President Donald Trump signaled on Thursday that &#8220;changes are coming&#8221; to his immigration policy, noting that farmers as well as hotel and leisure businesses have complained about his &#8220;very aggressive&#8221; crackdown on illegal immigrants.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114670684664650262">post</a> on Truth Social, the president said that he&#8217;s heard from farmers and people in the hotel industry who are concerned about the administration&#8217;s immigration crackdown &#8220;taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.&#8221; Trump added that the United States must deport criminals while also protecting farmers.
&#8220;In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!&#8221; Trump added.
Later on Thursday, Trump <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1933211435032600896">told</a> reporters at the White House that a new order on certain immigration enforcement will be issued &#8220;pretty soon.&#8221;
&#8220;Farmers are being hurt badly. You know, they have very good workers who have worked for them for 20 years. They&#8217;re not citizens, but they&#8217;ve turned out to be great, and we&#8217;re going to have to do something about that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We can&#8217;t take farmers and take all their people and send them back &#8230; and you know what&#8217;s going to happen, what is happening, they get rid of some of their people &#8230; and they end up hiring the criminals that have come in, the murderers from prisons and everything else.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s shift comes as his administration has ramped up immigration enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area, including detaining suspected illegal immigrants on the street, at businesses, and on farms. ICE agents were spotted chasing down and detaining farm workers in Ventura County, California, earlier this week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ICE agents arrived at produce farms in Ventura County at 6am Tuesday and were seen chasing workers to detain them. Full story: <a href="https://t.co/7lofZTlbj8">https://t.co/7lofZTlbj8</a> <a href="https://t.co/Sh5WTud7lc">pic.twitter.com/Sh5WTud7lc</a>
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7/status/1932860010897264966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The White House said on Wednesday that since last week, 330 suspected illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area have been detained, 113 of whom had past criminal convictions.
As immigration agents carried out the president&#8217;s deportation agenda in California, anti-ICE protests and riots broke out in Los Angeles last weekend. Joining the demonstrations were members of Unite Here Local 11, a local labor union that represents workers in the hotel, food, and casino industries. The organization, which is part of a local leftist coalition that has pushed anti-police talking points and given tips for how to respond to ICE agents, condemned the law enforcement response to the riots.
Trump&#8217;s mass deportation operation has been celebrated by most Republicans and conservatives, but has concerned some farmers and business owners who work in industries that have relied on hiring illegal immigrant workers. In January, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau <a href="https://www.weau.com/2025/01/24/farmers-advocacy-groups-speak-concerns-over-workforce-president-trump-continues-with-plans-immigration-crackdowns/">urged</a> Trump to pursue a secure border without going after illegal immigrants who have worked on the state&#8217;s many dairy farms &#8220;for years.&#8221;
In April, Trump addressed some of these concerns during a Cabinet meeting, <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1910382262610526486">saying</a>, “We are also going to work with farmers. If they have strong recommendations for their farms for certain people, we’re going to let them stay in for a while. &#8230; We have to take care of our farmers, our hotels and, you know, the various places where they need the people.”
The president added that employers could lobby the government for their illegal immigrant workers to be allowed to remain in the country.
“So a farmer will come in with a letter concerning certain people, saying they’re great, they’re working hard,” Trump said. “We’re going to slow it down a little bit for them, and then we’re going to ultimately bring them back. They’ll go out. They’re going to come back as legal workers.”
Trump&#8217;s post on Thursday was met with backlash among some conservatives who argued that it would be a step back from what the president initially promised to do on the campaign trail. Daily Wire host Matt Walsh <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1933168224507662529">wrote</a> on X, &#8220;Hell no. We can’t tolerate this.&#8221;
&#8220;Employers who knowingly rely on illegal immigrant labor should be in prison,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Instead we’re going to back off of immigration enforcement for their sake?&#8221;
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on Trump&#8217;s post.

Donald Trump/Immigration

Trump Signals ‘Changes Are Coming’ To Immigration Enforcement As Farmers, Businesses Complain

Business

Donald Trump

Farmers

Illegal Immigation

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Matt Walsh

Unions

The American autonomous driving technology company Waymo has suspended service in downtown Los Angeles after several of its robotaxis were set on fire by anti-ICE activists over the weekend.
At least five Waymo vehicles were set ablaze on Sunday, prompting the company to remove its vehicles from the downtown Los Angeles area and suspend service, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/06/09/los-angeles-protests-live-updates--27-people-arrested-as-lapd-declares-unlawful-assembly-in-some-areas/">Forbes</a> reported.
“To our media partners, demonstrators and others who may enter the area of Los Angeles St, North of Arcadia and South of Alameda: Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby. Please avoid the area,” the LAPD warned on X on Sunday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
⚠️ Traffic Advisory⚠️ To our media partners, demonstrators and others who may enter the area of Los Angeles St, North of Arcadia and South of Alameda:
Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby.…
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDCentral/status/1931885681326096414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After anti-ICE activists blocked the 101 Freeway on Sunday afternoon, some approached “five Waymo taxis lined up on Los Angeles Street between Arcadia and Alameda streets around 5 p.m.,” the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-08/waymo-vehicles-set-on-fire-protesters-police-clash">reported</a>. “Tires were slashed, windows smashed, and anti-ICE messages spray-painted over the self-driving taxis &#8230; Protesters swarmed around the vehicles, tearing the doors off and stomping on the windshields. One man with a mask over his face smashed car windows with a skateboard. Another appeared to use a makeshift flamethrower to set the interior of a car ablaze.”
“According to <a style="font-style: inherit;" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/robotaxis-cant-be-a-solo-act-9a787252?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAjuoaQrWW8nwZGwCoTU9l6rOqZdMNUqTEYkUCF_BHsnaK3jpRovTyPsT6EkpLI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68463fc6&amp;gaa_sig=U8VRq9FIl_UyCzWx6Oru3QSJgOVrorrtFHQFQMYQ4AjzdK-h5HtxGswjcR14lzanswGlbTlsmWCRzUGOJVuoTg%3D%3D">a 2024 report by the Wall Street Journal</a>, analysts estimated Waymo’s driverless cars cost between $150,000 and $200,000 apiece,” KTLA <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/waymos-lit-on-fire-ktla-van-defaced-as-los-angeles-protests-spin-out-of-control/">noted</a>. “With the five burning robotaxis, the cost of damages would amount to roughly between $750,000 to $1 million, based on WSJ’s estimate.”
Waymo was originally the Google Self-Driving Project, a research and development effort within Google X.  In 2016, the project was rebranded as Waymo and moved under Alphabet, Google&#8217;s parent company. 
Waymo states on its <a href="https://waymo.com/waymo-one-los-angeles/">website</a> for its Los Angeles operation: “From Santa Monica Pier to Downtown, Waymo One is your new favorite way to get around. With millions of miles of driving experience, we’re excited to offer a safe way to get around the City of Angels. Download the Waymo One app and take a fully autonomous ride today.”

Anti-ICE-Protests-in-Los-Angeles

Waymo Suspends Service In Downtown L.A. After Rioters Burn 5 Of Its Self-Driving Vehicles

California

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County

Riots

Technology

Waymo

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not backing down after pharmacy giant CVS has threatened to leave the state over a new state law targeting drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.
In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqAe_rGGNek">interview with The Daily Wire</a>, Sanders said she would not allow CVS, which owns one of the &#8220;Big Three&#8221; PBMs called Caremark, to &#8220;manipulate and control the market simply so that they keep a few stores in our state open.&#8221; 
“It shows where their priorities are,&#8221; the governor said over CVS&#8217;s response to the law. &#8220;They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. I think it tells us everything that we need to know, that they care more about their bottom line.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care, really need access to some of these specialty drugs that they&#8217;re inflating the market on,&#8221; Sanders continued. 
The Republican told The Daily Wire that other pharmacies are willing to take CVS&#8217;s place if need be.
&#8220;We have a number of other pharmacies that I know will be happy to step up and take CVS’s place if they decide to take their ball and go home,&#8221; Sanders blasted. 
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last month, CVS said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas over the new policy. The company issued similar threats before Sanders signed the bill into law in April.
The law in question is a first-in-the-nation targeting of PBMs, and is set to go into effect in January 2026. It bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales in Arkansas.
PBMs are supposed to lower drug prices for Americans. They act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies, and negotiate prices. 
However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated, and now there are just three companies overseeing prescriptions for more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">270 million Americans</a>. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business. 
“What was happening is you have these pharmaceutical companies, they’re supposed to use PBMs to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,&#8221; Sanders explained. &#8220;But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call &#8217;em drug middlemen, because that’s exactly what they are.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.” 
Sanders also stressed that this law in Arkansas is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open. PMBs reportedly pay lowball prices to small independent pharmacies, forcing many to close their doors. 
“We&#8217;re optimistic that prices will come down not only in our state, but also that our local pharmacies will be able to keep their doors open, which was another big priority for us, so that people in rural communities don&#8217;t lose that access to care,&#8221; Sanders said. 
In a statement sent to The Daily Wire on Wednesday, CVS called the law in question &#8220;harmful&#8221; and &#8220;unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve filed a lawsuit to block Act 624, a harmful law that will shut down 23 CVS Pharmacy locations, eliminate hundreds of jobs, and drive-up costs for Arkansans,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;This unconstitutional law puts local politics ahead of patients, restricting their access to life-saving medications and undermining fair competition.&#8221;
The company notes its PBM reimbursing small independent pharmacies in the state more than it does CVS pharmacies.
About a month after Sanders signed the Arkansas bill, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting PBMs. The EO encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out PBMs, and mandates more pricing transparency. 
Sanders said momentum is building across the country to tackle this issue. 
&#8220;I think the big thing here is that this isn&#8217;t just going to be something that takes place in Arkansas,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You&#8217;re seeing Louisiana look at passing similar legislation, New York, Texas, other states all over the country. It&#8217;s not even a Republican or Democrat issue. This is something that I think a lot of governors, as well as this president, are recognizing and actually taking action on something that&#8217;s been needed for a long time.” 
Sanders said she&#8217;s optimistic that consumers will have more access to prescription drugs and lower prices soon after this law goes into effect in 2026. 
WATCH the Morning Wire interview with Governor Sanders:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Illegal Immigrant Terror &amp; Lowering Drug Prices" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tqAe_rGGNek?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This post has been updated to include comment from CVS. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen</a>

Conservatives Gather For Annual CPAC Conference In Washington DC

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave Arkansas

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave State

Arkansas

Health

Morning Wire

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

According to a Reuters <a href="https://archive.is/lUgfe">report</a>, Disney is preparing to conduct mass layoffs that will affect hundreds of employees across various departments, including film and TV, publicity, casting, development, and corporate finance.
Reps for the entertainment company have declined to comment, and no exact numbers have been released yet.
This is just the latest in a series of layoffs over recent years. Disney laid off nearly 200 television and ABC News operations employees earlier this year after cutting ABC News and local station staff in October. In September 2024, an additional 300 people were let go, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/disney-mass-layoffs-tv-film-finance-departments-1236415786/">Variety</a>.
Disney cut 7,000 jobs in 2023 alone as it tried to save $5.5 billion in costs, Reuters reported.
During layoffs in 2023, company CEO Bob Iger said, “There will no doubt be challenges ahead as we continue building the structures and functions that will enable us to be successful moving forward.”
“In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world, now, and long into the future,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-will-begin-mass-layoffs-this-week-ceo-announces">continued</a>.
Critics are quick to point out that Disney has had several big-budget flops recently, including the latest disaster, “Snow White.” The live-action remake is estimated to have cost the company approximately $115 million, based on a $410 million budget, including marketing, but it only earned a worldwide box office gross of $194.7 million. 
The film had multiple controversies, including a total change to the storyline and controversial statements made by Rachel Zegler, the actress playing the titular role. 
Many fans blame Disney’s downfall on increasingly leftist messaging, which Iger addressed during a shareholder meeting last April. When asked about Disney&#8217;s &#8220;wokeness,&#8221; the exec <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disney-bob-iger-slams-ron-desantis-disney-florida-1235571743/">replied</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;m sensitive to that.&#8221;
&#8220;Our primary mission needs to be to entertain and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. And I&#8217;m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven,&#8221; Iger added.

Disney

Disney Layoffs Will Affect Hundreds Of Employees In TV, Film, Corporate Finance: Report

Economy

Entertainment

layoffs

Mars Inc.’s Skittles candies are no longer being made with a popular food additive called titanium dioxide.
The chemical, which whitens foods and brightens colors, was recently targeted in the MAHA Commission report, which was headed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Others in the MAHA movement have identified the ingredient as a &#8220;toxin.&#8221;
&#8220;The momentum is unreal,&#8221; MAHA influencer Vani Hari, aka &#8220;Food Babe,&#8221; wrote in a post online. &#8220;Mars Inc. Skittles dropping titanium dioxide in the U.S. Already banned in Europe due to DNA damage and cancer risk. Let’s go!!!!!&#8221;
&#8220;I just heard some amazing news,&#8221; Hari said in a video attached to the post. &#8220;Titanium dioxide is getting removed from Skittles. This is one less toxin in the &#8216;taste of rainbows.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The momentum is unreal. Mars inc Skittles dropping titanium dioxide in US. Already banned in Europe due to DNA damage and cancer risk. Let’s go!!!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoodBabeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoodBabeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAHA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAHA</a> <a href="https://t.co/XX3b2g9BYZ">pic.twitter.com/XX3b2g9BYZ</a>
— Vani Hari (@thefoodbabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/thefoodbabe/status/1927479542974742903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
A spokesperson for the candy <a href="https://torontosun.com/life/food/skittles-removes-controversial-additive-targeted-by-rfk-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> to Bloomberg News on Tuesday that titanium dioxide was removed from all Skittles production at the end of last year.
In the MAHA report, the chemical was identified as a potentially concerning food additive, possibly having &#8220;carcinogenic effects.&#8221;
&#8220;Over 2,500 food additives — including emulsifiers, binders, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives — may be used to mimic the taste and texture of conventional food and increase its shelf life,&#8221; the report highlighted. &#8220;Studies have linked certain food additives to increased risks of mental disorders, ADHD, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndromes and even carcinogenic effects.&#8221;
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&#8220;Titanium Dioxide, widely used in a range of candies and sauces, may cause cellular and DNA damage,&#8221; the report said.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, Kennedy has already targeted food dyes, another controversial food additive.
RFK Jr. announced in April that he&#8217;s directing food manufacturers to phase out eight petroleum-based food dyes from candy, cereals, sports drinks, and other grocery staples by the end of 2026.
The dyes targeted <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/dining/rfk-jr-food-dyes.html">include</a> Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, and Orange B. Skittles candies still contain some of these dyes.
&#8220;Certain food colorings, such as red 40, which is present in widely-consumed products have been associated with behavioral issues in children, such as increased hyperactivity and symptoms consistent with ADHD,&#8221; the MAHA Commission report said of the additives. &#8220;Additionally, preliminary evidence suggests a possible association between the consumption of food colorings and autism, although further long-term research is necessary to establish a definitive link.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-looming-gop-food-fight-over-pesticides?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Looming+GOP+Food+Fight+Over+Pesticides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Looming GOP Food Fight Over Pesticides</a>

Skittles  Candy  At Costco Wholesale

Skittles No Longer Uses Controversial Ingredient Eyed By RFK Jr.

Skittles Removes Controversial Ingredient Eyed By RFK Jr.

Department of Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Consumer confidence, which helps measure economic growth, spiked by more than 12 points in May, far outpacing experts&#8217; predictions as Americans grow optimistic about President Donald Trump&#8217;s potential trade deals.
A <a href="https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> released Tuesday showed the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index standing at 98.0, which was up 12.3 points from April and much higher than the Dow Jones estimate of 86.0. The surge ended five straight months of declines in consumer confidence.
Even before President Trump agreed to a 90-day truce with China on May 12, which significantly reduced tariffs, consumer confidence was already rising, according to Stephanie Guichard, the Conference Board’s senior economist for global indicators.
“The rebound was already visible before the May 12 US-China trade deal but gained momentum afterwards,” Guichard said.
The May spike was celebrated by the White House with Communications Director Steven Cheung, crediting &#8220;THE TRUMP EFFECT!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
THE TRUMP EFFECT!
Consumer confidence rose 12.3 points this month to a reading of 98.
That’s higher than economists’ expectations for a reading of 88. <a href="https://t.co/yTJndbONkB">https://t.co/yTJndbONkB</a>
&mdash; Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/1927373749780713844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Along with consumer confidence spiking, the Present Situation Index — which is &#8220;based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions&#8221; — was up 4.8 points. The Expectations Index, which looks at consumers&#8217; short-term economic outlook, also jumped &#8220;17.4 points to 72.8,&#8221; but remains under the threshold of 80, which the U.S. Consumer Conference Board said &#8220;typically signals a recession ahead.&#8221;
&#8220;Consumers were less pessimistic about business conditions and job availability over the next six months and regained optimism about future income prospects. Consumers’ assessments of the present situation also improved,&#8221; Guichard added. &#8220;However, while consumers were more positive about current business conditions than last month, their appraisal of current job availability weakened for the fifth consecutive month.”
The positive consumer confidence report for the U.S. economy comes after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-hits-lowest-point-in-over-4-years-as-april-report-better-than-expected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> hit its lowest point in over four years in April.
Trump announced his first trade deal with the United Kingdom earlier this month and is continuing trade negotiations with China and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-delays-50-tariffs-eu-leader-blinks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a>. The president said on Sunday that he will delay 50% tariffs on the European Union after a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sorry-china-bessent-says-deal-with-massive-trade-partner-very-close" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promises</a> that more trade deals are currently in the works with Japan and South Korea, making significant headway.

Shoppers

Important Economic Indicator Surprises Experts With Big Surge In May

Economics

Tariffs

Trump Administration

Last month, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill banning drug middlemen from holding permits for prescription drug sales in the state. Now, CVS might have to close its pharmacies there.
The new law, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026, revokes permits for pharmacies affiliated with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The drug middlemen have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutinized</a> by multiple states and even the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pharmacy-benefit-managers-marked-up-specialty-drugs-by-over-1000-ftc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a> in recent years, as locally owned independent pharmacies say they are subject to the dictates of PBMs, which give an unfair advantage to large pharmacy corporations such as CVS.
CVS — which owns pharmacy benefits manager, Caremark Rx — said over the weekend that it is &#8220;looking at all available options to stay open and continue to serve Arkansans&#8221; after Gov. Sanders signed the crackdown on PBMs. Beginning in 2026, CVS must either close all of its 23 locations in Arkansas or change its PBM business model, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette <a href="https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/may/24/cvs-says-its-looking-at-ways-to-keep-arkansas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;For far too long, drug middlemen called PBMs have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers, inflate drug prices, and cut off access to critical medications. Not anymore,” <a href="https://www.medben.com/pbm-owned-pharmacies/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20far%20too%20long%2C%20drug,House%20Bill%201150%20into%20law." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sanders after signing House Bill 1150 into law.
The three largest PBMs in the country —  which are owned by CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group — manage nearly 80% of prescription drug claims for all Americans, according to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Trade Commission</a>. An FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-releases-second-interim-staff-report-prescription-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published in January found that &#8220;the three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer.&#8221;
CVS ripped the new Arkansas legislation after it was signed by the governor, calling it &#8220;bad policy&#8221; that &#8220;forces the closures&#8221; of its pharmacies.
&#8220;The Governor and legislature have chosen to pass HB 1150 which forces the closure of all CVS pharmacy operations by 1/1/26 &#8212; this includes CVS Pharmacy, CVS Specialty, and Omnicare,&#8221; a company spokesman said. &#8220;Our stores and pharmacies remain open, and our teams are continuing to serve patients and customers.&#8221;
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Arkansas Pharmacy Association Chief Executive Officer John Vinson, who supported the legislation, told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette that there are steps for CVS to take to continue operating its pharmacies in Arkansas, such as giving up its PBM license in the state.
&#8220;There are ways to do it &#8230; if they don&#8217;t, they&#8217;re choosing the conflict and the business model over customers,&#8221; Vinson said.
Independent pharmacy owners told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last year that PBMs have a direct negative effect on local pharmacies, often paying them lowball prices for filling prescriptions. With PBMs putting their hands on the scales of the prescription drug industry, patients are also directed toward pricier options and charged steep markups, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
Other states, such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Carolina, have moved to regulate PBMs and reel in their control over the prescription drug industry. At the federal level, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/lowering-drug-prices-by-once-again-putting-americans-first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order in April to improve transparency of &#8220;the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers.&#8221;
Two bipartisan bills were <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cantwell-reintroduce-bills-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices-drive-pbm-accountability#:~:text=Pharmacy%20Benefit%20Manager%20(PBM)%20Transparency,spread%20pricing%20and%20pharmacy%20fees." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> in Congress earlier this year to &#8220;combat the high cost of prescription drugs and provide greater transparency of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).&#8221;
This article has been updated to remove a mention of Walgreens since Walgreens does not own a PBM and is not affected by the new law. We regret the error.

CVS Pharmacy

Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen

Pharmaceuticals

Prescription Drugs

More than two weeks after President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside of the United States, Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order on Tuesday that she says will cut red tape and make it easier for entertainment professionals to film in her city.
The move comes after production has shifted dramatically toward different locations outside the city, including U.S.-based filming spots and foreign countries where it’s cheaper and easier to make movies and television shows.
“We are going to fight now,” Bass <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/movies/los-angeles-film-industry.html">said</a>. “While we push for the tax credits to be passed in Sacramento, we need to do what we can today to impact building in Los Angeles.
“The City is taking bold action to support our legacy industry,” she continued. “Keeping entertainment production in L.A. means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for.”
Specific popular locations in L.A., which she says will be easier for filmmakers to access, include the Griffith Observatory, the L.A. Central Library, and the Port of Los Angeles, among others. The directive also reduces the number of city employees who must be on-site during filming down to one. 
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The move comes after President Trump made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-movie-industry-is-dying-puts-plan-in-place-to-save-it">headlines</a> saying Hollywood was dying a &#8220;very fast death,&#8221; calling incentives from other countries to produce movies outside of the United States &#8220;a national security threat.&#8221; 
“Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social earlier this month.
“It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” he added. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

Karen Bass

Weeks After Trump’s Film Tariff, L.A. Mayor Issues Order To Bring Productions Back To Hollywood

Film

Retail giant Target revealed on Tuesday that customer boycotts damaged its sales in the first quarter, following the company&#8217;s January decision to scale back several diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Sales fell 2.8% from last year to $23.85 billion, below the $24.23 billion Wall Street expected, with Target now expecting a low-single digit decline in annual sales for 2025, a significant downgrade from its March projection of a 1% increase.
According to the company’s earnings <a href="https://corporate.target.com/press/release/2025/05/target-corporation-reports-first-quarter-earnings#:~:text=For%20fiscal%202025%2C%20the%20Company,be%20approximately%20%247.00%20to%20%249.00.">report</a>, “Comparable sales decreased 3.8 percent in the first quarter, reflecting a comparable store sales decline of 5.7 percent and comparable digital sales growth of 4.7 percent.”
Target, previously a staunch supporter of leftist causes, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-rolls-back-dei-joining-other-major-companies-like-walmart-meta">announced</a> in January it would phase out several DEI initiatives after criticism from conservative activists and the White House.
Despite the reversal, the company continues to receive backlash from both the Right and the Left, with many conservatives arguing that the retailer’s retreat from DEI policies has come too late.
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In February, Target was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-faces-shareholder-lawsuit-over-pride-campaign-dei-initiative-fallout">hit</a> with a class action lawsuit from shareholders who accused the retailer of misleading them about the risks posed by its DEI initiative, which the plaintiffs allege contributed to Target&#8217;s stock having plummeted more than 37% over the past year.
Rev. Jamal Bryant, who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/40-day-target-boycott-fast-dei-d1d40f79f5f1b3afb2dfe8561e7729a0">led</a> a nationwide 40-day boycott of Target stores after the company ended DEI initiatives in “a spiritual act of resistance,” called for a continuation of that effort.
“We faced several additional headwinds this quarter, including five consecutive months of declining consumer confidence, uncertainty regarding the impact of potential tariffs, and the reaction to the updates we shared on [DEI] in January,” Target CEO Brian Cornell <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/business/target-earnings-dei-tariffs">said</a> on an earnings call.
“I want to be clear that we’re not satisfied with these results,” Cornell added. “We’ve got to drive traffic back into our stores and visits to our site.”
The company faces additional challenges from potential tariffs on Chinese imports. While President Donald Trump&#8217;s threatened 145% tariffs were reduced to 30% in a May 12 deal, with some higher tariffs paused for 90 days, Target remains <a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-first-quarter-earnings-tariffs-ed5765bac92257a0bab3815ece31f5c1">vulnerable</a> due to its higher reliance on discretionary items compared to competitors like Walmart, according to the AP.
&#8220;We look at competition,&#8221; Cornell explained regarding potential price hikes. &#8220;We make adjustments literally each and every week, so we&#8217;re constantly adjusting pricing. Some are going up. Some will be reduced.&#8221;
The retailer operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide with more than 400,000 employees, making its financial performance a significant indicator for the broader retail sector.
Out of 35 merchandise categories Target tracks, the company is currently gaining or maintaining market share in only 15, the AP reported.

Target’s DEI Drama Costs Big As Boycotts Impact Sales

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Retail

Stock Market

Wall Street

CBS News and Stations President Wendy McMahon announced on Monday that she is resigning over disagreements with the network as CBS&#8217; parent company, Paramount, looks to settle a massive lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump.
McMahon said her time with the network was &#8220;a privilege and joy,&#8221; but added that recent months have been &#8220;challenging,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/cbs-news-chief-steps-down-over-trump-tensions-rcna207700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>. Her resignation comes as Paramount moves closer to settling a $20 billion lawsuit brought by Trump, which alleges that &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to cover up her poor answer while she was running for president. Paramount&#8217;s controlling shareholder and chair, Shari Redstone, wants to settle the lawsuit as she also <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-28/behind-the-60-minutes-upheaval-a-big-merger-seeking-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeks</a> the Trump administration&#8217;s approval to sell her company to the entertainment company, Skydance.
&#8220;It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,&#8221; McMahon wrote in a memo to CBS News staff. &#8220;It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.&#8221;
McMahon, who took over as CBS News and Stations president in August 2023, put herself in the crosshairs of Paramount executives with her support of former longtime &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; executive producer Bill Owens, who resigned last month, citing a lack of control over the direction of the stalwart news program, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/business/media/cbs-60-minutes-trump-wendy-mcmahon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The leadership at Paramount was reportedly growing anxious with how the show reported on the Trump administration.
Redstone also slammed CBS News leadership last October after it reprimanded “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil for asking Left-wing activist Ta-Nehisi Coates tough questions about the Israel-Gaza conflict. McMahon informed Dokoupil that he had violated &#8220;the preproduction process where questions are run through Race and Culture and Standards and Practice.&#8221; Redstone <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/business/media/ta-nehisi-coates-cbs-interview-shari-redstone.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said publicl</a>y that CBS News&#8217; decision to reprimand the anchor was &#8220;a mistake.&#8221;
“I think we all agree that this was not handled correctly,” Redstone said.
McMahon will continue to work as CBS News president for a transition period that will last &#8220;a few weeks,&#8221; according to George Cheeks, the chief executive of CBS. McMahon will be replaced by Tom Cibrowski, who recently joined CBS News after working for ABC News for 30 years in multiple roles, and Jennifer Mitchell, who currently &#8220;oversees 27 CBS-owned stations and manages stations operations in 17 markets.&#8221;

Wendy McMahon

CBS News President Quits Amid ’60 Minutes’ Legal Battle With Trump

60 Minutes

CBS News

Legacy Media

Mainstream Media

Media

Waymo, the software company that was first known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, recalled more than 1,200 of its robotaxis this week after a software glitch caused multiple crashes into chains, gates, or other roadway barriers.
The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Waymo robotaxis after reports of the automated cars violating traffic laws, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/14/waymo-recalls-1200-self-driving-vehicles-after-minor-collisions.html#:~:text=Alphabet's%20Waymo%20is%20recalling%20more,opened%20a%20probe%20last%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Waymo said it was aware of 16 collisions with barriers between 2022 and 2024, none of which were serious. The company currently has more than 1,500 robotaxis operating in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Waymo turned into oncoming traffic on the way to work.
It sat there confused for 45 seconds with its hazards on.
Then it proceeded to back up into oncoming traffic.
And they’re about to let these guys on the freeway 😂 <a href="https://t.co/ZLRKx2loo1">pic.twitter.com/ZLRKx2loo1</a>
&mdash; Jake Glaser | LA Multifamily (@LAMultiBroker) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAMultiBroker/status/1885370114054512921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Road safety regulators said that some of the crashes “involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid.”
Waymo said it has fixed the issue with a regular update to its fifth-generation self-driving software in November of 2024.
“Waymo provides more than 250,000 paid trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments in the U.S.,” the company said, according to CNBC. “Our record of reducing injuries over tens of millions of fully autonomous miles driven shows our technology is making roads safer.”
It&#8217;s at least the third time in the past year that Waymo has recalled robotaxis over potential software issues. In February, the company recalled 444 automated vehicles after two robotaxis crashed into the same truck that was being towed, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/14/business/waymo-recalls-1200-robotaxis-over-glitch-linked-to-crashes/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Post</a>. Last June, 700 robotaxis were recalled after one crashed into a telephone pole in Phoenix. No one was injured in that crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also looking into Tesla&#8217;s planned launch of its own robotaxi service, which it hopes to start up in June. The federal government has <a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024/INIM-PE24031-62887.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Tesla to provide more information on its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to “understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads.” The feds also want to know how many robotaxis Tesla plans on sending out and if the vehicles will be monitored by Tesla in real time.
In a social media post in April, Tesla announced, &#8220;FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin &amp; San Francisco Bay Area. We&#8217;ve completed over 1.5k trips &amp; 15k miles of driving. This service helps us develop &amp; validate FSD networks, the mobile app, vehicle allocation, mission control &amp; remote assistance operations.&#8221;
This article has been updated to clarify that Waymo said it fixed the issue with a regular update to its fifth-generation software.

Over 1,200 Self-Driving Robotaxis Recalled Due To Software Glitch That Led To Crashes

Cars

Google

Recall

President Donald Trump on Monday morning signed an executive order to significantly reduce pharmaceutical drug prices for Americans.
The directive, Trump stressed, will bring fairness to Americans and cut out &#8220;the middlemen&#8221; to bring prices down so citizens will start to pay prices comparable to other developed nations.
&#8220;Starting today, the United States will no longer subsidize the drug prices of other countries,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been subsidizing drug prices for the rest of the world, not just the European Union.&#8221;
By implementing a policy called &#8220;Most Favored Nation,” Trump said the U.S. is &#8220;gonna pay the lowest price there is in the world. We&#8217;re no longer paying ten times more than another country.&#8221;
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was with Trump at a press conference on Monday morning, said that other nations, particularly those in the European Union, must chip in for research and development. Kennedy said raising their prices by just 20% would dramatically reduce costs in the United States.
Trump teased the executive order Sunday night on Truth Social, saying it would reduce prices by up to 80%.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: PRESIDENT TRUMP&#8217;S &#8220;MOST IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL&#8221; TRUTH EVER ISSUED ⬇️
&#8220;I am pleased to announce that Tomorrow morning, in the White House, at 9:00 A.M., I will be signing one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history&#8230;.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/YfyKzked0S">pic.twitter.com/YfyKzked0S</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1921695676032856313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
During Trump&#8217;s first term, he introduced a regulation for certain cancer drugs and others to be the same price as they were abroad. The Biden administration, however, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-he-will-sign-executive-order-aimed-at-lowering-drug-prices-2a5b9b28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandoned</a> the regulation after a court struck it down on procedural grounds.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed the order on Monday, saying online that other presidents &#8220;merely talked about addressing this problem – but President Trump is taking bold action to finally solve it and deliver a good deal for American families and seniors.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump is signing a historic Executive Order to significantly reduce drug prices for Americans,&#8221; she posted on X. &#8220;This EO will help bypass costly middlemen and bring the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by other nations.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump is signing a historic Executive Order to significantly reduce drug prices for Americans.
This EO will help bypass costly middlemen and bring the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by other nations.
Other Presidents merely talked… <a href="https://t.co/KTD37JonpH">pic.twitter.com/KTD37JonpH</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1921907172528607564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
White House Health Policy Adviser Calley Means, the brother of surgeon general nominee Casey Means, promoted the order online, posting on X, &#8220;The U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population but produces 75% of worldwide pharma profits. That’s not the free market. It&#8217;s rank corporate capture.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population but produces 75% of worldwide pharma profits.
That’s not the free market. Its rank corporate capture.
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) <a href="https://twitter.com/calleymeans/status/1921923593090248806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;&#8216;Price controls&#8217; would assume we have a free market in healthcare. It is not a free market when America, the largest purchaser of drugs in the world, pays 10 more for major drugs from American companies than Germany,&#8221; Means commented, responding to criticism of the order. &#8220;That’s corruption.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Price controls” would assume we have a free market in healthcare.
It is not a free market when America, the largest purchaser of drugs in the world, pays 10 more for major drugs from American companies than Germany.
That’s corruption.
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) <a href="https://twitter.com/calleymeans/status/1921901461132243425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
The order follows another directive signed by Trump on May 5, which seeks to reduce the regulatory burden on the domestic production of critical medicines.
&#8220;One key area of concern is the length of time it takes to build pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the United States today,&#8221; the order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/regulatory-relief-to-promote-domestic-production-of-critical-medicines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>. &#8220;New construction must navigate myriad Federal, State, and local requirements ranging from building standards and zoning restrictions to environmental protocols that together diminish the certainty needed to generate investment for large manufacturing projects.&#8221;
The order notes that estimates suggest building new pharmaceutical manufacturing plants &#8220;may take as long as 5 to 10 years, which is unacceptable from a national security standpoint.&#8221;
Within 180 days, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take action to &#8220;update regulations and guidance that apply to the inspection and approval of new and expanded manufacturing capacity of pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, key starting materials, and associated raw materials in the United States to eliminate any duplicative or unnecessary requirements and maximize the timeliness and predictability of agency review,&#8221; the order notes.

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Trump Signs Order To Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay Up

Trump Signs Order To Dramatically Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay Up

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