New York City&#8217;s Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has dismissed the entire advisory board of the Mayor’s Fund, removing a roster of business executives who helped raise private money for city projects.
The Mayor&#8217;s Fund to Advance New York City is a nonprofit that pulls in private-sector donations to support city initiatives. Mamdani became the first mayor in at least three administrations to dissolve the board of advisers in its entirety, saying that he planned to rebuild from the ground up.
&#8220;I commend you for your dedication and the benefit you have brought to our City as you conclude your tenure on the Mayor’s Fund Board of Advisors,&#8221; Mamdani&#8217;s letter, obtained by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-03/mamdani-dismisses-business-leaders-advising-nyc-s-mayor-s-fund?taid=6a7119f2fbc22200010262af&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Bloomberg News</a>, read in part.
The list of prominent business leaders ousted from their roles, as <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/us-news/socialist-mamdani-launches-new-war-on-nyc-business-leaders-kicking-them-off-mayors-fund-that-backs-city-programs/">reported</a> by The New York Post, includes Richard Born, owner of BD Hotels; Jeffrey Gural, chairman of GFP Real Estate; Alex Katz, senior managing director at Blackstone Inc.; Edward Skyler, Citigroup Inc.’s head of enterprise services and public affairs; and James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.
Economics professor Isabella Weber praised the move, saying it reduced the influence of business interests over city government.
&#8220;One of the beautiful things about Mamdani’s renewal of NYC government is that it shows how deeply business interests are usually baked into state capacity,&#8221; Weber wrote. &#8220;Why should private equity, banks and real estate interests advise a mayor on what to spend?&#8221;
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One of the beautiful things about Mamdani’s renewal of NYC government is that it shows how deeply business interests are usually baked into state capacity. 
Why should private equity, banks and real estate interests advise a mayor on what to spend? <a href="https://t.co/Mnr75JlglY">pic.twitter.com/Mnr75JlglY</a>
— Isabella M Weber (@IsabellaMWeber) <a href="https://x.com/IsabellaMWeber/status/2084575037240054001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But Bloomberg Philanthropies head James Anderson countered that the advisory board&#8217;s role was to drum up charitable donations, not to decide how those donations were spent.
&#8220;This is a mischaracterization,&#8221; Anderson wrote. &#8220;The Mayor&#8217;s Fund is designed to bring philanthropic resources to public priorities. Its advisory board has historically helped mobilize those resources — not determine public spending. Remaking the board is the mayor&#8217;s prerogative.&#8221;
&#8220;Treating public-private collaboration as evidence of capture may be red meat for the base, but it&#8217;s a poor theory of urban governance,&#8221; he added.
Mamdani is expected to fill the positions for his new board later this year. Mamdani senior advisor Dora Pekec told The New York Post that the administration is &#8220;reimagining how philanthropy can augment, but not replace, public dollars and public goods, and we are eager to share more about our new board of advisors later this year.&#8221;

Mayor Mamdani Commemorates America’s 250th Anniversary

Mamdani’s Latest Shake-Up Sends Business Leaders Packing

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Democratic Socialism

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Washington residents who received certain promotional emails from Costco between June 2021 and July 2026 may be eligible for compensation under a proposed $14 million <a href="https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/">class action settlement.</a>
Under the proposed deal in Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corp., Costco <a href="https://www.classaction.org/media/costco-settlement_1.pdf">agreed</a> to create a $14 million settlement fund while denying any wrongdoing.
“In agreeing to settle, Costco maintains that it complied with the law and does not admit any wrongdoing,” the document states.
The lawsuit claims that Costco used deceptive subject lines that created a false sense of urgency, including phrases like &#8220;Today is the last day to access Member-Only Savings&#8221; and &#8220;Hot Buys available for 5 Days Only.&#8221; 
According to the lawsuit, Costco continued offering some of the same promotions after telling customers they were about to expire, allegedly violating Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA) and the state&#8217;s Consumer Protection Act, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/28/lifestyle/costco-customers-could-claim-500-in-class-action-settlement/">reports</a>.
Washington residents whose email addresses are in Costco&#8217;s records and who received the promotional emails between June 2021 and July 2026 may be eligible to file a claim. 
Claim forms must be submitted by August 24, 2026. Those who wish to pursue their own lawsuit rather than participate in the settlement must opt out by the same deadline, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/costco-shoppers-eligible-large-payout-multi-million-dollar-email-settlement">reports</a>.
Eligible claimants may receive up to $500 each qualifying email, though the actual payout will depend on the number of valid claims submitted and other court-approved deductions from the $14 million fund.
Costco also faces several other lawsuits over its products and business practices. A lawsuit filed earlier this month <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/09/business/costco-faces-class-action-lawsuit-alleging-protein-powder-was-laced-with-toxic-heavy-metals/">alleges</a> that one of Costco’s protein powders contains toxic heavy metals, while another <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/10/business/costco-fights-lawsuit-tied-to-5-rotisserie-chicken/">accuses</a> the company of falsely advertising its rotisserie chicken as containing “no preservatives.” 
A separate <a href="https://www.king5.com/video/news/costco-sued-over-claims-it-raised-prices/281-22d011e2-4918-4c67-abd2-357031c9fd03">lawsuit</a> alleges Costco continued charging higher prices tied to tariffs even after the tariffs were struck down.

Costco Wholesale in Folsom California

Costco Shoppers Have A Chance To Cash In Over Old Emails

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Costco

Lawsuit

Washington

Elon Musk has become the world&#8217;s first former trillionaire after steep declines in Tesla and SpaceX shares wiped roughly $200 billion from his net worth.
Musk joked about becoming the world&#8217;s first former trillionaire on Friday after his fortune briefly dipped below $1 trillion.
At the height of the SpaceX IPO frenzy, Musk’s fortune hit $1.3 trillion as shares surged from their $135 IPO price to as high as $225 before retreating to <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SPCX/">$112</a> on Monday. 
The massive swings are consistent with past IPOs, with new stocks often swinging 30-50% as the market digests excitement and volatility. However, the former trillionaire’s automaker also experienced a massive swing on Wednesday. Tesla <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/tesla-stock-price-loses-year-gains-6acf48c3">erased</a> a year of gains when shares fell 18% after the company reported a second-quarter operating profit of $400 million that was well below Wall Street’s expectations of $1.72 billion. 
Stocks tied to Musk tend to be especially volatile because investors are betting on the companies&#8217; potential rather than their current standing. 
Tesla&#8217;s valuation reflects expectations that it will dominate autonomous driving while expanding into robotaxis, Optimus humanoid robots, and artificial intelligence. SpaceX, while a rocket company, is also promising to establish data centers in space, with the company now owning xAI. 
The swings are compounded by the fact that Musk is an unusually active public figure, often posting multiple times a day on his social media platform, X. His comments, product announcements, and political statements can quickly shift investor sentiment and trigger sharp moves in his companies&#8217; stock prices.
Despite the sharp drop from his trillionaire peak, dramatic swings in Musk&#8217;s fortune are par for the course. On June 29, his net worth jumped by more than $60 billion in a single day, and on October 24, he added another $30 billion after Tesla reported stronger-than-expected earnings. With a majority of Musk&#8217;s wealth tied to the market value of his companies, small percentage moves in their stock prices can translate into tens of billions of dollars gained or lost in a matter of seconds.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk Becomes World’s First Former Trillionaire

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In yet another series of antisemitic attacks in Toronto, masked vandals <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/window-broken-gunshot-fired-at-kivas-jewish-owned-bakery-in-toronto-police-say/article_6f3bfe35-832f-4f3b-9a85-056393b6e869.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=user-share">shot up and smashed</a> the windows of two Jewish-owned bakeries on Saturday, the latest gut-punch in a relentless run of anti-Jewish violence terrorizing Canada&#8217;s largest city.
Cops confirmed evidence of gunfire at the beloved bakery Kiva’s Yonge and St. Clair outpost, while a second location near Bathurst and Steeles also had its window busted out — though without shots fired there. Miraculously, nobody was hurt in either attack.
The kosher-style bagel shop, a Jewish community fixture since 1979, has three GTA locations and is currently run by brothers Ben, Elan and Steve Rafael. Police say they&#8217;re probing whether the two hits are connected.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Window broken, gunshot fired at Kiva&#39;s Jewish-owned bakery in Toronto, police say <a href="https://t.co/VFOEjwAQ6t">https://t.co/VFOEjwAQ6t</a> via <a href="https://x.com/TorontoStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@torontostar</a> Kiva’s bakery is kosher-style and known for its popular bagels and baked goods. It has long been a hub for the Jewish community.  The original bakery opened…
&mdash; Israel Heritage Foundation (@IHF_Heritage) <a href="https://x.com/IHF_Heritage/status/2081429686408630491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Mayor Olivia Chow stated,  “We in Toronto will double our efforts. Toronto police through Project Resolute have been guarding synagogues and Jewish community centers and places 24/7, and we’ll see what else we could do.”
The bakery attack is only the newest scar in a years-long surge that&#8217;s turned Toronto into ground zero for antisemitic hate crime in Canada. Despite making up under 4% of the population, Jews have been the top target of hate crimes citywide since well before the pandemic — and things have only gotten uglier.
The real inflection point came after Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, when antisemitic incidents in Toronto <a href="https://www.cija.ca/antisemitism_in_toronto_is_escalating_and_the_numbers_prove_it#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20report%2C%20hate%20crime%20has,7%20terrorist%20attack%20by%20Hamas%20on%20Israel.%E2%80%9D">exploded 80%</a> almost overnight. By 2024, police logged a record 443 hate crimes citywide, with Jews the victims in a jaw-dropping 40% of them and 81% of all religiously-motivated attacks.
That violence has since escalated into a terrifying pattern of gunfire at Jewish institutions. A Jewish girls elementary school in North York was <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bais-chaya-mushka-gunshots-toronto-1.7416067">shot at three times</a> in 2024. n March 2025, a suspect was charged for targeting five Toronto synagogues. Vandalism hit Kehillat Shaarei Torah in November. March 2026 brought shootings at three synagogues, prompting a $10M security fund. In May, congregants were literally being shot at with gel-blaster guns leaving Shabbat services, with watchdog group B&#8217;nai Brith warning 2026 is shaping up to be the bloodiest year for Canadian Jews in memory.
With no arrests made in most of the recent attacks, Jewish leaders say fear is becoming the defining feature of daily life in Toronto.

Toronto City Hall Sign

Bagels And Bullets: Antisemitic Terror Wave Hits Jewish Bakery Chain

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Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay closing their proposed $110 billion merger until at least June 2027 as they battle a multistate antitrust lawsuit, extending uncertainty over a deal that could reshape the American media landscape.
The agreement allows both sides to avoid a court fight over a preliminary injunction while the case proceeds toward trial.
A coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued to block the transaction. The lawsuit claims the merger would &#8220;extinguish competition&#8221; in the media and entertainment industries.
If approved, the merger would unite major media brands, including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming platforms, CBS News, and CNN under one corporate umbrella.
Rather than continue fighting emergency motions, the companies agreed not to close the transaction until June 2027 or until the court reaches a final decision.
Bonta celebrated the agreement as a major victory for the states challenging the merger.
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Today’s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy.
We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure… <a href="https://t.co/m4LFxiA5tP">pic.twitter.com/m4LFxiA5tP</a>
— Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2080754504388259849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Today&#8217;s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy,&#8221; Bonta said. &#8220;We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure this unlawful merger never sees the light of day.&#8221;
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James also praised the decision, <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/2080742874610626683">calling</a> it &#8220;a critical victory in our efforts to uphold the law and protect the film and television industries.&#8221;
Paramount defended the merger and said the delay would allow the company to make its case in court.
&#8220;This is the fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators, a conclusion dozens of competition authorities around the world have already reached,&#8221; a Paramount spokesperson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/paramount-skydance-agrees-halt-warner-bros-merger-june-2027-rcna589137">told</a> NBC News. &#8220;We look forward to proving our case at trial.&#8221;
The merger has attracted attention beyond Hollywood because Paramount is now controlled by Skydance founder and CEO David Ellison, 43, whose acquisition of Paramount was backed by his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, a longtime ally and supporter of President Donald Trump. Since Skydance took control of Paramount earlier this year, Ellison has overseen significant changes at CBS News, including bringing in journalist Bari Weiss to overhaul the network&#8217;s news division.
Ellison has drawn praise from President Trump, who has expressed optimism that new ownership could restore credibility to CBS News after years of criticism from conservatives and Republicans.
If this merger happens, one company will control CBS and CNN under ownership that conservatives believe is moving in a different editorial direction.

In this photo illustration, the Paramount logo is seen

One Of Hollywood’s Biggest Deals Just Hit A Wall

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A new company says it has found an alternative to selling America&#8217;s retiring small businesses to private equity firms.
Traditionally, owners pass businesses to family, sell them, or close them. <a href="https://www.americanoperator.com/">American Operator</a> is pitching a fourth option: helping employees or industry veterans buy them instead.
According to founder William Fry, small businesses employ roughly 62 million Americans, account for about 43% of U.S. GDP, and create <a href="https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Small-Business-Job-Creation-Fact-Sheet-Apr2022.pdf">two out of three jobs</a>. With more than <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/657362/small-business-owners-lack-succession-plan.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com">half</a> of U.S. small business owners nearing retirement and fewer children <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283212990_Coming_Home_or_Breaking_Free_A_Closer_Look_at_the_Succession_Intentions_of_Next-generation_Family_Business_Members">interested</a> in taking over family businesses, Fry says the country is approaching a massive small-business ownership transition.
Fry launched American Operator late last year to give sellers an alternative option. The firm helps operators, who are sometimes current employees or veterans of the industry, co-purchase a retiring owner&#8217;s business. It starts with 10% equity and a planned path to 70% majority ownership. 
American Operator is distinguishing itself from private equity by keeping businesses small and avoiding reselling other PE operations, which often are not well-versed in the specific industry. It does so using an Operate-To-Own model.
&#8220;You need to know how an industry works and then we handle the acquisition,&#8221; Fry said of the process. The retiring owners often join American Operator&#8217;s advisory council after the sale, meaning they keep a hand in the continued success of the business they built.
“We view our mission as a fight to preserve the American Dream, populist capitalism, and a local ownership. We do not want a world where everything is a big box retailer or a Private Equity-owned outpost,” Fry told The Daily Wire.
Fry pointed to the veterinary industry as a negative example of what private-equity consolidation can do. A Bank of America <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/soaring-vet-prices-are-forcing-pet-owners-to-skip-visits-11914589">study</a> has tied PE-backed consolidators to sharp increases in veterinary prices since 2020, alongside a decline in visits as pet owners priced out of care. 
Fry acknowledged that his company is no match for PE capital-wise, but said those retirees are choosing to entrust their business to an individual who will keep it running in a similar way to how it was before. 
One completed American Operator deal involves Anne the Plumber, a residential plumbing company that has served Rhode Island since 2014, as <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/13/business/american-operator-gives-small-business-owners-retirement-options/">reported</a> by The New York Post. Rather than sell to an outside buyer, founder Anne-Marie Rosario Flores transferred control to Wilson Molina, an operator she had mentored, with backing from American Operator&#8217;s capital. Molina now serves as CEO with a path to majority ownership. Flores is still involved with the business.
The company has completed 95 deals totaling roughly $300 million to date. Fry said he eventually hopes to combine the businesses into a publicly traded holding company that would allow everyday investors to buy into a portfolio of Main Street businesses. 
“Our mission statement is to revive the American Dream,” Fry said. “Whether that&#8217;s ensuring a small business owner receives fair value for their life&#8217;s work or a new entrepreneur gets a chance to become a millionaire, our model is focused on advancing wealth on Main Street and making sure the broader public knows that hard work still matters in this country.”

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Who Will Own Main Street When Mom And Pop Retire?

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Tennessee has extended an invitation to Paramount Skydance to move its corporate headquarters to the Volunteer State amid the company&#8217;s escalating standoff with California, where the attorney general is now suing to block its planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Tennessee Deputy Governor Stuart McWhorter, a Republican, wrote a letter to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, urging him to consider moving the entertainment company&#8217;s headquarters from California to Tennessee, The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tennessee-paramount-1236648159/">learned</a>.
California Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other attorneys general <a href="https://x.com/RobBonta/status/2076723321354469515?s=20">sued</a> to stop the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. The lawsuit could delay the merger and cost Paramount hundreds of millions of dollars.
“For generations, Tennessee has been one of America’s most business-friendly states,” McWhorter <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1062064139/Paramount-Skydance-Letter-ecd#download&amp;from_embed">wrote</a>. “Our success is rooted in fiscal discipline, low taxes, predictable governance, and a steadfast belief that government should be a partner in private-sector growth. Companies that choose Tennessee find more than a favorable business climate — they find a state committed to helping them succeed.”
McWhorter also boasted about Tennessee being “the convergence of creativity, technology, and innovation,” having “one of the nation’s strongest workforce development systems,” and maintaining the conservative values of “service, community, and the importance of family.” 
“As Paramount Skydance writes its next chapter, Tennessee offers a compelling proposition: a state where creativity and technology converge, where talent is developed intentionally, and where innovation is embraced,” McWhorter wrote. “We would welcome the opportunity to share our vision for how Tennessee could help shape the future of Paramount Skydance and its talented team.”
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee has expressed similar sentiments online, <a href="https://x.com/GovBillLee/status/2077228598147129475?s=20">stating</a> in an X post, “Paramount has played an important role in shaping American culture, &amp; we’d welcome the opportunity to see the next chapter of that story unfold in the Volunteer State.”
The Daily Wire recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/even-a-media-giant-may-be-ready-to-leave-democrat-run-state?row=0&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">reported that</a> friends and advisers close to Ellison told him to “consider shifting his business out of” California and to move the company’s $30 billion in planned spending elsewhere, according to a recent Semafor <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/07/12/2026/paramount-weighs-leaving-california-over-warner-bros-rift">report</a>.
Paramount currently owns CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, and Paramount Pictures. By acquiring Warner Bros., the company would gain rights to brands including DC Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, HBO, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, CNN, Food Network, and Oprah Winfrey Network. Ellison hopes the move can make Paramount a suitable competitor to rivals like Netflix and Amazon.
The states allege the merger would give the combined company control of nearly one-third of theatrical motion pictures and nearly one-third of basic cable programming. Paramount responded to the lawsuit in a statement, calling it &#8220;wrong on both the facts and the law.&#8221;
FedEx, Tesla, Oracle, Chevron, and AutoZone are all major companies that have left California in recent years in favor of red states like Tennessee and Texas.

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Red State Courts Paramount As Media Giant Considers Fleeing California

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Meta dismantled its latest artificial intelligence image-generation feature last Friday, only three days after releasing it. 
Muse Image, a feature that allowed users to create images using public Instagram photos from adult accounts without consent, sustained overwhelming backlash immediately after it went public. Many users were automatically opted in and were unaware that their public accounts were subject to the new feature, and they scrambled to figure out how to turn it off. 
Meta released a statement, saying it received feedback that &#8220;this feature missed the mark,&#8221; and removed it, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/11/meta-ditches-muse-image-ai-feature-instagram-privacy">The Guardian</a>.
“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control ⁠over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said.
Meta unveiled Muse Image on Tuesday, <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2026/07/introducing-muse-image-meta-ai/">describing</a> it as the “first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs.” The feature allowed users to generate customized images by tagging an Instagram username, allowing Meta AI to draw from that account&#8217;s public photos.
The feature was available through the Meta AI app, web browser, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories for users in the United States.
“Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post,” Meta said.
Adult users with public Instagram accounts were automatically opted in, allowing Meta AI to use their public photos to generate new images unless they opted out. 
In an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9lee19y1yo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with the BBC</a>, Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, said Meta’s move was an “obvious recipe for disaster,” pointing out that there have already been &#8220;a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year.&#8221;
“It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea,” Campbell said.
Many users complained they had not been asked for permission before being enrolled and said the opt-out option was difficult to find.
“Went to opt out but there was only one toggle for reels for me (which I already had switched off) and not one for posts, hopefully they’re just rolling it out gradually and it’ll be there when I check back later,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another user said, “Would be fab if our [government] were keeping an eye on stuff like this.”

Photo Illustrations  Meta Launches Muse Image

Meta Removes Concerning Instagram AI Feature After Severe Backlash

Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg

Technology

Pepsi riled up some especially sensitive social media followers with a post they somehow interpreted as making light of sexual consent.  
The beverage company apologized for the post and deleted it after getting slammed in the comments.
The original post, immortalized in screenshots, was shared on July 6. It said: &#8220;Pepsi Wild Cherry is what happens when regular cherry stops asking permission.” 
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Pepsi has apologized for this post.
I’m sorry, I’m just not going to buy that Pepsi was posting out rape culture jokes, as some have implied.
The “wild” alongside “stops asking permission” clearly implies that their intention was about celebrating rebellion not about… <a href="https://t.co/WlrQriMUHx">pic.twitter.com/WlrQriMUHx</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/2074593326620119168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
The critics claim this phrasing made light of consent. &#8220;Pepsi, what the hell? Promoting r*pe culture? This is shameful,&#8221; one comment said. 
&#8220;Hey @Pepsi this is sickening and disturbing. &#8216;Stops asking permission&#8217; isn&#8217;t a clever marketing line to me — it&#8217;s making light of consent,” another agreed.
This led to critics calling out previous posts from the beverage company, which were now being interpreted in a new light. These included one that said, “You’re being left on read. I’m in their hand. We are not the same,” and another that read, “Crack me. Sip me. Tease me. Taste me. But please don’t shake me.” 
Plenty of people came to the soda maker&#8217;s defense, arguing the outrage mob was overreacting to something silly.
“I’m sorry, I’m just not going to buy that Pepsi was posting out rape culture jokes, as some have implied,” one response <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/2074593326620119168?s=43">said.</a> “The ‘wild’ alongside ‘stops asking permission’ clearly implies that their intention was about celebrating rebellion not about encouraging people to not be concerned with consent.”
Pepsi issued a follow-up apology post.
“Our recent Wild Cherry post landed in a way we never intended. We hear you, we’re sorry, and the post has been deleted,” a Threads post from July 7 said.
The controversy comes at a time when people are having strong reactions to brand social marketing campaigns, with efforts at jokes or edgy sentiments often leading to outsized reactions from followers. For example, in 2021, Burger King posted, then removed, a call for more female chefs by writing, “Women belong in the kitchen.” It didn’t help matters that it was shared on International Women’s Day.
Social media followers <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article-9341553/Burger-King-UKs-call-female-chefs-backfired-tweet-women-belong-kitchen.html">called the sentiment</a> “misogynistic” and “sexist” despite it all just being a joke.

Wild Cherry Pepsi

Pepsi Caves, Apologizes For Controversial Social Media Post

Pepsi Caves, Apologizes For Social Post That Allegedly Promoted 'Rape Culture'

Social Media

Ford is recalling more than 110,000 Mustang and Mustang Mach-E vehicles over two separate defects that could increase the risk of a crash, federal regulators announced on Tuesday.
The recalls affect 110,626 Mustang, Mustang GTD, and Mustang Mach-E vehicles. 
The larger recall covers 67,842 Mustang and Mustang GTD vehicles because the windshield wipers may malfunction in cold weather. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that under certain conditions, the windshield wiper would operate only at its fastest setting, with the washer system not working at all. Both can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. 
The second recall affects 42,784 Mustang Mach-E models because the rear differential pinion shift may fracture. This could cause a loss in “drive power” or “unintended vehicle movement” if the vehicle is parked but the parking brake is not applied.
Ford said dealers will repair the affected vehicles free of charge. 
The recalls come one week after Ford recalled more than 741,000 SUVs and pickup trucks due to a transmission defect that could allow vehicles to roll away. 
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One Of America’s Biggest Automakers Recalls More Than 110,000 Vehicles

Ford Motor Co.

Recall

Safety

Toyota announced Monday that it would invest $3.6 billion to expand production of its Tacoma pickup truck in Texas, moving most of the model&#8217;s manufacturing from Mexico to the United States over the next four years. 
Toyota said the investment will expand its San Antonio plant and shift most Tacoma production from its Tijuana, Mexico, facility.
The expansion will increase annual production capacity by 150,000 vehicles. The company will add a second assembly line to support the Tacoma truck. 
President Donald Trump celebrated the company&#8217;s plans in a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning.
Production will shift over four years, with the Tijuana plant continuing to manufacture Tacomas during the transition before Texas becomes the main production site. The San Antonio plant currently produces Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs.
The investment follows Toyota&#8217;s <a href="https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/43553969.html">announcement</a> in November 2025 that it planned to invest up to $10 billion in additional U.S. investment over five years.
“Toyota’s continued investment in North America is a testament to our confidence in the region’s workforce, innovation and long-term growth potential,” said Ted Ogawa, President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, on Monday.
Toyota joins other automakers shifting production to the United States in response to tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts.
The nearly $4 billion expansion is estimated to create nearly 2,000 more on-site jobs in Texas.
“By expanding our San Antonio plant, we are deepening our commitment to American manufacturing, creating meaningful and sustainable jobs, while advancing our mission to deliver high-quality vehicles that meet the changing needs of customers today and into the future,” Ogawa said.

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World’s Largest Automaker Is Making A Major Manufacturing Shift To America

Auto Companies

Automobiles

Economy

Tariffs

Jet fuel prices have fallen 40% since peaking in April, but airlines say strong demand and limited supply are keeping fares elevated despite lower fuel costs.
Fuel is one of an airline&#8217;s largest expenses, and carriers often cite rising fuel prices as a reason for increasing fares. But airline executives say strong demand has kept the fares high even as fuel costs have declined, boosting profit margins.
“I’m actually very bullish that the industry will retain a much higher percentage of the fare increases than would be typical historically,” Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said in May. 
Delta CEO Ed Bastian echoed that sentiment, saying the airline expects to keep fares high. 
“Fuel recapture is going to be important no matter what we do, and the degree to which we can retain any of the pricing strength that we talked about from industry rationalization, that will certainly help us boost our margins this year and clearly into next year as well.” 
Bastian <a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/06/02/delta-dal-q1-2026-earnings-call-transcript">said</a> Delta&#8217;s higher fares are projected to recapture only 40-50% of the roughly $2 billion headwind the airline faced in the second quarter. He argued fares are unlikely to fall until airlines can add more capacity. 
&#8220;Prices will come down when we can fly more, when there’s more supply, it’s a supply and demand. Right now we’re kind of logjammed,” Bastian said.
He attributed part of that bottleneck to congestion in the nation&#8217;s air traffic control system.
“As you open up the skies, and you bring more flow, that&#8217;s going to help bring pricing down and enable us to bring more people to more places.”
The current pricing environment resembles the pattern following the 2022 spike in oil prices, when West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark for oil, traded near $120 per barrel.
After fuel prices began falling in early 2023, Delta President Glen Hauenstein <a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2023/01/13/delta-air-lines-dal-q4-2022-earnings-call-transcri/">told</a> investors the company intended to maintain the fare increases for as long as possible. 
“As we think about how we do fuel recapture on the way up… we are going to keep as much of it as we can.” 
Southwest executives struck a similar tone. During its January 2023 earnings call, Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green said, &#8220;It&#8217;s a strong fare environment now, and, you know, I expect that to continue.” 
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have shifted more of their discretionary spending toward the &#8220;experience economy,” which has helped keep demand for travel strong.

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