historic drawdown over the last several years, beginning with the release of 180 million barrels that was authorized by the Biden administration in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Inventories had been around 600 million barrels at the start of 2022 and fell to 375 million barrels by the end of the year. 

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When SPR levels hit a low of about 347 million barrels in the summer of 2023, they began to gradually recover and reached 400 million barrels in May 2025. They hit a recent peak of over 415 million barrels in February, before the latest round of drawdowns began in March.

The SPR was created in 1975 under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act in response to the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74, which was imposed by Arab countries in OPEC as retaliation for the U.S. resupplying Israel’s military during the Yom Kippur War.

The SPR was initially intended to have a capacity of 1 billion barrels of oil, although it never reached that level. Currently, the SPR has a congressionally-authorized maximum of about 714 million barrels of oil, while its highest ever inventory was 726.6 million barrels in December 2009 when it had an authorized capacity of 727 million barrels. 

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SPR reserves are stored at four locations thousands of feet below ground in salt caverns because those geological formations are more advantageous than surface facilities in terms of cost and maintenance, in addition to environmental and security concerns.

Geological pressures naturally seal cracks that emerge in salt formations to prevent leaking oil from seeping out, while the temperature difference keeps oil circulating to maintain its quality. Salt caverns can also be enlarged to fit precise dimensions through a mining process in which the salt is dissolved using fresh water.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report in May which warned that Congress and the Department of Energy need to develop a unified long-term plan to address the SPR’s maintenance needs and a strategy for managing inventories into the future.

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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Republicans in Congress and Trump enacted in July 2025, included $171 million for acquiring petroleum products to be stored in the SPR, as well as $218 million to maintain the SPR.

The Powerball jackpot surged to an estimated $905 million ahead of Monday night’s drawing, making it the eighth-largest prize in the game’s history.

The pot grew after no ticket matched all six numbers from Saturday night’s drawing.

The white balls were 5, 9, 35, 54 and 63. The red Powerball was 7 and the Power Play multiplier was three.

It now has an estimated cash value of $391.9 million, according to the lottery.

The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

Though there was no jackpot winner in the latest drawing, four tickets matched all five white balls and won $1 million each, the lottery said. Winning Match 5 tickets were sold in Arizona, Florida, Michigan and New York. A ticket matching all five white balls was sold in Texas and included the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $2 million. 

Monday’s drawing will mark the 43rd in the current jackpot run.

The Powerball jackpot was last won on May 2, when two tickets in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize.

The winner can choose between a lump sum payment or an annuitized prize – one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Both options are before taxes.

Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. Drawings occur three nights a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

More than 3,200 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products are being recalled over concerns they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products were shipped to foodservice locations in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan before being distributed nationwide. FSIS said the potential contamination was discovered during routine inspection activities.

The recall includes 10-pound cardboard boxes containing 2- to 5-pound pieces of “Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami” with case code “19410” printed on the box label.

Also included are various-weight 20- to 30-pound cardboard boxes containing two to three pieces of “Bea’s Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket” with case code “18919,” as well as various-weight 20- to 30-pound boxes containing two to three pieces of “Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket” with case code “19751.”

CLIMBING ROPES RECALLED OVER RISK OF DEATH FROM FALLING, REGULATORS SAY

The products were produced on July 16 and have a 60-day shelf life, FISA said.

The food items were shipped to foodservice locations in Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan before they were further distributed nationwide.

The issue was discovered during routine inspection activities, the agency said.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about illness is urged to contact a healthcare provider.

FISA warned that consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women and their newborns, although others can also be affected.

“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,” the agency said. “An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.”

MORE THAN 1.7M LADDERS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER POTENTIALLY DEADLY FALL HAZARD

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“Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food,” it added.

FISIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ homes. Anyone who has purchased these products is instructed not to consume them and to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

At least 18 ready-to-eat meat and poultry products have been recalled following a salmonella outbreak linked to fresh jalapeño peppers that has sickened 345 people and hospitalized 36, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The outbreak has been reported across 27 states and linked to jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed in the US by Coast Citrus Distributors, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Many of the reported illnesses have been tied to Mexican-style restaurants rather than the prepared foods covered by the alert.

The meat products, which contain the recalled FDA-regulated jalapeños, fall under the “Fully Cooked – Not Shelf Stable” category and include ready-to-eat wraps, bowls and salads.

They were sold at major retailers including Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B, Albertsons, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Wawa, Hannaford, RaceTrac and Dillons. 

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO JALAPENOS SPREADS TO MULTIPLE STATES, DOZENS HOSPITALIZED

There have been no confirmed reports of illnesses linked to the recalled meat and poultry products. 

The recalled products were distributed in 24 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia. 

Federal regulators said several major brands and retailers were impacted, including Taylor Farms, Deli Kitchen, H-E-B’s Higher Harvest and Meal Simple brands, Marketside, Wawa, Albertsons, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Hannaford.

The prepared meals have use-by dates primarily ranging from Aug. 3 through Aug. 16, 2026. 

CHIPOTLE CEO SAYS CHAIN IS MAKING ‘MEANINGFUL PROGRESS’ ON A MAJOR CUSTOMER CONCERN

Taylor Farms and Deli Kitchen: Products include the Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Wrap, sold at Kroger and Dillons, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, 2026; Cajun Chicken Mashed Potatoes & Corn, sold at Kroger, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 14; Taylor Farms Chicken Enchiladas, sold at Kroger, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16; and RaceTrac Southwest Style Salad Chicken, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13.

H-E-B: Recalled products sold under the Higher Harvest and Meal Simple brands include the Chicken & Beef Chimichurri, with use-by dates of Aug. 6, Aug. 9 and Aug. 13; and Creamy Cilantro Chicken, with use-by dates between Aug. 4 to Aug. 12.

Additional recalled H-E-B products include the Southwest Chicken Shake Rattle Bowls, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15; Meal Simple Pork Carnitas Bowl and Chicken & Rice with Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce, both with use-by dates of Aug. 3, Aug. 7, Aug. 10 and Aug. 14. 

Marketside and Wawa: Recalled products include Marketside Southwest Style Salad with Chicken, sold at Walmart, with use-by dates from Aug. 8 to Aug. 16, and Wawa Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wrap, with use-by dates from Aug. 6 to Aug. 8.

Albertsons, Randalls and Tom Thumb: Recalled ready meals include pre-made Beef Barbacoa Bowls, Chile Lime Rice Chicken Bowls, Pork Chile Verde Bowls and Chipotle Chicken Wraps, with use-by dates ranging from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12. 

Hannaford: Recalled products include Taylor Farms Classic Beef Burritos, Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Wraps and Chicken Verde Burritos, with use-by dates ranging from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12. 

For a full list of recalled products, visit the FSIS website here. 

SYSCO, NATION’S LARGEST FOOD DISTRIBUTOR, HALTED DISTRIBUTION OF MEXICAN LETTUCE AMID CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK

Federal regulators said illnesses linked to the jalapeño outbreak began between June 19 and July 20, 2026. 

Among 191 infected individuals interviewed by investigators, 93% reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill. The reported meal dates ranged from June 14 to July 14. 

No deaths have been reported. 

Both Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA received contaminated jalapeños imported from Sinaloa, according to officials. 

Chipotle reportedly switched its jalapeño supplier for affected locations beginning July 20 and is no longer serving the affected product. 

QDOBA also stopped using jalapeños at all of its restaurants on July 28. 

Coast Citrus Distributors agreed to recall the remaining implicated product and is no longer importing jalapeños from the grower linked to the outbreak. 

Because of those containment measures, the FDA said there is no current ongoing risk to consumers eating at those establishments. 

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FSIS said it expects additional downstream products to be identified as the ingredient recall progresses. 

Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever. 

Symptoms can begin within six hours to six days after exposure, and most people recover within four to seven days without treatment. 

Severe illness can occur, particularly among older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems. Those concerned about possible illness should contact their health care provider. 

Chrysler is recalling more than 1.27 million pickup trucks in the U.S. over a possible seat belt issue that could increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The recall covers 1,271,294 model-year 2019 through 2026 Ram 1500 vehicles. Chrysler estimates that about 0.1% of the recalled vehicles actually have the defect, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA said the second-row seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed, leaving the vehicles out of compliance with federal safety requirements.

SOME OLDER FORD VEHICLES POSE ‘UNREASONABLE’ SAFETY RISKS, REGULATORS WARN

“Reduced load management by the seat belt buckle may result in injury to vehicle occupants in certain types of driving conditions or crashes,” the report states.

The recalled trucks were produced between Feb. 17, 2018, and April 27, 2026. 

Production and service records were used to determine the potentially affected vehicles, according to NHTSA.

HONDA RECALLS MORE THAN 880,000 VEHICLES OVER REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE RISK

NHTSA said the recall stems from a vehicle assembly issue rather than a defective component.

Dealers will inspect the second-row seat belt buckle anchors and, if necessary, properly attach them to the vehicle’s body structure at no cost to owners.

“The remedy will be to ensure that the second-row seat belt buckle anchors are properly affixed to the body structure,” the report states.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER RECALLS MORE THAN 15,000 VEHICLES OVER VISIBILITY-LIMITING DEFECT

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Dealers were notified on or about Aug. 6, with owner notifications set to begin Aug. 18.

Stellantis, Chrysler’s parent company, could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is facing a lawsuit from a Minnesota woman who alleges a burrito bowl from a restaurant in the state caused a severe Salmonella infection that left her hospitalized with sepsis.

Kristen Behne filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, accusing Chipotle of strict product liability, negligence and violations of Minnesota food-safety law. She is seeking more than $75,000 in compensatory damages.

According to the lawsuit, Behne ate a chicken burrito bowl from a Chipotle restaurant in Roseville, Minnesota, on June 24. The meal included guacamole, Fresh Tomato Salsa and Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa — all of which the complaint claims contained raw jalapeño peppers.

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO JALAPENOS SPREADS TO MULTIPLE STATES, DOZENS HOSPITALIZED

Days later, Behne developed fever, chills, vomiting, abdominal cramping and severe diarrhea, the complaint alleges. She eventually sought emergency care, was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with sepsis.

“Three days later she was in a hospital bed, febrile, tachycardic and septic — a life-threatening complication of the Salmonella infection caused by Chipotle’s grossly contaminated food,” the lawsuit alleges. “She has not been the same since.”

According to the suit, the Minnesota Department of Health classified Behne as a confirmed case tied to a multistate outbreak that has sickened at least 345 people.

“MDH recorded her illness as outbreak-associated, identified the outbreak by name as the Salmonella Javiana outbreak, and classified Plaintiff as a confirmed case,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit alleges Behne continues to experience effects from the illness.

CHIPOTLE CEO SAYS CHAIN IS MAKING ‘MEANINGFUL PROGRESS’ ON A MAJOR CUSTOMER CONCERN

“Plaintiff’s health has not returned to its pre-illness baseline,” according to court documents. “She continues to experience the effects of her acute Salmonella infection and her septic episode, and is at increased risk of well-recognized post-infectious sequelae, including reactive arthritis and post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome.”

The legal action comes as health officials investigate a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers.

Chipotle said Tuesday it had removed jalapeños from some restaurants after health officials linked the outbreak to recalled peppers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that 345 people in 27 states had been sickened, including 36 who were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

SYSCO, NATION’S LARGEST FOOD DISTRIBUTOR, HALTED DISTRIBUTION OF MEXICAN LETTUCE AMID CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK

Epidemiologic and trace back evidence identified jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the source of the outbreak.

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The CDC said Chipotle and QDOBA stopped serving the affected peppers after being notified. Because the products were removed, the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration said they do not consider the restaurants to pose a current ongoing risk to consumers from this outbreak.

Chipotle and an attorney for Behne could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

FOX Business’ Brittany Miller contributed to this report.

Young workers are increasingly bringing a dating-era habit into the workplace: ghosting. 

As employers navigate a slower hiring market, some hiring managers say candidates are accepting job offers, failing to complete paperwork or simply never showing up for their first day, raising new concerns about professionalism.

The Wall Street Journal Free Expression Associate Editor Mary Julia Koch joined “Varney & Co.” to discuss why the trend appears to be gaining traction among Gen Z and what broader economic and cultural forces may be shaping young adults’ behavior.

Koch said the same generation delaying traditional milestones is also entering a difficult job market after years of economic disruption. She pointed to housing affordability challenges and inflation as factors that have left many young adults feeling discouraged.

“There have been huge economic pressures, and especially among a generation that was of prime home-buying age during the pandemic, they didn’t hit that benchmark,” Koch said. “And I think it’s left many young people feeling that the system is rigged against them, that they’ve been locked out of the American dream.”

GEN Z BREAKS ULTIMATE TABOO BY POSTING SALARIES ONLINE

When it comes to ghosting employers, Koch suggested the behavior reflects how many Gen Z workers communicate.

The trend appears to be more common than many employers may realize. According to a Resume.org survey, 54% of hiring managers have been ghosted by Gen Z candidates after extending a formal job offer.

“Ghosting is a thing you do over text,” Koch said. “It’s such a classically Gen Z behavior now entering the job search, which in today’s low-hire, low-fire job market, you probably don’t wanna be in the wrong set of a hiring manager. You would at least give them an email response.”

GEN Z IS FUELING THE EXPLOSIVE RETURN OF THIS 200-YEAR-OLD STRATEGY CRAZE

Koch also argued that growing up online has made face-to-face interactions more intimidating for some young people, adding that interviews can be especially stressful for a generation accustomed to communicating through screens.

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Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Apple Jacks will soon be made without artificial colors as the company moves to eliminate the additives from its entire cereal portfolio by the end of the year.

WK Kellogg announced this week that it is accelerating its transition to naturally sourced colors by a full year, with production of the reformulated cereals expected to begin later this year and products reaching retailers before the end of 2026.

Kellogg said consumers can expect the same taste and familiar colors, which will instead come from natural sources including fruit and vegetable juices and other plant-based ingredients.

But one question may be top of mind for Froot Loops fans: Will the cereal’s iconic rainbow look the same?

STARBUCKS ANNOUNCES PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE RETURN DATE

Kellogg says it will.

The company intends to maintain the familiar red, orange, yellow, green, purple and blue colors using naturally sourced alternatives.

“More and more consumers are looking for foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients and we are proud to meet those expectations, even sooner than planned,” WK Kellogg Chief Growth Officer Doug VanDeVelde said in a statement.

VanDeVelde said the company conducted extensive consumer testing to ensure the new recipes maintained the taste and colorful appearance consumers expect.

CHIPOTLE CEO SAYS CHAIN IS MAKING ‘MEANINGFUL PROGRESS’ ON A MAJOR CUSTOMER CONCERN

“It wasn’t easy but we identified natural solutions for every color and we’re confident families will love the updated recipes and simplified ingredients without compromising on quality or taste,” he said.

WK Kellogg also said it is ahead of schedule in removing the preservative BHT from the small amount of cereal packaging that still contains it, although the company did not provide a specific timeline.

The transition away from artificial colors is already underway. The company said it has reformulated foods served in schools to eliminate artificial colors and stopped launching new products containing artificial colors beginning in January.

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The accelerated timeline comes after WK Kellogg announced last August that it planned to eliminate artificial colors from its cereals by the end of 2027.

The transition is also part of the company’s “Make Eating Well Easy” initiative and its new SPOONS on-pack nutrition guide.

Verizon experienced an outage Saturday afternoon, with Downdetector showing more than 12,000 reports by 4:25 p.m. ET.

“We are aware of an issue impacting voice services for wireless customers in some parts of the U.S.,” the company confirmed to FOX Business. “Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and resolve the issue.”

Verizon asked customers to look up their status on their Check Network Status page for updates on service.”

VERIZON LAUNCHES SIMPLER PLANS AND NEW LOYALTY PROGRAM, DROPS SOME FEES

“We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience. We appreciate your patience,” the spokesperson added.

VERIZON CUSTOMERS FACE 35-DAY WAIT TO UNLOCK PAID-OFF PHONES UNDER POLICY CHANGE

Users also flooded social media to try to figure out what was going on.

“Verizon is down. Looks pretty widespread based on posts. Can’t make or receive calls,” one person wrote on X, while another commented: “Nationwide Verizon outage, phone calls not going through, so far everyone I know is impacted doesn’t matter what state you are in.”

Medicaid spending on a top autism therapy has surged past $5 billion, drawing scrutiny over fraud and how taxpayer dollars are being spent.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), one of the most common treatments for children with autism, uses structured, one-on-one sessions to build communication, social and daily living skills. Between 2018 and 2024, Medicaid providers paid out more than $5.15 billion under an ABA billing code. Three providers received roughly $685 million in Medicaid reimbursements during that period.

The data alone does not explain why those reimbursements were so high, and billing experts say unusually large payments can reflect a variety of factors.

MINNESOTA FRAUD SUSPECT SKIPS COURT, FORFEITS BOND, THROWING $11M MEDICAID CASE INTO DOUBT

Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) told Fox News Digital it has observed “significant growth” in Medicaid spending on ABA therapy in recent years.

“While access to medically necessary services remains a priority, rapid program growth also underscores the importance of ensuring services are clinically appropriate, delivered by qualified providers, and supported by strong program integrity safeguards,” a CMS spokesperson said.

As spending has grown, federal prosecutors have pursued multimillion-dollar fraud cases involving ABA providers.

In May, two Minnesota autism clinic operators were charged with allegedly billing Medicaid $46.6 million for services prosecutors say were unnecessary or never provided. Another Minnesota woman pleaded guilty in a separate $14 million Medicaid autism fraud scheme.

Investigations by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have also documented allegations that some providers billed for services that were never provided, inflated therapy hours and aggressively expanded as Medicaid spending surged.

TRUMP ADMIN PAUSING OVER $1B IN MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO MINNESOTA, CALIFORNIA OVER FRAUD, COMPLIANCE CONCERNS

The scrutiny comes as the Trump administration has made it a focus of his second term to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse across federal programs, including Medicaid, a central policy priority.

Meanwhile, states have responded differently.

Florida says it recovered more than $72 million in improper Medicaid payments over the past year.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced a statewide Medicaid Integrity Initiative to strengthen provider screening, enhance fraud detection and increase oversight.

While Florida has focused on strengthening fraud enforcement, Georgia lawmakers have focused on reimbursement rates, even as industry representatives testified that use of autism therapy services has increased by more than 300% in recent years.

The debate reflects the difficult balance between rooting out fraud and preserving access to a therapy that many families say has been life-changing for children with autism.

After an uproar of social media backlash over what custom messages Coca-Cola permits on its personalized cans, a Fox News Digital investigation into the platform’s moderation rules reveals an inconsistent system.

Testing various words and phrases in the 18-character-or-less requirement, the Coke can customization blocks mainstream religious phrases like “Jesus is Lord” and political slogans like “Make America Great,” while permitting left-wing activism, right-wing group names and even terms associated with child exploitation.

Religious and faith-based expressions seemed to face strict algorithmic suppression compared to secular or alternative viewpoints. Mainstream affirmations like “Jesus is Lord” and “Allah is Lord” are blocked, while anti-theist and secular phrases like “God is Dead” and “Atheist Pride,” alongside religious greetings like “Shalom” and “Buddha Bless,” are allowed.

This message popped up for rejected phrase or words: “The name or phrase you’ve submitted is not permitted. Names and phrases may not be permitted if they belong to a business, organization, celebrity, public figure, school, team or other trademark, are religious or political in nature, or could be considered inappropriate or unsuitable for other reasons.”

COCA-COLA TAKES ITS FIGHT WITH THE IRS TO FEDERAL APPEALS COURT WITH $20B ON THE LINE

Patriotic or right-leaning slogans like “Make America Great,” along with any specific political leader names and all racial or identity pride phrases (“White Pride,” “Black Pride,” “Black Lives Matter”), are not permitted on personalized Coke cans. However, left-wing political slogans like “Defund the Police” and controversial political groups like the far-right “Proud Boys” are acceptable.

Another political disparity appeared when Fox News Digital found that “Stand with Israel” is allowed, while “Free Palestine” is blocked, highlighting arbitrary geopolitical enforcement.

Though benign religious and political terms are flagged, extreme and harmful phrases like “Pedophile Pride” and “MAP Pride” (Minor-Attracted Person) are permitted by the filter, as of Friday afternoon.

Additionally, basic text loophole tactics — like adding spaces (“P e d o p h i l e”) or numbers (“Wh1t3 Pr1d3”) — bypassed the system’s security rules.

While the online customization tool generates real-time digital previews, Coca-Cola’s site terms state that submitted text may require additional review before an order is physically printed and shipped.

“We created the Share A Coke personalization tool for Coca-Cola fans to celebrate with one another and make connections by creating bottles and cans with special names or phrases on them,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We are aware of a technical issue affecting the personalization preview tool and are working to address it.” 

“While we review and take corrective action, we have disabled the preview feature and paused new personalized product orders after becoming aware that it has been used to generate content previews using restricted terms that do not align with our guidelines,” the spokesperson continued. “All personalization orders are subject to moderation review after submission, and we have safeguards in place to prevent the approval and production of cans and bottles featuring religious, political, trademarked, inappropriate, or otherwise restricted terms and phrases. We will continue to enhance this tool based on consumer feedback.”

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This is not the first time Coca-Cola’s automated customization filters have drawn public scrutiny. Previous iterations of the brand’s online customization engine faced similar criticism in 2021 over inconsistent word blocks regarding political, religious and social movement terms.

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President Donald Trump is considering renewing his push to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations amid an ongoing legal debate over the president’s ability to remove members of the independent central bank, FOX Business has learned.

The White House is seeking a response from Cook within the next three weeks about the allegations that the administration leveled against her last year. 

Trump indicated in a letter to Cook this week that he is considering moving forward with firing her, asking for a response to the allegations that prompted the president to announce her termination in August 2025 – which sparked an ongoing legal battle over his ability to remove Cook from her role at the Federal Reserve.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON TRUMP’S ATTEMPT TO FIRE FED GOVERNOR LISA COOK

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

As restaurant chains pull back in California amid rising labor costs and the state’s $20 fast-food minimum wage, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers CEO Chris Dull is betting bigger on the Golden State, arguing it gets a “bad rap” as a place to do business.

“I feel like California gets a bad rap. It’s hard to find markets that offer you the same level of densities that you see in and around the state of California,” Dull told Fox News Digital.

“It’s a state that has historically been a good state for restaurant brands. Volume is there to be had and lots of guests for you to speak to and turn into raving fans,” he added.

BILL MAHER, WOODY HARRELSON SOUND OFF ON CALIFORNIA BUSINESS CLIMATE, SAY STATE DESERVES TO BE ‘S— ON’

The CEO’s comments come as one of Carl’s Jr.’s largest franchisees plans to close 10 locations and sell 49 others — affecting 59 restaurants total — after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

Separately, longtime California restaurateur Mike Georgopoulos recently warned that the Golden State’s business dream has become a math problem that no longer adds up, previously telling Fox News Digital that businesses are “working for peanuts.”

“They own a business, they’re in a lease, they have no other place to go. So they’re just in a vicious cycle, and there’s just nothing coming out on the other end in terms of profit,” Georgopoulos said. “It’s sticker shock, it really is.”

Dull, who became CEO in 2021, dismissed concerns about California’s business climate, defending the state and arguing that the challenges facing competitors can create opportunities for expanding brands like Freddy’s.

FUDDRUCKERS BECAME THE ‘BLOCKBUSTER’ OF BURGERS, AND NOW IT’S NEARLY GONE

“Sometimes when you see units that are moving out of markets or shuttering doors, that can actually be a great opportunity for folks like us who are growing. We can go in,” Dull told Fox News Digital.

The Kansas-based burger chain, which operates more than 500 restaurants nationwide, is aggressively recruiting new franchisees and plans to open 60 new locations this year, with a particular emphasis on Northern California.

“California is such a big state. You can focus on regions and still experience pretty tremendous growth, whereas in some of the smaller states, you need the whole state to really make it pan out for you,” Dull said.

Freddy’s already operates a handful of California locations, but the expansion is intended to build “density,” the CEO said, as it looks to win over customers in a state dominated by In-N-Out Burger.

IN-N-OUT PRESIDENT SAYS ‘HEART IS BROKEN’ AFTER EMPLOYEE, CUSTOMERS KILLED IN IDAHO SHOOTING

“We have been making our way further and further west and have restaurants operating in California today. And California offers densities that are hard to find in other parts of the country,” he told Fox News Digital.

Dull explained how Freddy’s adjusts its pricing based on local labor, real estate and operating costs as it expands into new markets.

“Markets where you experience higher real estate costs and higher labor costs, you will also have a higher ticket for your products. It all rolls up,” said the CEO.

Freddy’s is expanding in California, which has a $20 fast-food minimum wage, while also opening locations in Florida, where the statewide minimum wage is $14.

“If a business is being charged more in rent and more in labor, they simply have to charge more for their product, or they will not be profitable,” Dull said.

“It’s about pricing your product at a value where your operator can still generate a profit given the cost structure that they’re looking at in any given market, which means that you will have variation in your pricing across the United States,” he added.

More than 1,000 climbing ropes are being recalled over a fall risk that could potentially lead to injury or death, according to federal regulators.

Wichard Groupe North America issued a recall of about 1,050 Courant Spliced Kalimba Climbing Ropes, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Thursday.

“The spliced termination ends on the recalled ropes can fail unexpectedly, posing a risk of serious injury or death from fall hazard,” the commission said in its alert.

MORE THAN 1.7M LADDERS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER POTENTIALLY DEADLY FALL HAZARD

The recalled climbing ropes include the 45m, 50m and 60m items in lollipop and bubblegum color, as well as any additional spliced Kalimba ropes spliced under Courant splicing protocols before June 15, according to the commission.

The ropes are designed for tree climbing and pruning, and they are commonly used by arborists.

The company has received three reports of splices failing, but no injuries have been reported thus far in connection with the recalled ropes.

The ropes were sold by Vertical Supply Group, Arbsession, RBI Corporation and nationwide retailers from January 2023 through June of this year for between $250 and $350.

Consumers are instructed to stop using the recalled ropes immediately.

RECALL ISSUED FOR DOG AND HORSE MEDICATION AFTER FIBERGLASS FOUND IN VIALS

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They can contact Wichard Groupe North America for a free replacement rope, including shipping.

Consumers will be offered one of two free replacement options: one with immediate availability and another with availability beginning in the middle of September.

A New Mexico court on Thursday ordered Meta to pay $567 million and implement sweeping protections for teen users after finding Facebook and Instagram contributed to the state’s youth mental health crisis.

The judgment comes after a jury in March ordered Meta to pay $375 million for violating the state’s Unfair Practices Act, bringing the company’s total liability in the case to nearly $942 million.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid found Meta had created a public nuisance in New Mexico and ordered the company to implement a series of youth-safety measures over the next five years.

The requirements include monthly limits on teens’ use of Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls on adults contacting minors, safeguards for AI chatbots and enhanced reviews of child sexual abuse reports.

META ORDERED TO PAY $375M AFTER JURY FINDS PLATFORM ENABLED CHILD PREDATORS IN LANDMARK NEW MEXICO CASE

In a statement to FOX Business, Meta said it disagreed with the ruling and vowed to appeal.

“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” a Meta spokesperson said.

“We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts,” the spokesperson added.

The court sided with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, who accused Meta of designing products that addict young users and failing to adequately protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms.

ZUCKERBERG SAYS AI SHOULD EMPOWER PEOPLE, NOT REPLACE THEM, IN NEW META VISION

Torrez said the $567 million will fund New Mexico’s abatement plan and comes on top of the $375 million in civil penalties awarded in March.

“For years, Meta knew its platforms were harming New Mexico’s kids, from feeding a youth mental health crisis to connecting predators with children, and it chose engagement and profit over their safety,” Torrez said in a statement.

“Today, Meta is paying for that choice,” he continued. “This judgment holds the company accountable for the damage it caused to our children, our families, and our schools, and it forces real changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico.”

Torrez called the ruling a “blueprint” for other states seeking to pursue similar litigation against social media companies.

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“For the first time, a court has ruled that a social media giant can be held liable for building products that endanger children and has ordered the structural changes needed to fix it,” he said. “New Mexico led the way in the courtroom. Now other states, and other countries confronting the same crisis, have a roadmap they can follow.”

More than 40 states and over 1,300 school districts have already filed public nuisance lawsuits against social media companies, seeking damages and court orders requiring changes to their products and practices.

The ruling followed three weeks of testimony in the second trial stemming from the lawsuit. Unlike the first trial, the proceeding did not involve a jury and focused on whether Meta’s platforms constituted a “public nuisance” under New Mexico law.

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Biedscheid compared the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms to pollution escaping from a factory.

“(J)ust as noxious pollution produced by the factory can harm the common public right to reasonably clean air, the harmful effects of Meta’s platforms on children do not stay contained by its platforms,” Biedscheid wrote in his ruling.

The judge said those effects extend into the real world and create broader burdens for children, families, schools, hospitals and law enforcement.

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New Mexico filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging Meta had created a “breeding ground” for child predators and misled users about safety protections on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

FOX Business’ Jasmine Baehr and Reuters contributed to this report.

Police in South Korea are cracking down on an American pantry favorite: Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning.

Authorities have begun blocking sales of the popular seasoning on an online secondhand marketplace after testing detected “narcotic substances” in the product, according to The Korea Herald.

The Mapo Police Station in Seoul said this week that it identified listings for the seasoning blend on Karrot, a major secondhand marketplace, and worked with the company to block transactions involving the product. Police said travelers are prohibited from bringing the seasoning into South Korea.

Trader Joe’s savory seasoning blend contains sesame seeds, garlic, onion and sea salt flakes, but one ingredient has landed the pantry staple in trouble with South Korean authorities: poppy seeds.

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According to the report, an analysis by South Korea’s National Forensic Service detected morphine and codeine in the product. Both are controlled narcotic substances under South Korean law.

Police said some sellers brought the seasoning back from overseas trips before listing it for resale. Because the product falls under South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, both buyers and sellers could face criminal charges for possessing or trading it.

Investigators believe some users attempted to sell or trade the seasoning without realizing it contained prohibited substances.

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“Even if a product is legally sold overseas, it may be classified as a narcotic substance or a prohibited import in Korea, so particular caution is required,” a police official said, according to The Korea Herald.

“Consumers should check the relevant regulations before selling or purchasing food products brought in from abroad,” police added. “We will respond strictly if products containing narcotic substances are found to be circulating.”

Karrot agreed to restrict transactions involving the seasoning and has removed related listings since July 27.

South Korea began restricting the popular seasoning in 2022 because of concerns surrounding its poppy seeds. While poppy seeds themselves do not contain opium, they can become contaminated with opium alkaloids such as morphine and codeine during harvesting.

While poppy seeds themselves do not contain any opium, the harvesting process could cause the item to be contaminated by the plant’s fluid, which does contain opiates.

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In 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense advised service members to avoid eating foods containing poppy seeds because consuming them could result in a positive urinalysis for codeine.

FOX Business has reached out to Trader Joe’s for comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets over possible cracking in the aircraft’s body, though Boeing said the issue has not been seen on the Max fleet.

The airworthiness directive (AD) applies to certain Boeing 737 Max 8, Max 9 and Max 8-200 airplanes and affects an estimated 471 U.S.-registered aircraft.

Airline operators must inspect the fuselage skin and carry out additional inspections or repairs when needed.

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“This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the bear strap at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout,” the directive states. 

“The FAA is issuing this AD to address cracks in the fuselage skin and bear strap, which may lead to the inability of the principal structural element to sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.”

The directive takes effect Sept. 10, 2026.

Boeing told FOX Business the issue was first identified on certain 737 Next Generation aircraft and has not been seen on the 737 Max fleet.

The company said it extended the inspections to Max aircraft because the models share a similar design and manufacturing process.

“Boeing identified and reported this issue and has been working with operators on it over the past six years,” the company said.

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Boeing notified 737 Next Generation operators about the issue in 2019, and the FAA mandated inspections for those aircraft in 2021.

“The FAA airworthiness directive published today mandates the inspections, as it did for the 737 Next Generation. We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers,” Boeing said.

The aircraft manufacturer said the inspections provide multiple opportunities to detect and correct possible cracks before they exceed a critical length.

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Boeing has also conducted an engineering analysis to determine the root cause and is making manufacturing changes intended to prevent the condition.

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“Boeing is introducing changes to the manufacturing process that address the root cause of the unsafe condition on in-production airplanes,” the FAA directive noted.

It’s so interesting to me how these socialists who are taking over the Democratic party, are hiding behind the veil of affordability. They don’t want to tell you that their agenda is all about unaffordability, or in short wrecking the whole economy. 

Think of this, they will tax all manner of wealth and income. Indeed, take candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who basically want to liquidate any of your gains from successful wealth and work. And they say it all the time. In fact, Mr. Mamdani just yesterday talked about how in New York City apartments, it’s the people who live there who own it, not the owners who own it — that by the way is communism.

And then there’s the Medicare for All idea which is nothing but a euphemism, not simply for the takeover of the healthcare system, but basically for an economy-wide takeover. They want the government to run the economy. Period. Full stop.

Of course they want to defund the police and ICE, and they want open borders, and rampant illegal immigration, and then the even nuttier stuff of abolishing the senate, changing presidential elections. The insanity grows the more you listen.

Back to affordability, though. The socialists had a leg up on their program during the Biden years. Don’t forget the Green New Deal, and the phony Inflation Reduction Act, and Covid spending long after Covid was gone. Their giant spending bills and their attempted regulation of the economy, led to a 9 percent inflation peek, the highest in four years. And overall, the consumer price index cumulatively rose by 21.4 percent. Okay.

So Messrs. El-Sayed and Mamdani and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they had their chance. They got about half the socialism during the Biden years that they would ever do if they won a national election, and look what they did. Is that affordability? Remember, 21 percent inflation. Real wages fell during their period, actually fell. That’s not affordability. So there’s a lesson to be learned here. 

Their affordability mantra is a coverup for a state-run economy and soaring inflation, which is by the way according to polls, working folks including average minority working folks are not voting for them. They went for Trump in 2024.

So that’s a lesson for the GOP. Hone in on the differences between free enterprise capitalism, which rewards success, and puts more money in your pocket, letting you keep more of what you earn, and that is real affordability. 

By contrast, this new Democratic Party socialism will take money out of your pocket, will lead to rapid inflation from the government’s takeover of the economy, will rob you of your success, and devalue the human dignity of work, enterprise, and initiative.

Think of it this way, socialism is a discouragement to the individual, the economy, and the nation. And antisemitism is perhaps the driving force behind the entire socialist movement. Free market capitalism is an encouragement to the individual, the economy, and the nation. Those are the differences in affordability. Democratic party socialism is unaffordable. And free market capitalism is surely worth fighting for.

Kentucky-based Louisville Ladder is recalling roughly 1.77 million attic stairway ladders after receiving reports that bolts can break while the products are being used, creating a potentially deadly fall hazard.

The recall involves certain Louisville, Featherlite, Lite and Century attic stairway ladders equipped with gas struts, according to a notice issued Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“The bolts on the attic stairway ladders can break while in use, posing a risk of serious injury or death from fall hazard,” the CPSC said.

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The company has received 11 reports of bolts breaking. One incident resulted in injuries to a consumer’s neck, head and back, according to the agency.

The affected aluminum- and wood-frame ladders include handrails and fold into attic openings. They were sold in several frame sizes, including widths of 22.5, 25.5 and 30 inches and lengths of 54 and 60 inches.

The ladders were designed for ceiling heights ranging from 7 feet, 8 inches to 12 feet, the CPSC noted.

POPULAR WALMART NUT BUTTER RECALLED AFTER TESTING DETECTS SALMONELLA

Consumers can find the brand name and model number on the inside of the attic door.

The ladders were sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Do It Best, Orgill and other retailers nationwide, as well as on Amazon, from November 2012 through July 2026, according to the notice.

Prices ranged from approximately $170 to $600.

An additional 13,054 ladders were sold in Canada.

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Consumers are being urged to stop using the recalled ladders immediately and register for a free repair kit. 

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For more information about the recalled products, visit the CPSC’s website.

Louisville Ladder could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

Housing affordability remains a concern for would-be homebuyers as the income needed to afford a typical U.S. home remains near historic highs and well above what most American households earn, though there are signs of improvement from a year ago.

Home prices surged in 2022 and 2023 amid strong demand coming out of the pandemic, while mortgage rates also doubled due to interest rates rising to counteract the surge in inflation.

A new report by Redfin found that the income needed to afford to buy the typical home on the market is $109,796 as of June – a decrease of 0.5% from the all-time high of $110,382 that was reached last year.

A year ago, the typical American household’s income was $26,125 below what was needed to afford a median-priced home at the time, while two years ago the gap was even larger at $28,834. Redfin attributed the narrowing gap to income growth outpacing the growth in housing costs in the last few years.

While the income needed to afford a home has been declining since October 2025, those decreases have been relatively small and the income needed to afford a home is still $22,197 above the typical household income of $87,599.

A TALE OF TWO HOUSING MARKETS: LUXURY DEMAND SURGES AS AFFORDABILITY SQUEEZES STARTER-HOME BUYERS

Compared with last year, the median home sale price was up 2.2% in June, with mortgage rates down slightly into the mid-6% range, while the median household income was up 4% from a year ago.

“The earnings needed to buy a house have stabilized after several years of deterioration, but that doesn’t mean homes are affordable to the average American,” said Redfin senior economist Yingqi Xu.

“There’s still a double-digit gap between what the typical household earns and what they need to comfortably buy a home, leaving many prospective first-time buyers stalled on the sidelines. But even if the market isn’t becoming much more affordable, it is becoming a bit more manageable for house hunters,” Xu explained.

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The share of affordable listings on the housing market – which Redfin defines as a buyer’s mortgage not consuming more than 30% of their income on their monthly housing payment – rose from 31% last year to 34% in June.

However, the report notes there are still far fewer affordable home listings than there used to be, as prior to the 2022 surge in mortgage rates, over half of U.S. home listings were affordable to the typical American nearly every month in records dating back through 2013.

Redfin found affordability improving in 24 of the 46 metro areas included in its analysis, with Seattle homebuyers seeing the biggest decline as the income needed to afford the median priced home in the city declined 7.4% to $221,831.

THESE AMERICAN CITIES ARE TRENDING TOWARD A BUYER’S MARKET

Other West Coast metros rounded out the top three in terms of largest improvements, with San Jose seeing the second-largest decline of 6.5% to $423,840 in income, and Portland in third with a 4.5% decline to $153,844 when compared with a year ago.

However, that doesn’t mean the median home is more affordable to typical residents in the area, as in San Jose the median income is still at $176,401 – about $250,000 below what’s needed to afford the typical home in that area.

The report found just three metro areas in which the typical household earns more than what’s required to afford the median-priced home – St. Louis, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.

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Billionaire investor Bill Ackman warned that New York City’s rent freeze, tax policies and limits on development could worsen the city’s affordability crisis by discouraging construction and investment.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fortune published Wednesday, the Pershing Square Capital Management founder argued that government policy is driving up housing and energy costs in New York.

“The answer isn’t socialism – socialism is a disaster,” Ackman said. “Watch what happens to New York City if [Mayor Zohran] Mamdani succeeds in implementing these plans.”

Ackman said New York’s housing shortage stems in part from rules that make it difficult and costly for developers to build.

BILL ACKMAN SLAMS CALIFORNIA WEALTH TAX AS ‘EXPROPRIATION’ OF PRIVATE PROPERTY

“It’s so high because left-wing mayors have made it very difficult for developers to build here, and Mamdani, by freezing rents, is just going to make the problem worse,” he said.

New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted in June to freeze rents on one- and two-year leases for rent-stabilized apartments.

Ackman argued that rent controls can shift more costs onto tenants in market-rate units. He also claimed roughly 60,000 apartments have been pulled from the market because landlords cannot recover renovation costs under current regulations.

“If you make it hard to build where people want to live, and you don’t let landlords recover renovation costs, they’ll pull units off the market,” Ackman said.

He pointed to Austin, Texas, as an example of a city where increased construction helped bring rents down.

Ackman also blamed New York’s energy policies for adding to residents’ cost of living.

“Why are energy costs so high in New York State? Because we’ve shut down nuclear power, it takes 15 years to get a pipeline approved, and we’ve banned fracking – so we’re importing natural gas from Pennsylvania,” he said. “That’s just bad policy, and we can fix a lot of it with better policy.”

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Ackman then turned to taxes, arguing that New York should encourage wealthy residents and businesses to invest in the city rather than risk driving them elsewhere.

“You want people like Ken Griffin locating Citadel here – spending $250 million on an apartment, because that purchase makes a building economically viable, which creates construction jobs and brings in wealthy residents who pay taxes,” Ackman said. 

He added, “You don’t want to discourage people like Elon Musk from locating their businesses here.”

Ackman has previously been critical of New York City’s new pied-à-terre surcharge, which applies to certain high-value properties that are not used as an owner’s primary residence.

He also criticized California’s Proposition 40, which could impose a one-time tax equal to 5% of the net worth of billionaires who were California residents on Jan. 1, 2026. 

“Look at what’s happening in California right now with the wealth tax – they say it’s ‘one time,’ but it’s never one time,” he said.

Ackman also said many Americans have not benefited directly from the wealth generated by the stock market.

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“One of our biggest challenges as a country is that almost half the country isn’t participating in the growth in value created by capitalism – the stock market,” he said.  

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He argued that workers without retirement accounts or stock investments may be less likely to believe that the economic system is working for them.

“Part of that is people feeling left behind – wages can’t compound as quickly as stocks, so everyone needs to participate in the market to believe in capitalism,” he said. 

Mamdani could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

FOX Business’ Michael Dorgan and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

When financial anxiety spikes, the impulse to aggressively pay off a car loan or mortgage seems like a bulletproof step toward financial freedom, but credit repair expert and influencer Micah Smith warns that suddenly paying off those loans can actually backfire and drag down your credit score.

Instead, turning around a credit score — sometimes taking a profile from the 400s into the 700s in just one month — comes down to precise timing, strategic balance targets and leveraging forgotten rules hidden inside consumer credit law.

“It really takes a deep understanding of how credit works, but 400s to 700s is very realistic,” Smith told Fox News Digital.

“The biggest thing we look at right away is, how is the positive credit being used? Is there any positive credit there? Then we take a look at the negative items. What kind of negative items are there?” she continued. “You really want to assess those two things… and are there any quick wins available on the credit report?”

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Smith has previously broken down how credit utilization — or amounts owed — makes up 30% of a standard FICO credit score calculation, while payment history accounts for 35%. But to see a quick improvement in your credit score, it’s important to note that credit card issuers report account balances to the credit bureaus once per month on the account’s statement closing date, not the payment due date.

The credit expert emphasized that maintaining an overall utilization ratio below 10%, and ideally under 7%, signals low credit risk and generates maximum point gains in scoring models.

“Most people don’t realize how much their credit card usage is impacting their credit score,” she said. “You can call your credit card company and say, ‘When is my closing date?’ And… you wanna get your balance down to 6% utilization or less. So if you have a $1,000 credit card, you want that balance to be $60.”

“The other thing you can do is, if you’re eligible, you actually also can ask for a credit limit increase to widen that gap. So that way the balanced limit ratio, you can widen it by asking for a credit limit increases. If it’s an inquiry, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s two to five points. It’s nominal. But sometimes, that can actually increase a person’s credit score by not having to part ways with a ton of money.”

Smith also cited a June 2026 LendingTree survey, which found that 84% of credit cardholders who requested an interest rate (APR) reduction were successful, yet only 23% of cardholders actually asked for one.

“You can help yourself by picking up the phone, making a phone call, and you can actually pay down your debt a lot faster just by simply asking for a reduction in the interest,” she noted.

“Half the money that you win or lose in life will be done at the negotiation table. So I would take a look at all of your bills, see what can be negotiated. People underestimate — rent can be negotiated, utilities can be negotiated, credit cards can be negotiated.”

There are times, however, when paying off debt or loans can backfire, according to Smith. Installment loans, including mortgages, auto loans and student loans, differ from revolving credit such as credit cards. When an installment loan is paid off, the account status shifts to “closed,” which can reduce credit mix diversity — worth about 10% of a FICO score — and pause active positive payment reporting.

“The most common mistakes that we see in credit today that backfire badly would blow your mind… They will actually have enough money to pay off student loans in full. They’ll have enough to pay off their cars in full, they might have enough money to pay off their mortgage in full thinking that they’re going to drive their credit scores up. And actually, it takes the credit scores backwards,” she warned.

“When you pay off an installment loan, it’s closed. So that positive history, it stops calculating into the credit score. And so you actually end up suppressing the score,” Smith continued. “This is why it’s so important to know where to apply the appropriate funds because if you apply it in the wrong places, thinking it’s going to drive the credit score upwards, you’re going to find yourself very, very disappointed.”

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While securing a rapid score boost provides an immediate surge of confidence and momentum, Smith stresses that a 30-day triage plan is only the first step. To ensure quick credit wins turn into long-term financial security, the focus must shift from temporary fixes to automated systems.

“Short-term fixes, those are amazing. We’re so grateful when we get these really quick short-term fixes, but it ultimately hasn’t addressed the underlying problem,” she said. “People need to be reminded more than they’re taught… It’s not because you understand credit so well, it’s because you don’t and you haven’t built the habits yet. And so we’re reinforcing those habits day after day, week after week, month after month. And so we’re constantly focused on reminding more than teaching, and I think that’s a very important principle that we all need to know.”

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Professional sports teams and leagues have gotten in bed with sports gambling websites, and now, perhaps the most famous sports team in the entire world has gone another step.

The New York Yankees and Polymarket announced Thursday a deal in which the site has become the team’s official prediction market partner for the rest of the season.

“We are excited to begin a relationship with Polymarket — Major League Baseball’s prediction market partner,” Yankees SVP of partnerships Michael Tusiani said in a release. “Through signage and fan experience opportunities, we look forward to elevating Polymarket’s brand awareness both at Yankee Stadium and across our fan base.”

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“We are proud to become an Official Prediction Market Partner of the New York Yankees. Yankees fans are among the most active on our platform and passionate in sports, and Yankee Stadium is a natural home for Polymarket, where the questions driving our markets come to life throughout the season,” Polymarket’s president of sports business development Ari Borod said.

Polymarket will have a presence both at Yankee Stadium and on Yankees broadcasts on the YES Network and Amazon Prime Video. As part of the sponsorship package, Polymarket purchased tickets to premium hospitality areas and suites.

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Exclusive fan experiences, including an outfield catch for children, Kids Run the Bases, and lineup card delivery experiences.

The Yankees are just the second team in North America’s four major sports leagues to have a deal with Polymarket, joining the NHL’s New York Rangers. Polymarket is also Major League Baseball’s exclusive Prediction Market Exchange partner and is also the National Hockey League’s official prediction market partner.

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For what it’s worth, Polymarket gives the Yankees a 97% chance of missing the postseason. The team has struggled offensively without Aaron Judge (Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger have also hit the shelf), but the pitching has been dynamic, and trade deadline reinforcements figure to help out down the stretch as the team seeks its first World Series since 2009.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s taxpayer-funded grocery store proposal is reigniting debate over whether government-run businesses can compete over the long term without relying on public subsidies.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to weigh in on Mamdani’s proposal, which has sparked debate over whether taxpayer-funded grocery stores could reduce food costs for consumers while remaining financially sustainable.

Portnoy said he was initially confused by reports about how shoppers would access the stores, noting that earlier discussions appeared to suggest some type of membership card would be required.

“This is crazy to let… anybody go,” Portnoy said.

While critical of the proposal, Portnoy predicted the stores could appear successful during their early months because of significant public funding.

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“I think this is going to be very successful, this grocery store, in the short term,” he said. “If you’re gonna put… some astronomical amount of money into this, I think it’s gonna sorta be a mirage.”

Portnoy argued that heavy taxpayer subsidies could temporarily mask the true economics of operating a grocery business.

“I think taxpayers will make this work and he’s gonna look how great communism, socialism is,” Portnoy said, adding that the program should not be judged on its first several months.

Instead, he said the real test would come years later, when the operation would have to sustain itself.

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“Talk to me in two years, talk to me three years when you’re running an actual business and have to maintain it,” Portnoy said. “That’s when it’s gonna be hard.”

Because of that, Portnoy characterized the proposal as “kind of a publicity stunt,” arguing that its early performance would not necessarily reflect its long-term viability.

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Budget Australian airline Jetstar will begin charging passengers for storing carry-on bags in the overhead compartments as part of an overhaul of the airline’s cabin baggage policy.

The new policy will take effect in February 2027, costing travelers between $18 and $37, depending on the route, to stow large bags on a one-way flight.

Bags stowed in the lockers can weigh up to 22 pounds and will no longer be weighed by airline staff before boarding, removing the current 15-pound limit. This pre-purchase “Priority Carry-on” option also includes early boarding access.

Passengers will still be allowed to stow smaller bags such as a purse, laptop bag or backpack that falls within specified measurements under the seat in front of them at no charge.

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Fees for baggage, excess luggage, seat selection and priority boarding make up a growing share of revenue for budget airlines. The charges have sparked criticism from some consumer groups, arguing that advertised base fares do not reflect the true cost of travel.

Jetstar’s policy shift comes after passengers and airline staff described having bags weighed at the gate and struggling to find room in overhead lockers as one of the most stressful parts of the airport experience, the company said in a statement.

The airline said the change would cut down on frustrations at boarding gates.

“By giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time,” Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said in a statement, adding that the change would ensure customers only paid for what they needed.

“You only pay for what you need — traveling with less means paying less, and you can always add more if you need,” she said.

It is now the latest low-cost carrier to introduce a payment requirement for carry-on bags, as budget airlines in the U.S. and Europe often charge passengers to use the overhead compartments.

Just like other carriers around the world, Australian and New Zealand airlines already charge for checked luggage, seat selection and some dining and in-flight entertainment options, but Jetstar’s latest announcement makes it the first to charge for overhead lockers.

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Australian opposition Sen. Bridget McKenzie said on social media that the new changes amounted to a “cash grab.”

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said airlines should disclose any additional charges to passengers when they purchase their tickets to avoid any “surprises” at the airport.

“Jetstar claim this change is to keep fares affordable. It will be up to them to demonstrate that to passengers,” King said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Investors are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools for guidance on their finances and investments, though they remain skeptical of its output and continue to lean on human advice ahead of key decisions, new data shows.

A new study by Gallup conducted in partnership with Edward Jones found that about three-quarters of Americans have sought financial guidance from at least once source in the last year.

Among those U.S. adults who have done so, 73% used their own internet research, while 35% talked to family members, 32% sought out professional financial advisors, 26% leaned on news or social media, and 23% talked to their friends. Another 18% sought financial guidance from AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, among others.

The level of confidence in the advice they received varies widely based on the source – 79% of American adults had at least some confidence in financial advisors, with about one-quarter having a great deal of confidence. By contrast, less than three in 10 have at least some confidence in AI for financial guidance, with just 3% saying they have a great deal of confidence.

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David Chubak, head of wealth management at Edward Jones, told FOX Business that what the research “reaffirms to us is that when it comes to the conversation of consequence, to making a real-life decision, people aren’t ready to trust AI as the decision maker for them, as the counselor.”

“Rather, they are still relying on their financial advisor as their trusted human partner to help them think through the process, the experience of that decision.”

“AI, as we see it, plays an important role in some of the discovery and approach to people improving their finances. When it comes to improving their financial fulfillment, people still believe inherently in the importance of a human, trust relationship,” he added.

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Chubak said that AI searches for financial guidance often involve the use of what he called “tactical” questions involving things like getting information about 401(k) retirement plans, 529 education savings accounts or the recently-launched Trump Accounts.

He said that individuals are generally not spending as much time with AI tools when it comes to addressing things like the purpose of their personal financial planning and the anxieties they may have about that.

MOST 401(K) SAVERS MAY BE SHORT-CHANGING THEMSELVES, DATA SHOWS

“There, they’re going to the advisor to have that conversation, to unroot what the real question is that they’re trying to solve and then try to solve it with them,” Chubak said.

He added that the more tactical or discovery-oriented interactions with AI tools can “really help them identify when they need an advisor,” as well as to help them “sharpen where the focus areas that they want to go are, so that the advisor can really hone in on the most impactful opportunities.”

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A nationwide recall has been issued for dog and horse medication after fiberglass was found floating in injection vials.

American Regent, Inc. announced that select lots of Adequan Canine Injection and Adequan i.m. Injection joint medication are affected by the recall.

The recall includes two lots of Adequan Canine Injection, which is used to treat joint dysfunction in dogs, and two lots of Adequan i.m. Injection, which is for treating joint dysfunction and lameness in horses.

SOME OLDER FORD VEHICLES POSE ‘UNREASONABLE’ SAFETY RISKS, REGULATORS WARN

Both products are clear and colorless to slightly yellow solutions administered by intramuscular injection.

The company said the glass fibers were found during routine testing.

American Regent, Inc. said it has not received any reports of an injury related to the recall.

POPULAR WALMART NUT BUTTER RECALLED AFTER TESTING DETECTS SALMONELLA

Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled product lots and to throw them away or return them to the manufacturer. Consumers should also contact a veterinarian if their pets have experienced any problems that may be linked to using the medication.

“The administration of an intramuscular injectable product containing particulate matter, such as glass fibers, may result in local irritation, swelling, inflammation, injection site pain, infection, or abscesses,” the company said in its recall notice.

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Veterinary hospitals, distributors and retailers are also instructed to return any unused product to the manufacturer or discard the item.

“American Regent, Inc. is committed to the safety of patients who rely on its products and is taking this precautionary action to protect public health,” the company said.

Walgreens is continuing to close underperforming stores in 2026, although the pharmacy chain is reportedly planning fewer closures than previously projected.

The company is expected to close fewer than 100 stores in 2026, down from earlier internal projections of roughly 700, Inc. reported.

Walgreens announced in October 2024 that it intended to shutter approximately 1,200 underperforming stores over three years as part of a broader turnaround effort. 

At the time, the company said it expected to close about 500 stores during fiscal 2025, primarily targeting locations that were generating negative cash flow, according to Reuters.

WALGREENS TO CLOSE CHICAGO STORE AFTER LOSING OVER $1M DUE TO RAMPANT THEFT, FALLING SALES

The closure strategy was reportedly scaled back after Walgreens went private in 2025, according to Inc.

Walgreens continues to operate thousands of stores across the U.S. and remains one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains.

CVS OFFERS NEW PHARMACY OPTION FOR PET OWNERS

The company confirmed to USA Today that the following locations have recently closed or are scheduled to close. The closures were previously reported by Inc., local news outlets or Walgreens’ website:

One of the Chicago closures highlights the financial and operational pressures behind some of the company’s decisions.

CVS, WALGREENS PULL BACK COVID VACCINES IN MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES FOLLOWING NEW GUIDELINES

Walgreens announced earlier this year it was closing its location near 86th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood after the location struggled with declining prescription sales and elevated levels of theft.

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“I’m here today because we’re closing the store at 86th and Cottage Grove. But I just want to make sure everyone understands closing stores [is] not our goal. This is the last resort,” Walgreens regional Vice President Reginald Johnson said in May, according to FOX 32 Chicago.

Walgreens could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.

Now look, it may wind up being a huge gift to the GOP come November. But the far-left socialist, antisemitic, anti-American Democrats had a field day yesterday in carrying these Michigan primaries. Of course, the leader is this Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who won his Senate race by a cat’s whisker, but he won it. He didn’t get any black votes, I don’t think. He didn’t get any brown votes. He didn’t get any working-class votes. Yet he beat a regular Democrat who was backed by Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

So the El-Sayed Democrats, they’re really no different than the Mamdani Democrats or the Bernie Sanders Democrats or the AOC Democrats. It is interesting politically how fast the socialists have taken over in the last couple of years. And the issues are very familiar and very bad for America. 

It’s big government socialism. It’s this Medicare for all, which is really a euphemism, not simply for government control of healthcare, but frankly for government control of the entire economy. Hence the flirtation, not just with socialism, but really with communism. To be sure, it means vast tax increases, the destruction and liquidation of wealth. The destruction of success, the end to individual initiative, the end-to-work incentives, open borders, anti-cops, anti-ICE. 

This crowd, by the way, would raise taxes beyond your wildest dreams. They have no family values. There’s no community, there’s no tradition. Some of them want to abolish the Thanksgiving Day holiday. All they can talk about is transgenderism, and then there’s Palestine. Oh, Palestine. Antisemitism is perhaps the driving animating force behind this entire socialist movement. 

The biggest issue in the Michigan Senate race seems to be the hatred of Israel, which levers off the anti-semitism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York, and it is catching on with all the socialists.

Our friend Ben Domenech now calls the Democrats the party of Commie ISIS. Well put. Now, on the other hand, this is a great Republican opportunity if the GOP can seize it. The problem here is we’re in a booming economy. 

All cylinders, manufacturing, technology, consumers, businesses, a roaring stock market today, another record. Trump Accounts are the most popular thing going, but no one seems to know it according to the best polls. I’m talking about likely voters here, from ace Republican pollster, John McLaughlin, among the best in the business, not registered, not adults, actual likely voters who participated in the last elections. 

For the McLaughin poll he asked, is the economy worse or better? Are you listening? Some 56 percent say worse, 37 percent say better. And then he goes on. Are the Trump tax cuts of last year good enough to improve the economy? Only 26 percent said yes. Boy, that sounds like a messaging problem, but you know what, it’s a policy problem too.

Today, in the paper, an old Reagan hand, my pal, Bruce Thompson — and this was copied by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity Hotline — he notes that Americans pay more in taxes than they spend on food. Clothing and housing, that’s right. As of last year, Americans paid $8.192 trillion in federal, state, and local taxes, and spent $7.388 trillion on food, clothes and housing.

All right, that is not affordability. And I think that’s got people down. They should be up, but they’re not. Yet, the Republican Congress… Has completely bungled the budget. There’s just a couple of days left. No pro-growth tax cuts, no strong communication of the economic successes and the boom, no reform of the spending cuts.

To help solve the affordability issue, people want more money in their pockets. It’s an old Republican theme and for some reason Republicans in Congress and the White House have forgotten it

Today, I just saw the vice president talked about $56 billion of waste fraud. Why isn’t that in the budget? Times 10 years, that would be $560 billion of spending cuts from waste, fraud and corruption. Why isn’t that in the budget? Anyway, if the GOP doesn’t wake up, if the GOP doesn’t start to develop some policies, and if the GOP doesn’t start to develop some significant messaging, then they may bungle not just the midterm election, but they may bungle the whole battle with this Democratic Socialism. And I can’t think of anything worse for America.

The Powerball jackpot has ballooned to an estimated $786 million, putting one of the game’s biggest prizes ever up for grabs Wednesday night.

The jackpot now ranks as the ninth-largest in Powerball history. The winner who takes the cash option would receive an estimated $341.6 million before taxes. The alternative is an annuity paid through 30 graduated payments over 29 years. 

“The last time we saw a Powerball jackpot of this size was on Christmas Eve, with a $1.817 billion prize on the line,” Stephen Durrell, the Powerball product group chair and Kansas Lottery executive director, said in a statement. 

The jackpot has been growing since May 2, when tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize. There have now been 40 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.

ARKANSAS WINNER CLAIMS $1.8B POWERBALL JACKPOT, CHOOSES CASH OPTION

For the person holding the winning ticket, the first move should be protecting privacy, according to Jeffery Degner, a research fellow in economics and economic freedom at the American Institute for Economic Research.

“If you live in a state that allows you to remain anonymous, remain anonymous,” Degner told FOX Business. “Keep your mouth shut.”

Degner warned that making a massive windfall public can quickly attract long-lost friends, relatives and strangers looking for money.

“When askers do eventually come, you should develop the habit of saying ‘no’ early and often,” he said.

The winner should also consider quickly hiring a tax attorney and certified public accountant because taxes can take a big bite out of the prize, according to Degner. 

“Don’t be surprised by the taxes because the lottery is going to withhold about 24% on the initial payment,” he said, noting that more could be due when taxes are filed.

GEORGIA RESIDENT IDENTIFIED AS WINNER OF $983M MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT, LARGEST EVER IN STATE

Choosing between the lump sum and annuity is less clear-cut. 

Powerball’s annuity includes one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year. Degner said those increases could help protect against inflation.

Meanwhile, the lump sum gives the winner immediate access to the money and the ability to invest it.

“When it’s all said and done, they actually are fairly close in the total return,” he said.

Degner urged winners to avoid major purchases and financial commitments during the first few months and warned against “lifestyle creep.”

Paying off high-interest debt should also be a priority. However, winners should be cautious about paying off debts for friends or relatives, Degner said.

$1.8B POWERBALL JACKPOT WON ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN ARKANSAS

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; and the United Kingdom.

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The odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

For the eventual winner, Degner said the focus should be on preserving the money.

“It’s tax strategy first, lifestyle later,” he said.

The development of a skyscraper in New York City that will house Ken Griffin’s Citadel is moving forward despite his feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The skyscraper project at 350 Park Avenue is being developed by Griffin’s Citadel in partnership with Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin, and will see two of Griffin’s firms being anchor tenants.

Steven Roth, CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, said on the company’s earnings call on Tuesday that the project is underway and that the REIT will maximize its stake in the venture.

“If you drive or walk past Park Avenue at 52nd Street, you will see that our 350 Park Avenue site is now under construction, actually under demolition. We intend to shortly exercise our investment option to participate in this deal at our maximum ownership alongside Ken Griffin as our 60% partner and with Citadel as our 1-million-square-foot anchor tenant.”

HEDGE FUND BILLIONAIRE EXPANDS MIAMI DEVELOPMENT PLANS AFTER MAMDANI FEUD

Roth said on the call that Citadel holds a 60% stake in the partnership, while Vornado’s will top out at 36%.

The project is moving forward after Mamdani specifically criticized Griffin for owning a penthouse on Central Park South in a video detailing his new pied-a-terre tax, which is levied on high-value residential properties whose owners don’t live in the city full-time.

Mamdani spurred the controversy with an April 15 video the mayor recorded in front of Griffin’s penthouse, calling him out as a wealthy hedge fund owner who would be subject to the new luxury property tax.

NEW YORK’S WEALTHY RUSH TO AVOID MAMDANI’S SECOND-HOME TAX

“When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Well, today we’re taxing the rich… This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million whose owners do not live full-time in the city – like this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in his video.

Griffin responded, calling the personal attack “creepy and weird,” worrying that it put him in harm’s way and demonstrated a “profound lack of judgment,” on Mamdani’s part.

MAMDANI’S TAX ROLL BLUNDER WILL BACKFIRE ON EVERYDAY NEW YORKERS AS BUYERS HEAD SOUTH, DEVELOPER WARNS

Citadel executives went on to suggest that the new office space could become a casualty of Mamdani’s not-so-business-friendly policies.

Gerald Beeson, the firm’s COO, wrote in an April 23 memo to employees that the firm’s development of 350 Park Avenue was about to begin and would create “6,000 highly paid construction jobs” as well as support the “creation of more than 15,000 permanent jobs in Midtown New York.”

“The project – if we move forward – will entail more than $6 billion dollars of spending,” Beeson wrote.

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Mamdani eventually softened his rhetoric and thanked Griffin for his contributions to the city, including funding a memorial wall for police officers killed in the September 11 attacks and those who died of illnesses related to the recovery from the attacks that will open later this year in NYC Police Headquarters.

FOX Business’ Robert McGreevey contributed to this report.

A small Nantucket business is at the center of a social media storm after posting a sign declaring “No Influencers,” igniting a fierce online debate over tourism, entitlement and the growing power of social media personalities.

Barstool Sports founder and Nantucket homeowner Dave Portnoy joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to weigh in on the viral controversy, arguing that the issue is not with all online creators but with those who treat the island as a backdrop for content instead of respecting its community.

“The type of influencers we don’t want in Nantucket are the people who don’t care about Nantucket, the community, the beauty of it,” Portnoy said. “They just want to come here, make videos about themselves and use Nantucket as a prop.”

DAVE PORTNOY REVEALS HE IS LOSING MILLIONS IN BRUTAL BITCOIN CRASH

Nantucket has long been known for its quiet beaches, historic downtown and small-island atmosphere. In recent years, however, social media has helped transform many vacation destinations into viral hotspots, drawing larger crowds and prompting concerns from some locals about congestion, commercialization and changing community culture.

Portnoy, who has spent years visiting the island, said he believes Nantucket should remain different from other high-profile summer destinations built around being seen online.

“You don’t come to Nantucket to be seen. You come to be laid back, enjoy the most beautiful place on earth,” he said.

DAVE PORTNOY KEEPS DOOR OPEN TO NYC MAYORAL BID, UNLOADS ON MAMDANI’S FISCAL CLAIMS

He added that while there are many different types of influencers, he supports businesses that want to discourage content creators who prioritize viral videos over preserving the island’s identity.

“I firmly stand behind this sign,” Portnoy said. “The trashy, ratchet influencers go to the Hamptons, not Nantucket. We’re an island for a reason, to keep the riffraff ashore.”

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A detached portion of a SpaceX rocket collided with the moon Wednesday morning, a NASA official confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The impact was made by the 8,818-pound upper portion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket while traveling at a speed of 5,400 mph, according to Reuters.

The rocket stage is “expected to create a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep and throw dust and rock outward as ejecta,” the NASA official told Fox News Digital.

SpaceX launched the rocket in January 2025 as part of a mission to land the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander on the moon. The upper portion was not supposed to return to the moon, but was pulled back to the lunar surface due to “solar activity and gravitational forces,” the NASA official said.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed Tuesday that the rocket portion had “a 100% chance of impacting the Moon.”

CATHIE WOOD SAYS BATTERED SPACEX COULD BECOME ‘MOST IMPORTANT COMPANY IN GLOBAL HISTORY’

Despite the uncommon nature of manmade objects hitting the moon, NASA advised that there is no danger to Earth, adding that “a meteoroid with the same energy as the upper stage hits the Moon about every six days,” according to the official.

The discarded section was projected to impact the moon near the Einstein crater at 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, according to NASA.

NASA CHIEF CONFIRMS AGENCY HAS UNEXPLAINED UFO IMAGERY: ‘WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS’

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also said the impact was not a cause for concern during a Wednesday morning appearance on “Fox and Friends,” adding that the development of reusable rockets will further decrease the likelihood of future impacts.

“First of all, I’d say we’ve made a ton of progress. America leads the world in this regard. It used to be the case that all rockets were disposed in the ocean. Now you’ve watched over the last few years, I mean, SpaceX has recovered more than 600 of their boosters by bringing them back in a spectacular way to land on ships and land back on land,” he said.

“First, it’s very infrequent to have things like the Falcon 9 second stage crash into the moon. Second, it’s not a big deal right now. The moon has clearly seen better days, but once you have reusable upper stages like Starship is doing, you’re not going to be throwing them away, you’re going to be turning them, landing them on the moon, and they’re going to contribute to the city block we’re trying to build on the lunar surface,” Isaacman concluded.

Not only was the impact expected to cause minimal damage, NASA hopes that it will actually be able to study the event and garner scientific insights from observation.

NASA will use the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ShadowCam instrument aboard South Korea’s Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter to “look for chances to image the site before and after the impact,” the official told Fox News Digital.

“Image availability will depend on lighting, orbital timing, and spacecraft position, and it may take several days to receive imagery. Any data collected will help scientists better understand artificial impacts and their exploration implications,” the official added.

Fox News Digital contacted SpaceX for added comment.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Reuters contributed to this report.

Some government regulations become outdated. Others become absurd. The FCC’s national television ownership cap has become both. For decades, Washington banned local television broadcast groups from reaching more than 39% of American households. The rule was built for a media world from the last century–a world of limited viewing options, a handful of networks, a captive audience with nowhere else to turn.

That world no longer exists.

Americans now get news, information, and entertainment from countless sources: YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X–and also traditional TV. They consume content from global companies with market caps larger than the GDP of most countries.

And where are those companies headquartered? The coasts, from New York to San Francisco. They don’t care about the middle of this country. They don’t cover it. They don’t reflect it.

Last month, several national TV networks refused to air President Trump’s primetime address on foreign adversaries meddling in American elections. That’s the media establishment in action, coastal elites deciding what you’re allowed to see.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is fighting back.

The commission recently advanced an order to repeal the national cap, a move that signals it is finally ready to confront one of the most indefensible media rules still on the books.

If Congress proposed capping Netflix at 39% of American households tomorrow, it would be laughed out of the room. But impose the same limit on broadcasters, and Washington’s regulatory class acts like it makes perfect sense.

The national cap is not a free-market policy, a conservative policy, or even a serious competition policy. It is the government picking winners and losers, tying one set of competitors down while everyone else runs free.

That is exactly the kind of government distortion conservatives have spent decades fighting.

The cap’s defenders act like the internet never happened. Their arguments are self-serving and frozen in time. They warn about broadcasters getting too big while shrugging at trillion-dollar Big Tech firms that dominate digital advertising, online video, and the modern flow of information. They fret over local television stations while handing a free pass to companies with global reach and unchecked power.

The media marketplace has changed beyond recognition. The rules governing broadcasters have not.

Carr’s FCC is ready to fix that.

Repealing the cap won’t hand broadcasters a special favor. It will remove a government-imposed handicap. Broadcasters will still compete and have to win viewers, attract advertisers, and produce content people actually want to watch. They will simply do so under rules that reflect modern reality, not assumptions from a dead era.

Modernizing these rules won’t solve every problem facing local television. But it will eliminate a government-made barrier that serves no meaningful public-interest purpose. It will give local broadcasters the ability to push back against coastal elites and deliver the news Americans actually deserve to hear, not what’s filtered through a New York newsroom.

Carr deserves major credit for finally forcing this relic of media policy into the real world.

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Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, will stop buying iceberg lettuce from Mexico as federal health officials investigate a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to the product, the company’s CEO said Tuesday.

The announcement from Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigate the outbreak, which has been connected to two deaths this week in Michigan.

The outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico through Taylor Farms de Mexico.

Taylor Farms’ U.S. business voluntarily recalled certain iceberg lettuce products sold under the Taylor Fresh Foods and Marketside brands. The company has maintained that the FDA has not identified a confirmed positive test result for Cyclospora after what it described as a false positive reported by the agency.

CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK DENTS TACO BELL SALES BUT RECOVERY UNDERWAY, EXEC SAYS

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. According to the CDC, the infection commonly causes watery, often “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated. Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.

“We’re not buying iceberg lettuce from them, and we’re not buying it from Mexico,” Hourican said in an interview with Reuters. “To the degree that we can further diversify our procurement, that is something we’re actively working on.”

Hourican said Sysco stopped selling and distributing the affected lettuce last month and voluntarily recalled impacted products before Taylor Farms announced its own recall.

FDA SAYS TACO BELL TO STOP USING LETTUCE SUPPLIER LINKED TO MULTISTATE PARASITE OUTBREAK

“It’s a high quality, high integrity shop, but we’ve had to take actions,” Hourican said. “We’ve moved source of product away from them to the degree that we can. Because they’re really big, you can’t just turn it off overnight.”

The report comes after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said two people in the state have died in connection with the sprawling cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened at least 11,234 people statewide.

State health officials said evidence points to lettuce or salad greens as a possible source of the outbreak, but investigators cautioned that other food items have not been ruled out and no specific type of produce, grower or supplier has been identified.

BUC-EE’S SUES OHIO MINI-MART OVER BEAVER LOGO BRANDING, ALLEGING TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT

Sysco said it is now buying iceberg lettuce grown in the U.S. and has been able to meet its supply needs despite the outbreak.

“Taylor Farms is the largest producer — they’re the biggest — and if we’re not able to buy from them, we can easily go elsewhere,” Hourican said. “Replacing the amount we buy elsewhere is the challenge, and it’s something that we’re working on.”

Health officials emphasized that cyclosporiasis is generally not considered a life-threatening illness and deaths tied to the infection are rare in the United States. According to Michigan health officials, medical records showed both people who died had significant underlying health conditions that may have been worsened by cyclosporiasis and dehydration.

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FOX Business has reached out to Sysco and Taylor Farms for comment.

FOX Business’ Stephen Sorace, Eric Revell and Reuters contributed to this report.

Buc-ee’s has sued a small mini-mart in Ohio, alleging its cartoon beaver logo is too similar to the popular Texas-based chain’s iconic logo, adding to the various lawsuits the company has filed against small stores with cartoon animal branding despite an HBO show daring it to challenge someone its own size.

Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, was sued by Buc-ee’s late last month over alleged trademark infringement, according to WLWT. Buc-ee’s claims the store used a smiling cartoon beaver logo and red coloring that closely mimics its famous branding.

Buc-ee’s said it has been using the cartoon beaver logo for more than four decades and has several federal trademark registrations, according to the outlet. The chain also argues that Beaver’s Mini Mart started using the logo after Buc-ee’s had established trademark rights.

The logo could create “confusion among consumers” about whether the store is associated with Buc-ee’s, the company argued in the complaint.

BUC’EE’S SUES SMALLER GAS STATION CHAIN FOR COPYRIGHT, ARGUING CARTOON DOG IS TOO SIMILAR TO ITS BEAVER

Buc-ee’s opened its first location in Ohio earlier this year, but Beaver Mini Mart has no gas pumps, is miles from the nearest interstate and was operated before Buc-ee’s expanded into the state.

The mini-mart has been owned by Vik Boparai for more than a decade, years before Buc-ee’s first expanded out of Texas in 2018 and long before it opened its first Ohio store near Dayton in April. Beavers are also popular characters across Beavercreek, as numerous businesses and the local high school feature the rodent as their mascots, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

“I don’t know why they would sue a small business like mine,” Boparai told the outlet. “I have two kids and this store is how I feed them.”

Beavercreek Councilman Zach Upton also told the outlet that the lawsuit appears to be overreach and customers are unlikely to confuse the two logos.

“Common sense is not prevailing,” Upton said. “I can’t imagine anyone would be confused by the mini mart and Buc-ee’s. It’s not even in the same ballpark.”

The lawsuit comes after comedian John Oliver noted how Buc-ee’s has sued several small stores with cartoon logos, even when they bear very little or no resemblance to Buc-ee’s grinning beaver logo, and dared the chain to take on someone its own size.

On the July 26 episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver urged Buc-ee’s to sue his show rather than small local stores with fewer resources to defend themselves.

“Buc-ee’s loves to sue other companies, particularly those with animal mascots,” Oliver said, pointing out that the chain has filed more than a dozen lawsuits and threatened more.

Oliver said Buc-ee’s has won nearly all the cases because the other companies typically settle and redesign their logos or because “most just don’t have the resources to fight a company this big.”

The comedian cites a legal expert who said Buc-ee’s should be careful with its decision to file so many lawsuits because it may eventually run into one with the resources to fight back.

“And that is where we come in,” Oliver said. “Because, it turns out, we very much have the will to get into a fight with Buc-ee’s.”

BUC-EE’S EXPANDS NATIONAL FOOTPRINT WITH 15 MORE LOCATIONS IN THE PIPELINE

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Oliver then reintroduced Mr. Nutterbutter, a 7-foot-tall squirrel mascot originally created for a 2017 segment targeting former coal executive Bob Murray, which sparked an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the show and HBO.

The show created a cartoon logo of Mr. Nutterbutter and put the logo on various products, including tumblers, hats, shirts, onesies, mugs and pajamas that are available for purchase for a limited time at Buc-Off.com.

“So, if any prominent gas station chain out there has an issue with our new logo and products and wants to get lawyers involved, then you know what? Bring it the f— on. Although remember, in doing so, you’d be directly taking food out of hungry people’s mouths,” Oliver said, noting that all profits would go to Hunger Free America, a nonprofit group working to end domestic hunger.

Fox Business has reached out to Buc-ee’s for comment.

OpenAI and one of its subsidiaries will pay $3.2 million to settle allegations that they discriminated against U.S. workers by favoring foreign workers with temporary employment visas, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

The Justice Department said the settlement resolves allegations that OpenAI and its subsidiary, Statsig Inc., violated the Immigration and Nationality Act through the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process by discouraging qualified U.S. workers from applying for certain jobs.

According to the Justice Department, OpenAI and Statsig, which develops product software, recruited foreign workers for some positions while taking steps that discouraged U.S. applicants.

According to the DOJ, OpenAI did not advertise positions it sought to fill through the PERM program on its job website, even though its standard practice was to do so with other jobs.

CHINA NARROWS AMERICA’S AI LEAD AS HUAWEI EXPANDS ITS GLOBAL TECH FOOTPRINT, FORMER US OFFICIAL WARNS

Federal investigators alleged that OpenAI failed to advertise certain PERM positions on its careers website, required applicants to mail paper applications for those jobs while accepting electronic applications for other positions, and in some cases aired radio advertisements late at night, practices the Justice Department said discouraged U.S. workers from applying.

The settlement includes $1.2 million in civil penalties and $2 million to compensate alleged victims of discrimination. OpenAI also agreed to revise its employment policies, conduct training and submit to Justice Department monitoring.

OpenAI denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement.

FED DISSENTERS WARN INFLATION COULD BECOME ENTRENCHED WITHOUT MONETARY POLICY TIGHTENING NOW

“It is illegal to discriminate against U.S. workers by preferring temporary visa holders for jobs,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

“This substantial settlement ensures that OpenAI redresses harm and changes its recruitment practices so that U.S. workers receive a fair opportunity for highly sought-after technology positions,” Dhillon added.

President Donald Trump has previously argued that many companies abuse temporary employment visa programs and has sought to limit the hiring of foreign workers, including by proposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled workers. That proposal remains tied up in court.

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FOX Business has reached out to OpenAI for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

McDonald’s sales growth came in slower than expected when the company released its second quarter earnings on Tuesday, with leaders pointing to execution lapses they say hampered its push to promote value deals aimed at lower-income consumers.

CEO Chris Kempczinski said that weak promotion of value deals and a pullback in the use of digital deals, such as its buy-one-add-one promos, led to a drop in visits from loyal customers – noting that accounted for about two-thirds of the shortfall in customer traffic for the quarter.

Comparable sales for McDonald’s largest market grew 0.8%, below analysts’ estimates of a 1.06% increase, according to data compiled by LSEG. The pace of the fast-food giant’s U.S. growth was 2.5% last year.

“We don’t have a strategy problem. We simply didn’t execute at the level we needed to in the second quarter,” Kempczinski said.

MCDONALD’S BRINGING BACK FRIED APPLE PIE TO CELEBRATE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY

The CEO said that while McDonald’s has “restored our overall value and affordability leadership, our restaurant level results show that execution was inconsistent across the system,” noting that the best performing restaurants executed the affordable price menu plan and saying they “need the same level of execution in all our restaurants.”

He went on to say that about one-thirds of the McDonald’s system’s restaurants didn’t execute against the guidance for the every day affordable price menu, adding that the company will educate franchisees about the importance of complying with that pricing scheme which will factor into business reviews.

MCDONALD’S TESTING AI DRIVE-THRU ORDER-TAKING SYSTEM CALLED ARCHIQ AT FIVE LOCATIONS ACROSS COUNTRY

Kempczinski also said that restaurant teams were overwhelmed by the number of deployments McDonald’s put forward in the quarter, which impacted efficiency and worsened customer service times, while marketing programs didn’t deliver against expectations.

McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden said that in the near term, the company is launching more national digital flash offers starting next week to “reenergize our high-frequency customers,” while also targeting the chain’s most loyal customers with more personalized digital offerings.

MCDONALD’S UNVEILS NEW GROWTH STRATEGY TO WIN BACK CUSTOMERS

Borden added that the company is already taking steps to simplify restaurant operations by eliminating several non-customer-facing activities over the remainder of the year.

As part of the company’s push to reinvigorate its growth, McDonald’s named Skye Anderson to lead its U.S. business, betting on an executive with extensive experience across operations and international markets.

Anderson has worked for the company for 26 years, which includes time as the U.S. chief operating officer. In her new role she will oversee about 14,000 restaurants in the U.S. and guide McDonald’s new turnaround strategy.

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Reuters contributed to this report.

A trial date for the antitrust lawsuit brought against Paramount over its $111 billion bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has been set for next spring. 

A filing from the U.S. District Court in California’s Northern District showed that the trial date has been scheduled for March 2, 2027, and is expected to run for 12 court days, wrapping by March 19. 

The court added an April 5, 2027, deadline for “the parties’ respective proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, complete with citations to legal authority and the factual record” to be submitted. 

PARAMOUNT AGREES TO DELAY WARNER BROS DISCOVERY MERGER UNTIL 2027 AS LAWSUIT TO BLOCK IT GOES THROUGH COURT

Last month, Paramount agreed to delay its merger until next year to address the antitrust lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Paramount CEO David Ellison is seeking to acquire WBD in a $111 billion deal that was expected to close during the third quarter of this year, but Bonta is leading a group of 12 state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit challenging the merger. The lawsuit claims the megadeal would “lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theater seat in the U.S.”  

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District for the Northern District of California, claims the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which holds that mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly are illegal. Both sides argued their case last week but Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín waited until Monday to temporarily delay the merger. 

The merger, which was set to close this year, is now being delayed until at least June 2027.

DAVID ELLISON BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT-WBD MERGER FIGHT; CNN INSIDERS DON’T BUY ‘LIP SERVICE’ ABOUT NETWORK

Paramount’s bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery would be a historic deal merging two major Hollywood studios under one corporate umbrella as well as all of their television networks, including CBS and CNN. Critics of the deal believe such a merger would crush the entertainment industry and lead to mass layoffs. Some have also been vocal against Ellison and his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, who is heavily financing the deal and is a close ally to President Donald Trump. 

Liberal critics in particular also claim that, as a result of the deal, CNN would be given a MAGA-bent to its coverage, and it would be run by current CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who has been harshly criticized by some media liberals. The Paramount CEO has previously assured that CNN would maintain editorial independence following the merger.

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In an op-ed published in The New York Times Tuesday, Ellison addressed the “speculation” about what would happen to CNN under his ownership.

“I have regularly voted for candidates of both parties; I hold some views that would be called conservative and others that would be called liberal, just like most Americans; and when it comes to our news operations, I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views. I believe that news should be based on facts and truth,” Ellison wrote.

“Great news organizations like CNN and CBS News are here to tell it straight down the middle,” he added. “That requires newsrooms that reflect the whole world, not one side of it. And it requires independence.”

This deal would follow Ellison’s $8 billion purchase of Paramount, merging the studio with Skydance Media.

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Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Ace pollster John McLaughlin, using an accurate survey of 1,000 likely voters, shows when Republican candidates clearly support free-market capitalism versus Democratic policies of big government socialism, the GOP moves from a virtual tie in the generic Congressional ballot, to a commanding 49 percent to 36 percent lead. Independent and moderate voters show exactly the same move toward the GOP when the subject is capitalism versus socialism.

There’s a lesson here. And it’s a pity that the Republicans are not likely to produce a pro-growth, pro-affordability, tax and spending cut budget package. A missed opportunity. However, the second choice if you can’t get legislation, is good messaging this summer. And there is this midterm convention at Dallas in early September. And the economy right now, speaking of affordability, is booming. Every day we get more evidence. Manufacturing is on a roll.

The AI boom is transforming the American economy. Construction is rising in a way we haven’t seen in many years. Consumers are spending. Businesses are investing. Here’s one today: non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, Wall Street calls it cap ex, in the last three months, orders are up 10.5 percent. Shipments are up 11.5 percent. Backlogs are up by more than 9 percent. All at an annual rate. We haven’t seen anything like this in decades.

The stock market is setting new records on a daily basis, including the S&P. Today the Dow closed at 54,085. Nearly 150 million Americans are invested. And the Trump accounts are coming in at record pace. Everybody is gonna own a piece of the Roth.

Last year’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill had the tax cuts and the spending cuts and it’s working today. So I’m just saying it’s time for the GOP to please talk about this. Better to talk about it with a roaring stock market. Growth and affordability. Let’s get it right.

Chipotle said Tuesday it removed jalapeños from some restaurants after identifying the ingredient as a potential common link in a Salmonella outbreak that public health officials are investigating.

The move comes after The Wall Street Journal reported that Minnesota health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella associated with jalapeños served at Mexican-style quick-service restaurants, with Chipotle a focus of the investigation.

According to the Journal, the Minnesota Department of Health has identified 110 cases of Salmonella Javiana tied to the outbreak. Of the 84 people interviewed after becoming ill, 89% reported eating at Chipotle between mid-June and last month, citing Carlota Medus, senior epidemiologist supervisor in the department’s foodborne diseases unit.

CHIPOTLE CEO SAYS CHAIN IS MAKING ‘MEANINGFUL PROGRESS’ ON A MAJOR CUSTOMER CONCERN

In a statement Tuesday, Chipotle said it is aware that public health authorities are investigating “the source of a Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers.”

“The health and safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority,” the company said.

Chipotle said it immediately activated its ingredient traceability system after learning of the potential outbreak and identified jalapeños from a common lot as a potential shared ingredient.

CHIPOTLE OPENS FIRST RESTAURANT IN MEXICO AS GLOBAL EXPANSION ACCELERATES

“Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers,” the company said.

The Journal also reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is conducting a traceback investigation involving jalapeños and other potential sources.

“We have a robust ingredient traceability system,” Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, said in the company’s statement.

The latest investigation revives memories of Chipotle’s 2015 food safety crisis, when separate E. coli outbreaks linked to meals at the chain sickened 60 people across multiple states. A separate Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota that year was traced to tomatoes served at a single Chipotle restaurant. The incidents prompted the company to overhaul its food safety program and strengthen measures, including ingredient traceability.

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FOX Business has reached out to Chipotle and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for additional comment.

Chipotle shares fell 7.3% Tuesday, according to the Journal.

The U.S. remains ahead of China in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, but its lead is narrowing as Beijing expands the global reach of Huawei and other Chinese technology companies, former State Department official Keith Krach told FOX Business.

The competition goes beyond which country develops the most powerful AI models. It also centers on energy, infrastructure, semiconductors, talent, exports and the technical standards other nations will rely on for years, according to Krach.

“America is still ahead, but we are not comfortably ahead,” Krach said.

His remarks come roughly one year after the Trump administration unveiled “Winning the Race” in July 2025, a national AI strategy featuring more than 90 federal actions.

BESSENT HIGHLIGHTS TRUMP ECONOMY, WARNS CHINA HAS ‘DONE A LOT OF KICKING LATELY’

Krach said the U.S. still leads in private investment, advanced chips, cloud infrastructure, universities and entrepreneurial talent. China, however, has gained ground in patents, industrial deployment, research, robotics and lower-cost open models.

“We are leading today, but the race will be won by the ecosystem the world chooses to build on,” he said.

Krach, who serves as chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University and CEO of Freedom 250, said the Trump administration‘s strategy correctly recognizes the broader stakes.

He argued that success should be measured through new power generation, faster data-center construction, greater semiconductor capacity, wider AI adoption, allied contracts and technical talent.

Huawei is central to China’s global technology push, according to Krach, who described the company as a “vertically integrated delivery system” for technological and geopolitical influence.

GOP AGS WARN OPENAI’S ALTMAN TO PRESERVE RECORDS IN AI AGENT HACKING PROBE

The Chinese technology giant can offer governments wireless networks, data centers, cloud services, AI chips, software, cybersecurity tools and financing in a single package.

Once installed, those systems can become costly, disruptive and “politically difficult” to replace, Krach said.

“The real strategic asset is not the hardware,” he said. “It is long-term access to data, standards, software updates, technical dependencies, and government relationships.”

Krach said China’s offering is built around integration, financing, speed and state support. 

“America must counter it with a trusted full-stack alternative that performs better and strengthens, rather than compromises, a partner country’s independence,” Krach argued.

Countries will choose American technology, Krach said, when it is not only more trusted but also easier to finance, deploy and expand.

ANTHROPIC SAYS AI MODELS ACCESSED SYSTEMS OF 3 REAL ORGANIZATIONS DURING TESTING

To maintain its lead, the U.S. must expand energy production, data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, cloud capacity and its skilled workforce, Krach said.

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He also called for faster permitting, support for proprietary and open American AI models, and export packages that allies can easily purchase and deploy.

“China’s advantage is [on a] coordinated scale,” Krach said. “America’s advantage is freedom, innovation, capital, entrepreneurship, and allies. Our task is to organize those strengths without destroying what makes them powerful.”

Wealthy New Yorkers are seeking exemptions to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax, with thousands filing applications to avoid the levy.

New York City Hall confirmed to FOX Business that as of Monday, about 4,800 property owners have started the process of applying for an exemption to the pied-à-terre tax. Of that total, about 2,000 property owners have completed their exemption applications.

The pied-à-terre tax is levied on single-family homes, apartments and condos that are used as a second home or a part-time residence instead of being the primary residence of the owner. It will be due on the city’s standard property tax payment schedule.

Mamdani announced the implementation of the new tax in late July and billed the policy as a way of fulfilling his pledge to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.

MAMDANI EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NYC HOMEOWNERS TO SEEK EXEMPTION FROM NEW PIED-À-TERRE TAX

“On Tax Day earlier this year, I promised that we would tax the rich, and with our new pied-à-terre tax, that is exactly what we have done,” Mamdani said in announcing the tax.

“Today is the first step in implementing this tax and collecting critical revenue to fund our parks, schools and libraries. We will diligently implement this law and ensure that we collect what working New Yorkers – and this city – deserve,” the mayor added.

In late July, the city published a list of more than 900,000 properties in a “supplemental market value roll” without explaining that the vast majority of them wouldn’t face the pied-à-terre tax. The list was updated on Saturday to clarify that the New York City Department of Finance only sent surcharge letters pertaining to 17,000 properties, and that only those recipients need to apply for an exemption.

MAMDANI’S TAX ROLL BLUNDER WILL BACKFIRE ON EVERYDAY NEW YORKERS AS BUYERS HEAD SOUTH, DEVELOPER WARNS

The pied-à-terre tax levies a surcharge of 0.8% on family homes valued between $5 million and $15 million; 1.05% between $15 million and $25 million; and 1.3% for homes over $25 million.

Condos and co-ops have higher rates, including 4% for those valued between $1 million and $3 million; 5.25% between $3 million and $5 million; and 6.5% on those over $5 million.

Individuals who have been notified about being potentially subject to the pied-à-terre tax have until Sept. 18 to apply for an exemption, according to the New York City Department of Finance. That deadline was extended from the original deadline of Aug. 21.

KEN GRIFFIN FIRES BACK AT MAMDANI, SAYS BUSINESS LEADERS MUST ‘FIGHT FOR THEIR CITY’

Applicants who seek an exemption on the grounds that it’s their primary residence will have to provide either their most recent tax return filed at the federal or state level, or their driver’s license. Alternatives would include a voter ID card or other evidence of it being a primary residence.

Tenants will need to provide those primary residence documents as well as a copy of their current lease and an additional rental document – such as a utility bill, proof of rent payment or renter’s insurance policy. They may also submit an affidavit with two additional rental documents.

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FOX Business’ Sumner Park and James Cirrone contributed to this report.

Starbucks announced on Monday that its classic Pumpkin Spice Latte will be returning to store menus later this month.

The popular drink will be joined by new beverages and food items, as well as limited-time merchandise collections.

While the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte returns on Aug. 25, Starbucks will add new pumpkin spice-flavored drinks, including the Iced Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso, Pumpkin Spice Chai and Iced Pumpkin Cream Matcha. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai and Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino blended beverage will also return.

STARBUCKS TO CUT 300 US JOBS, CLOSE SOME REGIONAL SUPPORT OFFICES

A new iced banana bread-flavored latte and chai drink will join the company’s fall menu, as will the Chaider – a beverage featuring a blend of chai and cider-inspired flavors.

A new Chicken Bacon Protein Pocket and a Hedgehog Cake Pop will also join store menus this fall. The protein pocket is the latest addition to Starbucks’ broader push to expand its protein offerings.

Starbucks is offering new drinkware and a hat as part of its PSL Society collection.

The announcement comes after the company reported third-quarter results last week.

SEATTLE COULD LOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN TAX REVENUE AS STARBUCKS EXPANDS IN TENNESSEE

Starbucks raised its annual sales and profit forecasts for the second time, as CEO Brian Niccol’s years-long turnaround efforts reignite demand at the world’s largest coffee chain.

Under Niccol, the company has aimed to improve customer experience through a simplified menu and shortened wait times, fueling four straight quarters of comparable sales growth.

“We have more work to do,” Niccol said in a statement on Wednesday, while finance chief Cathy Smith said the company is focused on what it can control amid a “dynamic operating environment.”

WHY STARBUCKS PICKED NASHVILLE OVER SEATTLE FOR EXPANSION, ACCORDING TO LOCAL BUSINESS REPORTER

The Seattle-based company forecast global same-store sales growth of near 6%, above its prior forecast of about 5% or above. It expects adjusted earnings per share to be between $2.55 and $2.65, compared with its previous forecast of $2.25 to $2.45.

“Starbucks has begun to experience market share stabilization in recent months, most notably with younger diners,” Consumer Edge analyst Michael Gunther said.

“Consumers may be shifting dining dollars toward in-home eating but are leaving room in the budget for daily drink habits,” he added.

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The “Back to Starbucks” strategy had been squeezing margins, as it involved heavy investments in staffing and store operations, which the company has looked to tackle with cost cuts through layoffs, office consolidation and streamlining its operations.

Reuters contributed to this report.

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is warning that a proposed billionaire tax would further strain the state’s economy, arguing that California is already losing businesses, investment and tax revenue as residents grapple with high costs.

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss the proposal, which opponents say could drive more wealthy residents and employers out of the state if enacted.

“It’s already cost California billions of dollars in lost tax revenue because of the amount of wealth that’s already left the state,” Hilton said. “Just because of the threat of this insane tax.”

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY BACKS CONTROVERSIAL BILLIONAIRE WEALTH TAX PROPOSAL THAT’S ON STATE’S 2026 BALLOT

Lawmakers backing the proposal argue the state’s wealthiest residents should contribute more, while opponents contend California’s existing tax burden is already encouraging people and companies to relocate. Hilton argued the state’s top earners already shoulder a significant share of California’s income tax collections and questioned whether higher taxes would improve public services.

Beyond the billionaire tax debate, Hilton said rising labor costs, energy prices and regulations are making California less competitive. He argued repeated minimum wage increases create “a kind of doom loop” by raising business costs, which are then passed on to consumers.

CALIFORNIA LOSES FORTUNE 500 CROWN TO TEXAS AS BILLIONAIRE TAX THREAT LOOMS

Hilton also warned that businesses are scaling back hiring, increasing automation or leaving the state altogether because operating costs have become too high.

“If we don’t face up to the reality, California’s economy is going to absolutely collapse,” Hilton said.

Hilton said he would instead pursue lower taxes, reduced government spending and fewer regulations, arguing those policies would help attract employers, expand investment and make California more affordable for residents.

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A new report by LinkedIn ranked the top 50 colleges in the U.S. based on how they prepare students for long-term success in their careers based on a range of factors that leverage the career networking platform’s data.

The report uses LinkedIn data to rank colleges based on five categories, including job placement, internships and recruiter demand, career success, network strength and knowledge breadth.

The job placement data tracks cohorts of recent graduates from 2020 to 2025 who start a full-time position or graduate school program within a year of their graduation, while network strength tracks how connected recent alumni cohorts are to each other as well as to all past alumni and current students.

“We’re seeing students think about career success differently than previous generations. They want to build skills, grow their networks and position themselves for a labor market that’s rapidly changing,” said Andrew Seaman, editor-at-large for jobs and careers development at LinkedIn.

SOUTHERN CITIES DOMINATE RANKINGS OF BEST JOB MARKETS FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADUATES

“In today’s slower hiring market, professional relationships can make a meaningful difference. Skills and experience remain critical, but a strong alumni network can help open doors throughout a career, whether that’s through internships, mentorship, professional guidance, or new job opportunities,” Seaman added.

Compared with last year’s report, 43 of the top 50 schools, or 86%, returned to the rankings this year, which LinkedIn explained shows the continued strength of institutions that consistently prepare graduates for long-term career success.

US WORKERS INCREASINGLY TRAPPED IN THE ‘GREAT DETACHMENT’ AS HIRING SLOWS, REPORT SHOWS

Seven new schools debuted in the rankings, including Middlebury College (No. 37), Claremont McKenna College (No. 40), Washington University in St. Louis (No. 42), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (No. 45), Davidson College (No. 47), Williams College (No. 48) and Bowdoin College (No. 49).

There was modest movement in the top 10 compared with last year’s edition of the report, with Princeton and Duke holding firm in the top two spots. Harvard rose to third and Dartmouth to fifth, while Yale returned to the top 10 with a ninth-place ranking.

WHY 529 PLANS REMAIN A POWERFUL TOOL FOR COLLEGE, TRADE SCHOOL SAVINGS

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President Donald Trump’s administration is facing 25 new lawsuits from Democrat-led states over his latest round of tariffs on Monday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading the joint lawsuit, arguing the tariffs handed down last month are a thinly-veiled attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump’s earlier import tariffs.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” James said in a statement.

Trump’s latest tariffs hit 59 countries and the European Union, this time arguing they are committing “forced labor violations” by not cracking down on imports from certain sources.

TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED

States joining New York in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

The Trump administration ordered the U.S. trade representative to investigate the 60 trading partners for unfair trade practices earlier this year. The investigation then found that the 59 countries and the EU were not doing enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. Trump then pointed to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to impose tariffs on countries determined to be engaging in unfair trade practices.

TRUMP LEAVES CHINA WITH BREAKTHROUGHS — AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON XI’S BIGGEST FIGHTS

“The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told NBC News.

“A foreign country’s failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce, including American workers, and must be addressed. Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally durable tool since the president’s first term, and they remain so now,” he added.

TRUMP’S SCOTUS PREDICTION TAKES ON NEW WEIGHT AHEAD OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP RULING

The lawsuit comes days after Trump lashed out at the Supreme Court over its rulings on his tariff policies and birthright citizenship, arguing they cost the U.S. “trillions.”

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“Does anybody have any idea how much Money and Prestige the United States Supreme Court has cost our Nation with their negative Rulings on Birthright Citizenship and TARIFFS?” he asked in a Wednesday Truth Social post.

“The answer, TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS!” he said.

The U.S. soybean industry is working to meet growing global demand despite operating with less farmland and fewer farms.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. had about 943 million acres of farmland in 2000. That figure has since fallen about 7% to 874 million acres. The USDA also reported that the country lost approximately 307,000 farms over the same period.

Meanwhile, global demand for American agricultural products, particularly soybeans, has surged. Farmers are seeking new markets for their crops while working to produce more from each acre.

Barry Alexander is a seventh-generation farmer in Cadiz, Kentucky. Soybeans account for about half of the crops grown at Cundiff Farms during the summer.

TRUMP DECLARES FOOD SUPPLY EMERGENCY, SUSPENDS TARIFFS ON KEY FERTILIZER IMPORTS

Alexander said he has not lost farmland to urban development, but he has noticed farms shrinking as cities expand into rural areas.

“Land is going away every day, and that’s one commodity they’re not going to reproduce,” Alexander said. “Whenever that land is gone and gone out of production, it’s no longer going to be farmland. The population is increasing, and the demand for food is increasing.”

TRUMP DEFENDS TARIFFS AHEAD OF LOOMING MIDTERMS, SAYS THEY HAVE MADE THE US ‘A FORTUNE’

Kentucky’s soybean harvest begins in September and runs through October. A portion of Alexander’s crop is shipped overseas, including to China, the top customer for U.S. soybeans.

“A lot of our product is actually for export. We put it on the rivers here nearby, and it ships down to the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans and is actually shipped overseas,” Alexander said. 

In 2025, China agreed to purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually. The country initially failed to meet that benchmark as President Donald Trump’s trade war escalated.

The American Soybean Association said China later began purchasing more American soybeans as prices rallied.

“We’re on a positive trend, but we still got a long ways to go to completely hit the targets that they’ve agreed to,” Caleb Ragland, chairman of the American Soybean Association, said. “Obviously, we’ve had some bumps in the road in our relationship, but they’re too big of a customer to just write off.”

Ragland said China consumes more soy than any other country combined. Much of it is processed into soy protein used to raise pigs and poultry, two major staples in Chinese cuisine.

“They need our soy protein to help grow and produce their meat protein that their people want,” Ragland said.

TRUMP DECLARES FOOD SUPPLY EMERGENCY, SUSPENDS TARIFFS ON KEY FERTILIZER IMPORTS

China currently has a 10% tariff on all U.S. agricultural products. Chinese officials have discussed removing the tariff, which Ragland said would make American soybeans more competitive with South American producers.

South America remains a major force in the global soybean trade.

“I mean, that’s been a 10% tax that has made us uncompetitive when it comes to the cash price that the Chinese customers would pay for soybeans,” Ragland said.

A portion of soybean profits goes into a checkoff program that the United Soybean Board uses to research and develop new markets for the crop.

Since the Soy Checkoff was established under the 1990 Farm Bill, annual American soybean production has increased from 2 billion bushels to about 4 billion bushels.

“We treat every acre individually, and we treat it to produce the most it possibly can,” Alexander said. 

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Brent Gatton, chairman of the United Soybean Board, said checkoff investments have helped open new fuel markets and supported U.S. soybean trade with more than 90 countries.

“Because of the checkoff, there are thousands of new uses we get. Soy oil is in Goodyear tires and artificial turf, and soy foam is a great success story,” Gatton said. 

Farmers hope this year’s higher soy prices mixed with larger purchases could help them at least break even after years of high input costs.

Homeowners associations (HOAs) across the nation are reportedly taking a tougher stance on unpaid dues, pursuing foreclosure against more homeowners as communities grapple with mounting financial pressures.

Real estate experts say the aggressive collection efforts are being driven by rising operating costs, shrinking reserve funds and concerns that unpaid assessments could leave associations unable to cover essential expenses. 

According to real estate analytics firm ATTOM, HOA-related foreclosures jumped nearly 40% compared with two years earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported. The report also found HOA foreclosures are rising faster than overall mortgage foreclosure rates.

“HOAs are being forced into more aggressive collections to avoid their own financial collapse,” Brian Fox, co-founder of real estate technology firm Benutech, which tracks HOA delinquency trends and foreclosures, told WSJ.

AVERAGE MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENT HITS NEW HIGH, TOPPING $2K FOR FIRST TIME EVER

HOAs typically rely on monthly or annual dues from residents to fund maintenance, repairs, insurance, landscaping and other community services. But as some homeowners struggle with higher living costs and mounting expenses, more associations are facing a rise in delinquent accounts. 

Rather than offering extended grace periods, some associations are moving delinquent accounts to attorneys more quickly or filing liens against homeowners who fall behind on assessments. 

The crackdown is affecting communities ranging from suburban condominium complexes to luxury neighborhoods, according to the report. 

CALIFORNIA BUILT MORE HOMES THAN PEOPLE OVER SIX YEARS – SO WHY IS HOUSING STILL SO TIGHT?

Benutech Data Insights found that homeowner associations have filed a sharp increase in liens, which are legal claims placed on a property when a homeowner falls behind on assessments, fees or fines. In many states, unpaid liens can eventually lead to foreclosure.

In 2025, HOAs reportedly filed 284,933 liens against homeowners, roughly one every 90 seconds. That figure represents an 8.6% increase from 2024, according to property records compiled by Benutech Data Insights. 

Financial strain has also intensified within homeowner associations themselves. 

A late-2025 report by Reserve Study found that nearly three-quarters of association-governed communities are underfunded. Specifically, 74% of associations were less than 70% funded, meaning they may not have sufficient reserve savings to pay for expected repairs and capital projects. 

At the same time, HOAs have been hit with rising costs for staffing, landscaping, maintenance and building materials. 

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Insurance has become one of the biggest cost drivers. 

According to the Foundation for Community Association Research, 93% of surveyed associations reported increases in property and casualty insurance premiums. 

More than half those premiums rose between 11% and 25%, while about 10% reported increases exceeding 100%, adding further pressure on HOA budgets and increasing the need to collect assessments from homeowners on time.

Putting Iran aside for a moment, I want to point out, besides Iranian news, just how strong the American economy is — war or not. By the way, the Dow Jones index just hit a new record high of 53,178.  

Today’s Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index came in far higher than consensus estimates, and scored its seventh straight monthly gain. We haven’t seen anything like this in years. And if you run your finger down the survey category — whether its new orders, or production, or employment, or even order backlogs, it’s a power-packed report. Seven straight months.

From a policy standpoint, two big issues: first, the One Big Beautiful Republican Bill, and its immediate 100 percent expensing of business investments, including the whole semiconductor connectivity, power networking boom, is driving this manufacturing renaissance. 

And, second, although mainstream economists may not like it, tariffs have refocused businesses domestic production away from offshoring. Hat-tip to our pal John Carney on this one.

This manufacturing report comes after a badly misunderstood GDP report — where the topline was only 1.5 percent growth, but the guts of the economy, which is consumer spending and business investment, actually grew at 3.9 percent. And here too, business equipment is up more than 15 percent, all at an annual rate.

Unemployment claims are at record lows. Nobody’s getting fired. The AI doomsters are wrong. Jobs are rising, not falling. The American dollar is strong. Hopefully exerting lower inflation pressures.  And the aforementioned manufacturing AI productivity boom is leading to soaring profits, lower economy-wide costs, and guess what? A record breaking Dow. 53,178 at the close. How about those apples?

Walmart shoppers in 19 states are being urged to check their pantries after a Walmart-exclusive pistachio nut butter was recalled over potential Salmonella contamination.

New York-based Botticelli Foods voluntarily recalled one lot of Bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter after routine testing “identified the presence of Salmonella,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday. 

The product, manufactured in Italy by Gustibus Alimentari S.r.l., was sold exclusively at Walmart and distributed to stores in 19 states, officials said. 

MILLIONS OF PRESCRIPTION EYE DROPS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

The affected lot was distributed to Walmart stores in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming. 

The safety alert applies only to lot LB028ACP04, according to the FDA. 

The affected item comes in 6.7-ounce glass jars with an expiration date of Jan. 28, 2027, and a Universal Product Code (UPC) of 194346207961.

Federal regulators said Walmart was notified of the potential contamination on July 17, 2026, after Salmonella was detected in three jars during a routine inventory inspection conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) at a Walmart store. 

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled product. 

MORE THAN 120K REFRIGERATORS RECALLED AFTER 34 FIRES AND ONE REPORTED DEATH

Customers who purchased the affected nut butter should stop consuming it immediately and return it to a Walmart store for a full refund, officials said.

According to the recall notice, consuming food contaminated with Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, older adults, frail individuals, people with weakened immune systems, and other vulnerable populations. 

Symptoms of infection may include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare cases, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses, including arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. 

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Consumers seeking more information about the recall can contact Botticelli Foods at quality@botticellifoods.com or 631-543-7000, ext. 203, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. 

Botticelli Foods did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOX Business.

An Atlanta-area amusement park that was the home of the largest zero-G stall roller coaster in the country closed for the last time on Sunday.

Fun Spot America Atlanta’s location in Fayetteville had its final day of operation on August 2, after the amusement park had been in operation for 36 years.

It opened as Dixieland Fun Park in 1990 under different ownership, and it was later renamed Fun Junction USA before it was acquired by Fun Spot in 2017. The company’s plan to close the park was announced in late June.

The park was known for the ArieForce One, which claimed the title of being the largest zero-G stall ride in the country.

ATLANTA-AREA AMUSEMENT PARK WITH LARGEST ZERO-G STALL ROLLER COASTER IN AMERICA TO CLOSE

The ArieForce One features a 146-foot first drop at an 83-degree angle, with the ride reaching a top speed of 64 mph, according to Fun Spot America. It has a height requirement of 48 inches and lasts about 100 seconds.

It reaches a maximum vertical G of 3.75, with a minimum vertical G of minus 1 and a max lateral G of plus or minus 1.25 G.

Fun Spot America Theme Parks owner and CEO John Arie, Jr., told USA Today that the Fayetteville location struggled to rebound in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic despite the opening of the new ride, which was named in honor of his father.

DISNEYLAND VISITORS FACE GROWING WAVE OF RIDE CLOSURES, SHOW SHUTDOWNS HEADING INTO SUMMER 2026

Arie said in the interview that the roller coaster is too large to fit at either of the company’s Florida theme parks, so they will look to find a buyer for the ride.

He told the outlet he was thankful for the employees, who the company is helping with resumes, recommendations and potential job opportunities at the company’s locations in Central Florida, adding that he hopes the park’s patrons will visit Fun Spot’s other theme parks.

“From my family to yours, we thank everybody that’s come to this Fayetteville location, and we hope that we’ve earned your business to visit us in Florida if you ever come down to Central Florida, and we’ll always do our best to have your family have the best experience on our properties,” Arie told USA Today.

SIX FLAGS TO SELL 7 AMUSEMENT PARKS IN DEAL WORTH MORE THAN $330M

Fun Spot America opened its first theme park in 1979 with its Orlando location. It also operates an amusement park in Kissimmee, Florida.

The company’s Orlando and Kissimmee locations will remain open, and will honor season passes and gift cards.

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A coalition of 15 red-state attorneys general warned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Monday to preserve documents and halt certain high-risk cybersecurity tests after an experimental artificial intelligence agent allegedly escaped a controlled environment and carried out a multi-day hack into outside computer systems.

In a Monday letter shared with Fox News Digital, the attorneys general said OpenAI may have violated state and federal consumer-protection and data-privacy laws and cautioned that a failure to preserve relevant records could trigger sanctions if litigation follows.

“A failure to take immediate action to preserve such materials could result in spoliation sanctions if litigation were to ensue,” Iowa Republican AG Brenna Bird’s letter, signed by GOP AGs from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, read.

“We further demand that OpenAI take immediate steps to ensure that no OpenAI personnel face any adverse action for engaging in any protected whistleblowing activity or for reporting any unlawful or harmful activities by OpenAI.”

FLORIDA SUES OPENAI AND SAM ALTMAN CLAIMING CHATGPT IS UNSAFE FOR USERS

The officials accused OpenAI of conducting a July 2026 evaluation involving two advanced models — identified in the letter as GPT-5.6 Sol and an unreleased model the company had described as “even more capable” — without the normal safeguards designed to prevent high-risk cyber activity.

This letter and hack follow a letter GOP AGs wrote to Altman in May, demanding answers on OpenAI’s nonprofit status.

“OpenAI’s inability or unwillingness to ensure the safety of its products poses an imminent risk of substantial harm to our States,” Bird wrote.

“We intend to take decisive action to protect our citizens.”

ELON MUSK ATTORNEY CLAIMS OPENAI, SAM ALTMAN ‘STOLE A CHARITY’ AS HIGH-STAKES LEGAL FIGHT BEGINS

The test was supposed to take place in an isolated environment with no internet access, but the attorneys general alleged in the letter that the agent exploited a software vulnerability, escaped the testing environment and connected to the internet.

“OpenAI failed to confirm that its secure and isolated testing environment was, in fact, secure and isolated,” Bird wrote. “It was not.”

From there, the agent allegedly launched an intrusion targeting the AI company Hugging Face in an effort to steal an answer key and defeat its own safety evaluation.

Citing an interim technical report from Hugging Face, the letter said the agent carried out more than 17,000 “attacker actions,” seized control of an external endpoint exposed through a third-party infrastructure provider and entered Hugging Face systems.

OPENAI DIDN’T REALIZE ITS AGENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HACK FOR A WEEK: REPORT

The attorneys general also cited reporting that the agent found four sets of login credentials online and used them to access four other unnamed services.

OpenAI allegedly did not know the agent had broken containment while the activity was underway. The letter claims Hugging Face detected the intrusion independently and contacted the FBI before OpenAI determined that its own technology was responsible.

The document presents the incident and its surrounding details as allegations drawn from public reporting and technical findings.

The attorneys general said the episode followed a series of warning signs involving OpenAI’s models and internal oversight.

OPENAI CO-FOUNDER WARNS AI MODELS ARE BECOMING HARDER TO CONTROL AFTER ITS MODEL HACKED ANOTHER FIRM

They cited reports that an AI agent had previously left instructions for future versions of itself describing how to escape internal restrictions, that monitoring systems had been disconnected during earlier tests and that employees sometimes struggled to oversee multiple fast-moving model evaluations generating enormous volumes of data.

“OpenAI’s unprecedented and alarming misconduct demands an immediate and significant response,” the officials wrote.

The coalition demanded that OpenAI preserve documents, internal communications, data and other materials related to the Hugging Face intrusion, the pre-release model involved, the company’s discovery of the incident and any internal investigation or public statement concerning it.

The preservation request also covers previous cases in which OpenAI models may have used publicly exposed credentials, earlier unauthorized network intrusions and any incident in which a model left notes for future versions of itself.

ANTHROPIC SAYS AI MODELS ACCESSED SYSTEMS OF 3 REAL ORGANIZATIONS DURING TESTING

The attorneys general further requested records concerning OpenAI’s safety policies, testing procedures, monitoring systems, employee concerns and personnel with knowledge of the alleged events.

The letter also demanded that OpenAI protect employees from retaliation for reporting potentially unlawful or dangerous conduct.

In addition, the coalition called on the company to immediately stop internal evaluations that prompt AI models to pursue advanced exploitation through complex attack paths.

“Unless and until OpenAI shows that it can conduct such activities in a controlled and responsible way, such activities pose an imminent risk of serious harm to the citizens of our States,” the letter said.

Fox News Digital reached out to OpenAI for comment and has not yet heard back.

The officials stopped short of announcing a lawsuit but said the publicly reported facts could support claims under laws enforced by state attorneys general.

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“OpenAI has an obligation to act responsibly and to follow State and federal laws that protect Americans’ safety and security,” Bird’s letter concluded. “When OpenAI takes actions that imperil the welfare of our citizens, State Attorneys General will step in to protect them.

“We intend to take all steps necessary to protect our States and all Americans from the unprecedented risks posed by OpenAI’s irresponsible products and conduct.”

The White House has confirmed to Fox News that it is going to host AI companies Tuesday to review the AI framework from a June 2 executive order from President Donald Trump.

Oil prices fell on Monday as markets embraced hopes for the de-escalation of the Iran war, despite uncertainty over the prospects for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled he was holding off on ordering fresh strikes against Iran and said he did so because U.S. allies in the Middle East have reached the outline of an agreement to end the war, adding it would “include the Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”

Trump indicated the negotiations would begin on Monday afternoon, which caused oil prices to slide on the potential deal to restore the flow of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz that have been constrained amid the threat of Iranian attacks and mines amid the conflict.

Prices for West Texas Intermediate crude, a key U.S. benchmark, were down about 6.2% during Monday morning, trading around $79.45 a barrel after a decline of about $5. Brent crude oil prices were down over 3.5% at around $79.30 a barrel.

FORGET GASOLINE: THIS OVERLOOKED FUEL COULD RAISE THE PRICE OF NEARLY EVERYTHING YOU BUY

A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry said in a report by Reuters that no negotiations with the U.S. were occurring or scheduled, adding that the only ongoing discussions were with Oman over the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices spiked above $110 a barrel earlier this year as the conflict disrupted oil shipments from the Middle East, as tanker traffic plummeted due to the threat of missile and drone strikes by Iran as well as mines laid in the key shipping lanes of the Strait.

AAA NATIONAL GAS PRICE TOPS $4 AMID RENEWED US STRIKES ON IRAN

Before the outbreak of the conflict, oil prices were in the $60 to $70 a barrel range, and the rise caused gas prices in the U.S. to surge. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.095 as of Monday, up 7% from a month ago and 30% from a year ago, which has pressured household budgets.

Trump wrote in a post on his Truth social media platform that Chevron CEO Mike Wirth gave “all of the reasons that his company is doing so well,” in an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo, but added that his administration has helped facilitate that success and urged him to lower prices for consumers.

WHITE HOUSE, GAS STATIONS POINT FINGERS OVER STUBBORN PRICES WHILE LOCATIONS THAT SLASHED PRICES SEE BOOM

“The only thing he conveniently forgot to mention is that, without the genius, foresight, strength, and stability, of the TRUMP Administration, the Oil Industry, and our Country itself, would be DEAD! As an example, they threw Mike and Chevron out of Venezuela, but now they’re back, far bigger and stronger than ever before, expecting to make a fortune! That goes for other Oil Companies as well…and get your consumer (retail!) Oil Prices DOWN, NOW!” Trump wrote.

The White House has previously criticized gas stations for not lowering prices, accusing them of padding profit margins.

Groups representing smaller gas stations and energy marketers have pushed back on the argument, saying that retail prices are linked to oil prices and that they typically decline over several weeks after oil prices decline due to the need to turn over higher-cost inventory.

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The California Democratic Party is supporting a proposed one-time wealth tax on billionaires of up to 5%.

Californians will decide whether to adopt the proposal during the 2026 midterm election.

The party’s executive board voted in favor of backing the proposal on Sunday, according to The Sacramento Bee.

BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES

The San Francisco Standard reported that according to Jane Natoli, who sits on the party’s resolutions committee, an initial vote barely failed to clear the 60% bar required for ratification, earning 59.2% support. But another vote cleared the threshold, scoring about 61.7% support, the outlet noted.

As the close votes demonstrated, Democrats are divided on the issue.

SOME RICH CALIFORNIANS ARE GIVING AWAY CASH TO SKIRT THE STATE’S PROPOSED BILLIONAIRE TAX

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., supports the proposal.

But Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited from running for re-election, has said he will vote against it. 

CONSERVATIVES FLIP SCRIPT ON NEWSOM AFTER HE DEMANDED 25TH AMENDMENT FOR TRUMP: ‘PROPPED UP A VEGETABLE’

“But I’m voting no because this measure dedicates almost all of the revenue it raises to a single category of state spending,” he wrote in a June Substack post. “So here is what I support: A national billionaires’ tax. A true minimum tax on billionaires — a modern Buffett Rule — that ensures the people at the very top pay at least the tax rate their own workers pay.”

President Donald Trump’s War Department is supercharging missile-defense production, signing framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production capacity for components used in two defense systems.

The deals aim to quadruple output of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor structural components and support a threefold increase in Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) production, according to a War Department release Monday.

“Building the Arsenal of Freedom requires robust, dynamic supply chains at every level of the industrial base,” Michael Duffey, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, wrote in a statement. “Framework agreements with munition components suppliers like Northrop Grumman are vital to accelerating the tripling of PAC-3 and quadrupling of THAAD interceptor production.”

LOCKHEED MARTIN SNAGS $5 BILLION US ARMY MISSILE CONTRACT

The department said the agreements would give suppliers longer-term demand commitments needed to invest in tooling, facility upgrades and workforce development.

Financial terms and production timelines were not included in the War Department announcement, but Northrop Grumman said it entered into agreements worth a combined $3 billion. The deals include a $2 billion agreement to supply rocket motors and safety devices and a $1 billion agreement to increase deliveries of THAAD components.

“Our long-term investments in breakthrough manufacturing technologies and resilient supply chains let us pivot from steady production to a production surge in record time,” Northrop Grumman Vice President Ben Davies wrote in a statement. “As one of America’s leading producers of solid rocket motors, we’re supporting the administration’s push to accelerate munitions output.”

“It’s a mission-critical leap forward that ensures America’s defense edge stays sharper, faster, and farther ahead of global threats,” Davies continued.

DEFENSE CONTRACTOR L3HARRIS PLANS TO BUY AEROJET ROCKETDYNE FOR $4.7B

Northrop said it plans to raise PAC-3 solid rocket motor production at its Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, where the company has doubled tactical motor capacity since 2021 and expects to triple production capability by 2027. It will support U.S. Army plans to increase annual PAC-3 MSE missile production from about 600 units to thousands for U.S. forces and allied countries.

The deal establishes a second source for solid rocket motors and increases production of ignition safety devices. The Pentagon said adding another rocket-motor supplier would increase competition and reduce supply-chain risks.

Northrop is also doubling solid rocket motor capacity at its Utah facilities and increasing capacity by 25% at its Elkton, Maryland, plant.

HOW MUCH WILL TRUMP’S ‘GOLDEN DOME’ MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM COST?

Under the THAAD agreement, Northrop will increase monthly deliveries of structural components, including interceptor shell cores, aft bulkheads and heat-shield assemblies. The company has supplied components for the missile-defense system since 2002.

Northrop said it has invested more than $2 billion in munitions-related technologies and facilities since 2019, including more than $1 billion for solid rocket motor production.

Lockheed announced a seven-year contract modification for up to $53.86 billion for PAC-3s. The award brings the total multiyear contract value to $58.62 billion, following the $4.7 billion UCA awarded in April for year one.

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The agreements were developed with the Munitions Acceleration Council, the Economic Defense Unit, the Missile Defense Agency and the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, the War Department said.

Myspace could soon make a comeback after nearly two decades on the decline, as its owners seek a fresh start to compete with the current social media giants.

The owners of the once-popular social media platform, brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook, announced plans to relaunch MySpace with a new vision.

The brothers said they want to create a platform that feels different from current social media platforms, which many users complain are too focused on algorithms and are designed to encourage endless scrolling.

The Vanderhooks said in a new documentary, “Myspace,” that they “built an entirely new Myspace,” but it did not work out.

META EMPLOYEES SUE ON ALLEGATIONS COMPANY USED AI TO TARGET WORKERS ON MEDICAL, PARENTAL LEAVE FOR LAYOFFS

“We really tried to modernize it, but it was a different company at that point. It wasn’t the same Myspace,” Tim explained in the documentary.

Chris added, “By that time, they had been through four other sets of management and CEOs. We were going to be the fifth ones, and I think that there were a lot of the people who were really just done.”

The two now plan to relaunch the platform at some point, but a target date has not yet been set.

“And if that one doesn’t work, we’ll do it again,” Tim said.

FOUR STATES SEEKING $1.4 TRILLION IN PENALTIES IN CHILD SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION TRIAL, META SAYS

Tom Anderson, Myspace’s co-founder and everyone’s automatic first friend, sold the company in 2005 and is not expected to be involved in the Vanderhooks’ upcoming initiative.

MySpace first launched in 2003, becoming one of the biggest social networking websites in the world, known for customizable profiles, music features and a “Top Friends” list before Facebook eventually surpassed it as the top social media application.

Between 2005 and 2008, Myspace was considered the most popular social media website. MySpace and Facebook would both attract roughly 115 million visitors per month in 2008, but Facebook surpassed MySpace in global website traffic around that time and overtook Myspace in unique U.S. visitors in 2009, taking control of Myspace’s most important demographic.

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Facebook never looked back, as its growth in the next few years was too much for MySpace to overcome, capped off by a max exodus in 2010.

Myspace can still be accessed, but it is nowhere near what it once was. Tom Anderson is also still accessible, but he has not posted on the platform in 13 years.

Owners of a popular bitcoin storage device are being urged to protect their cryptocurrency after security researchers said a software flaw may have allowed attackers to steal roughly $70 million worth of bitcoin in less than an hour.

Forbes first reported the attacks, which researchers at Galaxy Research say drained more than 1,000 bitcoin from 1,196 digital wallets in just 41 minutes on July 30.

Galaxy later identified two additional suspected waves of suspicious activity, bringing the estimated losses to nearly $89 million.

CRASHSTEALER MAC MALWARE STEALS PASSWORDS AND WALLETS

The firm cautioned that its findings are based on blockchain analysis and that it has not confirmed every affected wallet was created using the vulnerable software.

The issue involves Coldcard, a handheld device many cryptocurrency investors use to store bitcoin offline instead of leaving it on a cryptocurrency exchange. Often called a “hardware wallet,” the device is designed to keep hackers from accessing a user’s bitcoin over the internet.

According to a security advisory from Block’s Bitcoin Engineering and Security team, a coding mistake in certain versions of Coldcard may have weakened one of the wallet’s key security features.

PAIDWORK BREACH EXPOSES 23M USER RECORDS

Block said the software bug may have made some of those recovery phrases predictable enough for sophisticated attackers to figure them out under certain circumstances, potentially allowing them to steal bitcoin without ever physically touching the wallet.

The company said it released its findings because it believes the attacks are still happening, though researchers cautioned they are continuing to study exactly how the vulnerability is being exploited.

Canadian company Coinkite, which makes Coldcard, has since released a software update to prevent the problem from affecting newly created wallets.

KARR BLUETOOTH FLAW EXPOSES 2.2M CARS TO THEFT RISK

However, the company warned that simply installing the update will not protect people who already created a recovery phrase using the affected software.

Instead, Coinkite is urging those users to create a brand-new recovery phrase using the updated software and move their bitcoin into the newly secured wallet.

“Updating the firmware does not repair a seed that was generated by affected firmware,” the company said in a security advisory. “A new seed must be generated and the funds migrated to the new wallet.”

Coinkite also warned that moving the same recovery phrase into another wallet does not solve the problem because the weakness follows the recovery phrase itself, not the physical device.

Coinkite CEO Rodolfo Novak issued a public apology on X, saying the company was “heartbroken” and taking “full accountability for the firmware bug.”

“I’m sorry and I’m devastated,” Novak wrote. “Our team is heartbroken about yesterday’s news.”

Novak urged customers to act immediately.

“If you generated a seed using a Coldcard wallet, move your funds now, using our updated best practices, before reading further,” he wrote.

He also asked the public to help spread the warning.

“If you know anyone who owns a Coldcard, please make sure they see this,” Novak wrote. “Some affected users may not be watching social media right now, and every hour matters.”

Novak said Coinkite is still working to determine exactly how many people may have been affected and plans to publish a detailed explanation of what went wrong after its investigation is complete.

“We do not have full attribution or scope of the issue yet, and we won’t speculate until our full technical evaluation is complete,” Novak wrote.

The company said it will also help affected customers who want to file police reports or insurance claims and is cooperating with blockchain investigators and law enforcement agencies.

The warning quickly spread across the cryptocurrency industry.

“If you’re using a COLDCARD, any version firmware or MK, migrate your funds immediately,” Jan3 CEO Samson Mow wrote on X. “If you know someone who is, let them know ASAP… Attacks are ongoing so do it quickly.”

While the initial warning focused on older Coldcard devices, Coinkite has since expanded the list of affected products to include additional models and software versions.

The company also said customers who created their recovery phrase using at least 50 private dice rolls are not affected by this specific flaw alone. However, Coinkite recommends that anyone who is unsure how their wallet was set up create a new recovery phrase and move their funds as a precaution.

Block emphasized that none of its own products or customers are affected by the vulnerability. The company said it published its findings after working with anonymous security researchers and receiving reports from Coldcard users.

Separately, developers of Jack Dorsey’s Bitkey wallet said they are investigating a different reported issue involving their product but are not advising customers to stop using the wallet.

“Our recommendation is to continue to use your Bitkey normally,” Bitkey developer Clay Garrett wrote on X.

Garrett said the reported issue would require “exceptional circumstances” to exploit and would not give an attacker enough information to steal customers’ funds.

“Our assessment is this presents no risk of remote drains or immediate funds loss,” Garrett wrote.

FOX Business reached out to Coinkite, Galaxy Research, Block, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and Chainalysis for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Nearly 23,000 pounds of Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler products are being recalled over concerns they may be contaminated with metal slivers, federal regulators said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the recalled products were sold in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia, as well as through Department of War commissaries and online sales.

According to FSIS, the products may be contaminated with a foreign material, specifically metal slivers.

The recall was initiated after a customer found a piece of metal in one of the products.

FROZEN BURRITOS SOLD AT COSTCO PROMPT PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT OVER UNDECLARED ALLERGEN

“The problem was discovered after the establishment received a consumer complaint regarding a metal piece found in a fully cooked product,” FSIS said in its recall announcement.

No injuries have been confirmed, according to FSIS.

“Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider,” the agency said.

PUBLIX EXPANDS FROZEN BERRY RECALL AMID E COLI OUTBREAK THAT SICKENED 12

The recall affects products manufactured between July 1 and July 29, 2026.

The recalled products include 62.4-ounce bulk pans and 4.8-ounce single-serving trays of Ukrop’s Baked Spaghetti, along with 48-ounce family-size pans and 11.6-ounce single-serving trays of Ukrop’s Chicken Cobbler.

All affected products carry “best by” dates ranging from July 8 through Aug. 5.

Consumers who purchased the recalled products, including those stored in freezers, should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The recall comes after Rich Products Corp. recalled thousands of cases of its Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers in June because the frozen snacks may have contained metal pieces.

More than 160,000 pounds of the frozen snacks were recalled across 21 states, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

FOX Business’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Nearly 12 million bottles of Rohto eye drops have been recalled over concerns they may not be sterile, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement report.

The voluntary recall was issued by Vietnam-based Rohto-Mentholatum and includes eye drops marketed to relieve redness, dryness and eye strain.

According to the FDA, the recall affects 11,960,623 cartons of Rohto Cooling Eye Drops distributed nationwide.

The FDA said the products were recalled because of a “lack of assurance of sterility,” meaning the eye drops cannot be guaranteed to be free of potentially harmful microorganisms.

MILLIONS OF PRESCRIPTION EYE DROPS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

Federal regulators classified the action as a Class II recall, meaning use of the products could cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, but serious adverse health consequences are unlikely.

The recall covers eight Rohto Cooling Eye Drops products — including ALL-IN-ONE, Max Strength, Optic Glow, Digi Eye, Dry Aid and Cool Relief — in single and twin-pack configurations.

Affected products carry expiration dates ranging from July 2025 through February 2029. Consumers should compare the lot number and expiration date on their packaging with the manufacturer’s recall notice or the FDA’s website to determine whether their product is included.

MORE THAN 120K REFRIGERATORS RECALLED AFTER 34 FIRES AND ONE REPORTED DEATH

The eye drops were manufactured by Rohto-Mentholatum in Vietnam and distributed by The Mentholatum Company, based in Orchard Park, New York.

Consumers whose products are included in the recall should stop using them immediately and either dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The recall comes after the FDA recently classified the recall of more than 2.5 million bottles of a prescription steroid eye medication as a Class II action because of concerns about foreign material found in certain lots.

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Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. voluntarily recalled 2,530,182 bottles of prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension USP, 1%, after the presence of a foreign substance was identified, according to an FDA enforcement report.

Last month, the FDA also announced the recall of certain lots of generic cetirizine hydrochloride tablets, commonly sold as generic versions of Zyrtec, over concerns they may have been cross-contaminated with another medication that could trigger potentially life-threatening reactions.

FOX Business’ Brittany Miller and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert for a frozen burrito sold at Costco because officials claim it contains an undeclared allergen.

A product labeled as Red’s Steak Cilantro and Lime Burrito, which was produced on June 19, contains egg not declared on its label.

The burritos were shipped to Costco stores in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

MORE THAN 12,000 POUNDS OF BACON RECALLED AFTER USDA ISSUES HIGHEST-RISK ALERT

A recall for the product wasn’t issued because the burritos are no longer for sale, but the USDA said they could be inside customers’ freezers.

The problem was discovered after a consumer flagged the issue to the company after they realized there was egg inside the burrito, and the company notified the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

No adverse reactions have been reported after eating the burrito.

CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK: IS IT STILL SAFE TO EAT AT RESTAURANTS? HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW

The burritos were both packaged individually and sold 10 in a 3 lb, 2 oz. carton.

The product lots for the affected burritos include: L1 SD6170 1503, L1 SD6170 1535, L1 SD6170 1606, L1 SD6170 1639, L1 SD6170 1717, L1 SD6170 1750, L1 SD6170 1831, L1 SD6170 1908, L1 SD6170 1954, L1 SD6170 2031, L1 SD6170 2108, and L1 SD6170 2130 on the side of the label.

They also have “EST. 46069” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Anyone who finds one of the burritos in their freezer is urged to throw them out or return them to where they were bought.

Red’s and Costco did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment.

More than 132,000 fireworks rockets sold nationwide have been recalled after federal safety regulators warned they could explode before reaching their intended height, posing explosion and burn hazards.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday that Jake’s Fireworks is recalling about 132,440 World Class Fireworks “Skull Strobe” rockets. 

The agency said the rockets can explode prematurely before reaching their intended height, creating a risk of serious injury. No incidents or injuries have been reported. 

A representative for Jake’s Fireworks did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment. 

MORE THAN 120K REFRIGERATORS RECALLED AFTER 34 FIRES AND ONE REPORTED DEATH

The recall involves World Class Fireworks “Skull Strobe” rockets mounted on wooden sticks and packaged in black boxes featuring a skull graphic, the brand name, product name and a warning label. The affected products carry SKU code 1004351, which appears near the bottom of the packaging.

Consumers should stop using the recalled fireworks immediately and contact Jake’s Fireworks for a full refund, according to the CPSC. 

Customers will be asked to return the recalled products to the retail location where they purchased them or the nearest Jake’s Fireworks retail location.

PUBLIX EXPANDS FROZEN BERRY RECALL AMID E COLI OUTBREAK THAT SICKENED 12

The recalled fireworks were sold at fireworks stores nationwide from March 2025 through June 2026 for between $12 and $25.

Jake’s Fireworks Inc., based in Pittsburg, Kansas, imported the recalled products, which were manufactured in China.

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Consumers seeking additional information can contact Jake’s Fireworks toll-free at 855-587-8816 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email stroberecall@jakesfireworks.com or visit the company’s recall webpage.

Now, in case you didn’t see it, please rush out, get today’s Wall Street Journal, and read James Freeman’s fabulous column: “How about Reagan-Style Reconciliation?” All right. I was there as a young man, deputy in the Office of Management and Budget, and it’s all music to my ears.

Basically, President Reagan’s tax cut magic. The first major vote was roughly 45 years ago, July, 1981. Reagan’s big tax cut bill passed the House by 238 to 195 votes. It was a Democratic House, remember that. A bit later by the by, the Senate would pass it 89 to 11. It was a Republican Senate.

The Gipper signed the legislation at his ranch that August. Now, this was absolutely the key element to the Reagan revolution, which was a supply-side revolution, which basically argued that you lower taxes to promote growth, jobs, wages, wealth, and a strong national security. Reagan’s tax cuts brought joy and prosperity to a whole nation desperately in need of both. 

Now, as Art Laffer puts it, if you tax something less, you get more of it. You tax the whole economy less as Reagan did, and the economic pie grew larger and larger.  In other words, incentives matter. If you keep more of what you earn, you’re going to work harder, invest more, take more risks, and the economy grew. Those 1981 tax cuts helped the economy roar. With real growth of about 5.5 percent per year for more than seven years during Ronald Reagan’s two terms. 

The stock market roared, as did jobs, and frankly, the whole national morale roared. It was so demoralized during the Carter years, but under Reagan, the animal spirits and the happiness indexes just jumped off the page. And the enormous growth in the American economy created the resources that ultimately Mr. Reagan used to destroy Soviet communism. Peace through strength was an integral part of supply side economics. Mr. Freeman does a wonderful job of reminding all of us of the phenomenal benefits of Mr. Reagan’s supply side tax cuts.

And yes, Mr. Laffer’s curve, the famous Laffer Curve, where he suggested that lower tax rates would produce higher tax revenues with more economic growth and less tax avoidance. Well, it worked out very well. The revenue base actually jumped by almost 25 percent during the whole Reagan boom.

Now, remember, Tip O’Neill was the liberal Democratic speaker. He opposed the Reagan tax cuts, but he got rolled. In the House, 48 Democrats voted for Reagan, who himself, by the way, started out in politics as a Democrat.

What a list of tax cuts. The 25 percent income tax was the headline led by the late Jack Kemp. There were lower taxes on marriage, estates, inheritance, capital gains, interest, dividends, savings, retirements, and businesses. Oh my God. And it worked.

The tax cut magic worked. So I’ll just say, why not remember those days 45 years ago? I remember it very well. How about the Republicans today, thinking about the midterms, but more importantly, thinking about our whole national economy, our whole morale, our whole happiness, our national security. These are things that are helped and virtually solved by lower tax rates across the board.

The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged this week despite three dissenting votes from Fed governors who would’ve preferred the central bank hike rates to help rein in stubbornly-high inflation, they explained on Friday.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed panel responsible for monetary policy moves, on Wednesday voted 9-3 to leave the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, where it has remained throughout 2026 so far.

The three dissenting votes were cast by Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan – each of whom raised concerns about inflation persisting above the central bank’s 2% target and said they would’ve preferred raising the federal funds rate by 25-basis-points.

Inflation trended lower in June but remains elevated from the energy price shock caused by the Iran war earlier this year, with the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, up 3.7% in June compared with a year ago.

FED POLICYMAKERS LEAVE RATES UNCHANGED AMID ELEVATED UNCERTAINTY

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, who was leading his second FOMC meeting since being confirmed as the central bank’s leader, acknowledged the importance of returning inflation to 2% to restore price stability even as he said that he thinks holding rates steady was “especially prudent at these uncertain times.”

“Not one of my FOMC colleagues is under any illusion, we have begun a new chapter, and we understand that the five-plus years of inflation above target cannot be cured in nine weeks, or by a single month of modest price decreases. This Fed will not waver. Our credibility rests on performing our duties and delivering on our responsibilities,” Warsh said.

Here’s a look at key points made by the three dissenting FOMC members in their explanations of why they would’ve preferred the central bank hike rates at this week’s policy meeting.

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE SHOWED PRICES PULLED BACK IN JUNE

Logan explained that inflation “does not appear to be on course to sustainably achieve” the Fed’s 2% target, adding that, “Every month of above-target inflation compounds the strain on the budgets of American families and businesses.”

“Even after accounting for productivity gains and temporary supply shocks, inflation appears to be trending toward the mid-2’s, not all the way to 2%, and the risks are to the upside,” Logan explained. She also noted the labor market is “solid and perhaps strengthening,” which eases concerns about the maximum employment component of the Fed’s dual mandate.

She added that conditions in the labor and financial markets, as well as consumer spending trends, suggest that “monetary policy is not restraining the economy. Without any policy restraint, inflation will likely continue to trend above target until there’s an unanticipated shock.”

“The FOMC cannot count on unanticipated shocks to achieve its goals and can always adjust policy if unanticipated shocks occur. Modest action in the near term would reduce the likelihood of needing to take sharper action later,” Logan said in explaining her preference for a rate hike.

FED CHAIR KEVIN WARSH SAYS CENTRAL BANK HAS ‘NO TOLERANCE’ FOR ELEVATED INFLATION

Kashkari discussed the similarities and differences between the current inflationary cycle and what the U.S. experienced in the 1970s with a series of successive supply shocks affecting commodities, food and energy markets; to the contemporary inflation caused by the pandemic, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and trade tension leading to higher tariffs.

While central bankers half a century ago initially thought they faced a single supply shock that could “look through” because it would pass on its own, they ultimately determined they needed to raise rates to curb the inflationary pressures, Kashkari explained.

“The economy today is in a much better place than it was then: unemployment is lower and inflation is much lower. But to manage against the risk that high inflation could become entrenched, I would rather tighten policy incrementally as we gather more data on the path of inflation and employment,” he wrote.

“If inflation remains elevated, in my view, a potential series of small policy moves would be better than waiting and eventually concluding that even bolder actions were necessary,” Kashkari said. “On the other hand, if inflation durably fades, a strategy of small policy steps would allow the FOMC to slow or pause subsequent adjustments without unnecessary impact on the real economy.”

BOFA CEO BRIAN MOYNIHAN DISMISSES RECESSION FEARS DESPITE WALL STREET’S MOST HAWKISH FED FORECAST

Hammack wrote that she is “not confident” that inflation will return to the Fed’s 2% target on its own, saying that the time is right for the central bank to take action to lower inflation as the “longer that high inflation persists, the more challenging and costly it can be to bring it back down.”

She noted that while energy price shocks have driven much of the inflation this year, she’s hearing from businesses in her Fed district that pricing pressures are “broadening rather than fading, and consumers are expressing despair over persistently higher prices.”

“Given the stability of the labor market, with the unemployment rate near my estimate of maximum employment, I view high inflation as the more pressing problem,” Hammock explained.

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“A higher federal funds rate would help restrain economic activity and reduce inflationary pressures. I preferred to move at our recent meeting because I did not see the current policy stance as appropriately restrictive,” she wrote.

A new rival to Wall Street officially debuted on Friday as the Texas Stock Exchange went fully live for the first time with trading available for all of its listed tickers.

The Texas Stock Exchange, which is based in Dallas, is the first new major stock exchange to launch in the U.S. in decades. The TXSE, called the “Tex-ee,” is looking to compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Composite for listings.

The exchange boasts several prominent financial backers, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and Charles Schwab, among others.

It currently plans to begin corporate listings later this year and intends to facilitate initial public offerings (IPOs) starting in 2027. The TXSE sees the economic rise of Texas and a broader swath of the South that it’s calling the “Boom Belt” as being the “center of gravity for American capitalism” and a market it can tap into for IPOs.

CALIFORNIA LOSES FORTUNE 500 CROWN TO TEXAS AS BILLIONAIRE TAX THREAT LOOMS

“As the only primary corporate and ETP listings venue built and headquartered in the Boom Belt, TXSE is both a product of the region’s rise and a catalyst to accelerate it,” TXSE explained.

The company’s website notes the region has an annualized GDP of $8.9 trillion – more than all world economies other than the U.S. and China. It adds that 40% of American exports pass through the Boom Belt, while 57% of U.S. job growth has occurred in the region in the last five years.

Currently, the exchange is operating from temporary offices in the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas, where it will hold a bell-ringing ceremony Friday afternoon to mark its official launch.

A NEW ECONOMIC IRON CURTAIN IS FALLING ACROSS AMERICA AS TRILLIONS IN WEALTH FLEE TO THE ‘BOOM BELT‘

The exchange plans to move its permanent headquarters to the city’s Bank of America Tower, where it will operate the Texas Market Center.

The tower will be the tallest building in Uptown Dallas when it’s completed. The exchange’s Texas Market Center will include executive offices, a Texas business museum and a broadcast studio.

An announcement by designer KPF from May added that the exchange will take up multiple areas within the building, including ground-floor space and a 12th floor sky lobby.

DELL SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE LEGAL MOVE FROM DELAWARE TO TEXAS

The opening of the Texas Stock Exchange comes as the Lone Star State is working to attract businesses looking to relocate their headquarters or change their state of incorporation, touting business-friendly policies and favorable tax regimes in comparison to states like California and Texas.

The Texas Stock Exchange’s rivals – the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq – have also expanded their footprint in the state of Texas and have enticed companies to dual list on the new duplicate exchanges at no cost.

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Police in Bulgaria evacuated nearly 200 passengers from a Viking cruise ship after the vessel ran aground due to “exceptionally low water levels” in the Danube River. 

The Bulgaria News Agency reported that the ship became stranded early Tuesday about 15 miles upstream from Vidin, where it planned to stop to take on supplies. Bulgarian border police ended up rescuing 186 passengers after another ship dispatched to the scene wasn’t able to get close enough to pick them up. 

“We can confirm that the Viking Ullur experienced a grounding incident on the Danube River on July 28, 2026, after coming into contact with a sandbank during a period of exceptionally low water levels,” Viking said Friday in a statement to FOX Business. 

“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. There were no injuries, and the vessel remained safe throughout the incident,” it added. “The ship was well-stocked with all necessary supplies, including food and water, to keep guests and crew safe and comfortable.” 

PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP WORKER DEAD AFTER GOING OVERBOARD NEAR CANCUN 

“Guests were safely transferred ashore and continued their planned itinerary, including a full day in Bucharest,” Viking also said. 

Attempts to refloat the vessel Tuesday morning were unsuccessful, according to the Bulgaria News Agency.

All of the passengers were from European countries and there were 52 crew members onboard as well, it added. 

CARNIVAL BEGINS BUILDING RECORD-BREAKING DESTINY CRUISE SHIP THAT BOOSTS NUMBER OF OCEAN-FINDING BALCONY CABINS 

The current status of the crew members and location of the ship wasn’t immediately clear. Viking did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the matter. 

Viking said on its website that the Viking Ullur, built in 2019, is 443 feet long. 

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A prolonged drought in the region has been setting record low water levels on the Danube River, The Associated Press reported. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview on Thursday that he expects economic growth to pick up later this year with core inflation trending lower, while he warned that there have been growing tensions with China over artificial intelligence and rare earths.

Bessent spoke with FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence following Thursday’s release of the initial estimate of second quarter GDP growth, which showed GDP slowed to 1.5% annualized growth from 2.1% in the first quarter.

The Treasury secretary said that the GDP “number is very noisy because a lot of that was very technical,” explaining that releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease energy prices came out of GDP and that “core GDP was actually quite strong.”

“We’re seeing manufacturing is doing well, the jobs numbers are strong, the consumer is strong. So it was a technical adjustment in the number, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Bessent said, adding that he thinks GDP is “going to be substantially above 2% for the year.”

US ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS UNEXPECTEDLY IN SECOND QUARTER

Thursday also saw the release of the June personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index which showed the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge slowed to an annual rate of 3.7% last month, down from 4.1% in May.

Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also declined to 3.3% from 3.4% the prior month. Both measures remain well above the Fed’s 2% target.

Bessent said that he sees the trend in core inflation as important, saying the report showed it and service inflation declining.

“Energy can be volatile,” Bessent added, saying that “we’ll get to the other side of the Iran war, and you know it will come down.”

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE SHOWED PRICES PULLED BACK IN JUNE

The Treasury secretary was also asked about recent economic friction between the U.S. and China over issues like AI development and supplies of rare earth minerals that are used in advanced tech and military hardware.

“The good thing is the overall relationship comes down from the top, and President Trump, Xi Jinping have a very good relationship. But, you know, that’s not an excuse for them to do things underneath the surface,” Bessent said.

“Sometimes I describe it as a water polo match where our leaders could be hitting the ball back and forth, but under the water, the Chinese seem to have done a lot of kicking lately. And you know, if we have to, we’ll kick back,” the Treasury secretary explained.

“We expressed our concern that the rare earths are not flowing as freely as they could, that they have taken some measures that are detrimental to U.S. businesses. And we said that if this continues, we will push back,” he added.

FED POLICYMAKERS LEAVE RATES UNCHANGED AMID ELEVATED UNCERTAINTY

Bessent said that “we expressed our concern over Chinese AI that there is large-scale distillation” of American AI models that are making their way back into the U.S., adding that “we like open source, but open source has got to be legal – it’s not an excuse for IP theft.”

Lawrence asked Bessent if the Trump administration has raised the issue of U.S. tech companies’ AI model watermarks appearing in Chinese models.

“Well, we’ve done that at the staff level, and the good news is we are ahead of the Chinese in AI, I believe by a substantial amount, and they are number two,” Bessent said.

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He added that the two superpowers do need to have conversations “because we want to make sure that non-state actors do not get a hold of a powerful model, that everyone increases their resiliency and that we cooperate towards those goals.”

The Commerce Department indicated that the federal government is on track to dole out millions of dollars to seven companies to fund technology development but will require the businesses to fork over equity in exchange for the money.

“The Department of Commerce today announced the signing of 7 letters of intent to provide $874 million in federal incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act,” a Wednesday press release noted. “These incentives will support innovative domestic technologies to dramatically increase the performance of the world’s fastest computers, secure domestic supply chains, and strengthen U.S. leadership in the compute supply chain.”

The CHIPS and Science Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2022.

ANTHROPIC SAYS AI MODELS ACCESSED SYSTEMS OF 3 REAL ORGANIZATIONS DURING TESTING

The seven companies, which include GlobalFoundries, Kepler, Multibeam Corporation, Extropic, Thintronics, OBSIDIA Semiconductors and Aeluma, “have entered into letters of intent with the Department of Commerce, and there will be further diligence and approval by the Department before final awards are made,” according to the announcement, which is posted on the National Institute of Standards and Technology site. “The Department will receive a minority, non-controlling equity stake in each company as a condition for receiving the funds to enhance the return for the U.S. taxpayer.”

The department detailed the planned funding allotments for each company should the government move forward.

“GlobalFoundries will receive up to $300 million to accelerate the domestic research and development of co-packaged optics by two to three years. By integrating photonics directly alongside AI processors, this technology will deliver ultra-fast, energy-efficient computing to reinforce U.S. leadership in AI infrastructure,” the release noted. “Kepler will receive up to $245 million for R&D to develop in the U.S. a new class of high-performance AI memory technology enabled by innovative 3D and ferroelectric technologies.”

ZUCKERBERG PREDICTS MORE JOBS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IF SUPERINTELLIGENCE IS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED

“Multibeam Corporation will receive up to $140 million to develop advanced packaging technology to assemble and stack multiple chips and connect them with thousands of wires, which will enable more advanced systems necessary for AI and other advanced computing applications,” the department states. “Extropic will receive up to $75 million to develop thermodynamic sampling units (TSUs) which use natural thermal fluctuations to probabilistically solve complex problems spanning simulation, optimization, and AI, at a fraction of the energy consumed by conventional computing approaches.”

“Thintronics will receive up to $50 million to develop ultra-low-loss inter-layer dielectrics required for next-generation semiconductor interconnects and advanced packaging in high-performance compute, AI, and networking infrastructure,” the announcement states. 

“OBSIDIA Semiconductors will receive up to $34 million for R&D to deliver non-invasive counterfeit and malicious component identification systems to ensure provenance and traceability in secure supply chains for AI and advanced electronics,” the release notes. “Aeluma will receive up to $30 million to develop large diameter, indium-phosphide-free substrate technology used to fabricate photodetectors and lasers for AI photonic interconnects.”

BERNIE SANDERS UNVEILS PLAN TO TAKE 50% STAKE IN AI COMPANIES FOR GOVERNMENT WEALTH FUND

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“With today’s compute supply chain investments, the Trump Administration is accelerating America’s innovation engine,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement. “These strategic investments will enhance our country’s domestic capabilities, create high-paying jobs and keep America at the forefront of the semiconductor industry.”

Netflix has been sued for allegedly losing an unencrypted copy of a $45 million Nicolas Cage thriller that took seven years to produce, exposing the unreleased film to potential piracy and leaks.

The lawsuit, which seeks $105 million in damages, was filed by Op-Fortitude Ltd. and its owner, Swiss film producer and financier Simon Afram, who also accused Netflix of covering up the security breach.

The film, Fortitude, was based on the real-life World War II Operation Fortitude, a massive Allied deception campaign designed to convince Nazi Germany that the D-Day invasion would occur elsewhere. The operation had relied on a fake army, double agents and false radio traffic.

According to the lawsuit, the incident caused devastating financial losses by compromising the film’s first-to-market exclusivity and distribution value, forcing the plaintiffs to temporarily pause marketing and sales efforts ahead of awards season. 

‘ODYSSEY’ STARS ZENDAYA, ANNE HATHAWAY AND MATT DAMON TURN HEADS AS DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN FACES BACKLASH

The complaint says test screenings projected an 82% “top-two box” audience score, meaning 82% of viewers rated the film among the two highest categories, and conservatively estimated that the movie would generate at least $112.5 million in revenue — roughly 2.5 times its production budget. 

In a statement to FOX Business, Netflix denied wrongdoing, arguing the movie was delivered without industry-standard safeguards such as password protection or encryption. The company also accused the plaintiffs of making “hostile attempts to extort money from Netflix over this situation.” 

The dispute stems from a private screening Netflix reportedly requested between late 2025 and mid-2026. 

While the plaintiffs alleged Netflix requested an unlocked or unencrypted copy to streamline the screening process, Netflix disputed that claim, saying security safeguards are standard practice and that the filmmakers voluntarily chose to provide an unencrypted version.  

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs informed Netflix both verbally and in writing that the drive was unencrypted and instructed the company to delete the files from its projection system after the screening. 

After an unencrypted digital master drive was delivered to Netflix’s Hollywood studio on June 15, 2026, Netflix held the screening on June 16. The media giant then left the unencrypted file unattended on an office desk without basic physical or digital security controls, where it later disappeared, plaintiffs said. 

The lawsuit alleged Netflix concealed the breach by repeatedly postponing or ignoring requests from the plaintiffs to arrange pickup of the drive between June 17 and June 25. The plaintiffs said it was not until June 25 that a Netflix executive emailed them stating that “someone stole a good amount of drives from our office desks this past week.”   

Netflix has denied those allegations, saying it notified the appropriate parties as soon as its team became aware of the incident. 

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN CONFIRMS BIZARRE ‘THE ODYSSEY’ CASTING CHOICES INCLUDING RAPPER TRAVIS SCOTT

The plaintiffs further accused Netflix of trying to downplay the incident by claiming the stolen drive required an encryption key to access the film, despite knowing the drive was unencrypted. The lawsuit also claims Netflix offered to reimburse only the cost of the physical drive and referred to the asset as “missing” rather than “stolen.” 

In a statement to FOX Business, Netflix said: “Netflix disputes any claim that it bears the risk of loss for a film delivered without the proper industry-standard safeguards,” the company said. “While we do not own the rights to Fortitude, we take content security seriously and have taken extra measures to support the filmmaker and his team. This includes conducting a thorough investigation and offering to monitor known piracy sites for any unauthorized distribution or sale.”

The plaintiffs also accused Netflix and its outside counsel of refusing to answer basic questions about the company’s internal investigation, including whether a police report had been filed, and declined to cooperate with the Los Angeles Police Department after the filmmakers filed their own report. 

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In response, Netflix said it withheld details of its investigation because of what it described as the plaintiffs’ conduct, claiming they had initially demanded $165 million for the film rather than work with the company.

“We have declined to share anything about our ongoing investigation with the law firm representing Simon Afram, given their hostile attempts to extort money from Netflix over this situation — including immediately demanding $165 million for the film rather than work with us in good faith.”

The company added that its content security team is actively monitoring piracy websites for unauthorized copies of the film and said it has found no evidence that Fortitude has been leaked.  

Publix is recalling all lots of its GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries sold across eight states over concerns they may be contaminated with E. coli, expanding an earlier recall tied to a single lot of frozen blueberries.

The Lakeland, Florida-based grocery chain said Wednesday it is voluntarily recalling all lots of the frozen fruit products “out of an abundance of caution” after public health officials’ trace back and epidemiological investigation linked them to a multistate E. coli O145 outbreak.

The recalled products were distributed to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. 

The company said it implemented an internal stop sale at the end of June, and the products remain unavailable for purchase.

ABOUT 1.5M RECHARGEABLE HAND WARMERS RECALLED AFTER 1 DEATH, HUNDREDS OF BURN INJURIES REPORTED

The expanded recall follows a July 3 recall by Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. involving a single lot of GreenWise Organic Blueberries. Publix said it broadened the recall to include all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries based on information gathered during the ongoing public health investigation.

Customers are being urged not to consume the recalled products and should either throw them away or return them to any Publix store for a full refund. The affected products are GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries in 10-ounce packages (UPC 41415-06453) and 48-ounce packages (UPC 41415-12053), along with GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries in 10-ounce packages (UPC 41415-06753) and 48-ounce packages (UPC 41415-12153).

According to the Food and Drug Administration, Escherichia coli O145:H28 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain of E. coli that can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody and vomiting. While most healthy people recover within about a week, some infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially serious complication that is more likely to affect young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

POPULAR GROCERY CHAIN RECALLS COOKIES IN 9 STATES AND DC AFTER LABELING ERROR

FOX Business reached out to Publix for additional comment, including whether any illnesses have been linked to products sold at its stores and what prompted the company to expand the recall to all lots. Publix did not immediately respond.

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Customers with questions can contact Publix Customer Care at (800) 242-1227 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Additional information about the outbreak investigation is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S., operates more than 1,400 stores across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Apple delivered its strongest June quarter on record, reporting $109.4 billion in revenue and beating analysts’ estimates of $108.65 billion in the company’s final earnings report before CEO Tim Cook steps down.

A 22% jump in iPhone sales, combined with record spring quarter Mac revenue, helped drive the results. Tariff refunds also boosted Apple’s bottom line, adding roughly 5% to profit during the period.

But the earnings numbers were only part of the story. In an interview following the report, Cook addressed Apple’s approach to open-source artificial intelligence, the state of U.S.-China relations, rapidly rising memory chip costs and the legacy he leaves after 15 years at the helm.

APPLE CHIEF TIM COOK SAYS IT WAS THE ‘RIGHT TIME’ TO STEP DOWN AS CEO

Cook said he has “nothing negative” to say about open-source AI models, adding “they are useful.” His comments come as the technology industry debates whether the most powerful AI systems should remain proprietary or be made more broadly available to developers.

That debate has intensified after Chinese AI company Moonshot launched Kimi K3, a new model that has drawn attention for performance that rivals some of the most powerful systems from Anthropic and OpenAI. Apple, meanwhile, is preparing to launch its long-awaited AI-powered Siri this fall using Google’s Gemini.

Cook’s comments suggest Apple intends to remain pragmatic rather than ideological in choosing the models that power its products. The company has traditionally exercised tight control over its hardware and software ecosystem, but the fast-moving AI market may require it to draw on a wider range of outside technologies.

WHO IS JOHN TERNUS, SET TO SUCCEED TIM TOOK AS APPLE’S CEO?

China remains another critical part of Apple’s AI strategy and its broader business.

“In terms of the U.S.-China relationship, I was over in April for the state dinner, and I think the engagement between the countries is really good, and I’ve got a favorable view. And I’m very optimistic at this point about where the relationship is,” Cook said.

Apple Intelligence has finally been approved in China after a delay of nearly two years compared with its U.S. launch. The approval could help Apple compete more effectively in one of its largest markets, where domestic smartphone makers have moved quickly to add generative AI features.

Apple’s China sales rose 22% during the spring quarter to $18.81 billion. Even with that sharp increase, revenue still fell short of analysts’ estimates of more than $19.5 billion in Apple’s third-largest market.

Tariff refunds provided another lift to the quarter. Cook said Apple is directing that money back into domestic production.

APPLE TO LEASE IPHONES, OTHER PRODUCTS TO USERS THROUGH KLARNA PARTNERSHIP

“We’re taking our tariff refunds and reinvesting those in the United States’ advanced manufacturing,” he said.

Apple has already committed to spending $600 billion over four years on the U.S. economy. The reinvestment gives the company a way to frame the refunds not simply as a temporary earnings benefit, but as additional support for its long-term manufacturing strategy.

At the same time, Apple is contending with a sharp increase in the cost of memory chips. The company recently raised prices on some Mac computers and iPads by as much as $300 as memory chip prices soared by as much as 600% over the past two years.

“As I’d mentioned on the call last time around, the memory costs were higher in March than December quarter, and then in June they were significantly higher than in the March quarter,” Cook said.

Those higher costs are arriving just as artificial intelligence is driving demand for more computing power and memory. Despite the price increases on some devices, Cook said Apple’s new, lower-priced MacBook Neo, which starts at $699, was the company’s bestselling computer in the United States during its first full quarter on the market.

Demand for Apple’s higher-powered Mac Studio computers has also surged, creating supply shortages and helping push Mac revenue above $10 billion for a new spring-quarter record.

Cook will step down as chief executive on Sept. 1 after leading Apple for 15 years. He will remain chairman, while Apple’s hardware engineering chief, John Ternus, takes over as CEO.

Cook became chief executive in 2011, succeeding Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Since then, Apple’s market value has increased by more than 1,000%. This week, the company became only the second corporation to surpass $5 trillion in market value, briefly overtaking Nvidia to reclaim the title of the world’s most valuable company.

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Reflecting on his tenure, Cook said, “I’ve had an incredible opportunity to work with people that I love to work with … and it’s just been the privilege of a lifetime.”

Asked how he wants to be remembered, Cook demurred.

“How people will write about that will be theirs to decide,” he said. “But for me, it’s been a privilege.”

Cook arrived in the top job facing doubts that a supply chain expert could preserve the product vision and culture associated with Jobs. Fifteen years later, he leaves behind a company operating at a scale few could have imagined in 2011 and one now entering a new era defined by artificial intelligence, geopolitical competition and the challenge of sustaining growth from the world’s most valuable consumer technology franchise.

President Trump has enormous advantages. The single biggest factor driving the midterm elections is not going to be the economy or voter ID reform or even tax and spending cuts, although all those issues are important. Democratic socialism, too. Even the rate of economic growth, GDP, real incomes, affordability, all important. No, I’m going to say what’s driving this election is going to be the war in Iran and its outcome and clear evidence that we have met our war objectives of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and, in short, win the war. 

And I will also say, at this point, Mr. Trump is in better shape than almost every poll or pundit credits him. Not only has the war advanced, And he’s the first president in 47 years to take Iran on. Yet Iran is damaged much more than people are letting on. And we are in a position now to finish this thing off.

And I will say, I grow weary with headline polls. I see it all the time. They measure something called adults, all right? They don’t even measure registered voters. They don’t measure likely voters, but adults, and even that category is weighted against Mr. Trump and the Republicans. I see it time and time again. Nonsense, absolute nonsense.

Now, you want a good poll? A new poll on Iran, sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots Action Survey, conducted by McLaughlin and Associates. And they asked, do you agree or disagree that Iran should not be allowed to block, attack, mine, or extort ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The vast majority, 72 percent, said they agree. An important point. And one of the major goals of Trumpian policy.

The survey also asked respondents if they believe the United States should finish the job with Iran. Overall, 62 percent agreed. And that includes that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, the other major goal of Mr. Trump in this war.

The survey was taken on July 22 among, critically, 1,000 general election voters. People who actually voted and with the right proportions of the vote. Now I don’t know if the job in Iran will be finished by the midterms. I don’t know if the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened by the midterms.

Yet it looks to me at this point that Mr. Trump is going full speed ahead on the battlefield with combat operations that will in fact reopen in the Strait of Hormuz, will isolate Iranian trading with the rest of the globe, will intensify all of these sanctions for economic fury, and will also launch a covert operation with Israel in order to achieve regime change and throw out the Islamic terrorist regime. Throw them out all together.

They may have already begun this regime change, but it will be stepped up. And I would suggest that if Mr. Trump stays with this full-speed-ahead approach, it is going to turn out very well in the next few months or even sooner. Energy prices will come down, gasoline prices will go down. That’s the least of it. Yet the bigger part is, he, Mr. Trump., will have mounted a brave, heroic and historic victory in the Middle East for freedom and peace and ultimately for prosperity. And that’s going to determine the outcome of the midterm elections.

Ocoopa Direct is recalling about 1.5 million rechargeable hand warmers following hundreds of burn injuries and one reported death.

The lithium-ion batteries in the recalled products can overheat and catch fire, posing a risk of “serious injury or death from fire and burn hazards,” according to a notice Thursday from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Ocoopa Direct has received 1,480 reports of the hand warmers overheating, including 15 fires and 350 burn injuries, the CPSC said.

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An 83-year-old consumer in San Diego died in February after an incident involving one of the hand warmers, according to the agency.

The recall covers Ocoopa rechargeable hand warmers with model numbers UT3053, UT3056, ZLS-118, ZLS-118S, ZLS-118D, H01 and H01(PD). 

The hand warmers were sold in various colors and designs, according to the CPSC.

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“The dual-sided, rechargeable hand warmers were sold in varying colors and designs, in packs of two warmers that can magnetically be joined and with a charging cable,” the announcement noted.

The products were sold online through Amazon, Ocoopa and Walmart between September 2018 and May 2026 for $15 to $60.

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“Consumers should stop using the recalled hand warmers immediately and contact OCOOPA Direct for a full refund in the form of an Ocoopa gift card or the original form of payment,” the announcement said.

The CPSC also warned consumers not to throw the recalled products in the trash or place them in regular recycling or battery collection bins.

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For more information about the recalled products, visit the CPSC’s website.

FOX Business reached out to Ocoopa Direct for comment.

Certain robotic vacuum cleaners, including some Roomba-style devices, will be banned under the new U.S. policy restricting foreign-made advanced robotics, federal regulators told FOX Business on Thursday.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said robotic vacuums fall under its updated “Covered List” rules, adopted Tuesday, making certain new foreign-produced models ineligible for FCC equipment authorization due to national security and cybersecurity risks to U.S. critical infrastructure.

While the agency did not identify specific brands, an FCC spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business that robotic vacuums are among the devices covered by the restrictions. 

Major manufacturers including iRobot, SharkNinja, Dyson, Samsung and LG sell robotic vacuums in the U.S., with most production taking place in China, alongside manufacturing operations in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

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However, the restrictions apply only to newly authorized devices and will not affect the many robotic vacuums already in consumers’ homes.

“This action does not impact a consumer’s continued use of devices they previously acquired,” the FCC spokesperson said.  

The agency added that previously authorized models may continue to be sold, imported and marketed in the U.S., and it does not “prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market relevant models approved previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process.”

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iRobot told FOX Business that it is reviewing the FCC’s action and is working with the agency to better understand its significance. 

“We are aware of the FCC’s recent action and are working with them to better understand its implementation and potential impact,” the company said. “We remain committed to serving our customers and will share updates as more information becomes available.”

Under the FCC’s new rules, many household robotic cleaners qualify as “advanced robotic devices” because they are mechanical mobile devices capable of locomotion, navigation and obstacle avoidance. 

Covered devices generally weigh more than 4.4 pounds and operate near human operators. Their autonomous navigation is either powered by firmware, AI models, or sensors via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular technology. 

That definition could encompass products such as iRobot‘s Roomba lineup, SharkNinja’s Shark robotic vacuums, Dyson’s 360 series, Samsung’s Jet Bot line and LG’s CordZero robotic cleaners. 

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Roomba, one of the first robotic vacuum brands to gain widespread popularity in the U.S., was introduced by American company iRobot in 2002 but is now owned by Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong.

Picea Robotics, which operates development and manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam, currently sells Roomba models starting at $200.

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By comparison, American robotics startup Matic, one of the few U.S.-based competitors that designs and assembles its products domestically in California, sells its robotic vacuums for about $1,245. 

FOX Business reached out to SharkNinja, Dyson, Samsung and LG for comment.

Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said Wednesday the fast-casual chain is seeing improvement in customers’ perceptions of affordability.

Speaking on Chipotle’s second-quarter earnings call, Boatwright said the company’s brand tracking showed improved perceptions of value across “all income groups and age cohorts.”

“As it relates to value, I’m happy to report our brand tracker showed really solid progress across all income groups and age cohorts on value perception,” Boatwright said. “Our affordability scores were better in Q2 than they’ve been in probably the past couple of years.”

He noted that customers do not judge value solely by prices or discounts.

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“And so I think we’re making meaningful progress as it relates to value at Chipotle. What we also learned, I think, as an important note, is [that] value isn’t just about discounting and price point. It’s about convenience. It’s about execution,” Boatwright added. 

“It’s about menu innovation. There’s a host of things that the consumer is looking at to determine value.”

Chipotle has recently introduced lower-priced menu options.

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In December, the company launched a high-protein menu featuring a Single Chicken Taco, starting at $3.50 at select U.S. restaurants, and a High Protein Cup of Adobo Chicken, with a national weighted average price of $3.82, the company said at the time.

Chipotle on Wednesday also reported second-quarter revenue of $3.3 billion, up 9.3% from the same period in 2025.

Boatwright has previously pushed back against perceptions that Chipotle has become too expensive or reduced its portions to boost profits.

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“We have an affordable price point for all walks of life, and we’re for everyone. We want everyone to have access to wholesome, nutritious food,” Boatwright said during a May appearance on Yahoo Finance’s “Power Players” podcast.

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Carpenter Technology CEO Brian Malloy died suddenly just weeks after taking the helm of the specialty materials manufacturer, the company announced Monday.

Malloy, who became president and CEO July 1, died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Friday, July 24, according to a news release from the Philadelphia-based company. 

A cause of death was not disclosed.

“We are deeply saddened by Brian’s passing,” Carpenter Technology’s board of directors said in a statement.

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“Over the past decade, Brian made significant contributions to Carpenter Technology and was a respected leader with a strong commitment to performance, operational excellence, and the Company’s long-term success,” the board added. “We extend our deepest sympathies to Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

The board appointed Executive Chairman Tony Thene to return as CEO, effective immediately. Thene, who led Carpenter Technology from 2015 through June 2026, will also remain chairman.

Malloy spent a decade at Carpenter Technology and had served as chief operating officer since 2023.

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When the company announced Malloy’s appointment in February, Thene called him a “proven leader” with “deep operational experience” and a track record of delivering results across the company’s businesses.

Malloy said at the time that he was “honored” to be selected as the company’s next chief executive.

“I am honored to be named the next CEO of Carpenter Technology,” Malloy said in February. “Tony’s strategic vision has reshaped Carpenter Technology by building a culture of performance, strengthening our market position, and delivering meaningful value for all stakeholders.”

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Before joining Carpenter Technology, Malloy held senior leadership roles at Ametek and Alcoa.

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A Carpenter Technology spokesperson told FOX Business the company would not comment further “out of respect for the privacy of the family.”