The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing Starbucks&#8217; challenge to the federal labor agency that forced the coffee giant to rehire seven workers who tried to unionize.
In the summer of 2022, Starbucks fired seven baristas who were organizing a union at their Memphis location, arguing the workers violated company policy by having a television news crew come to the store after hours.
However, the National Labor Relations Board obtained a court order to reinstate the terminated baristas, agreeing with the workers that they were fired over their union activities. An appeals court later upheld that decision.
Starbucks argues that federal courts should have stricter standards for reinstating fired employees. Currently, a court may grant an injunction against a company if it is deemed &#8220;just and proper.&#8221;
During the first day of arguments, some of the justices appeared to agree with Starbucks.
Justice Neil Gorsuch pointed out that other federal agencies are subject to a stricter standard.
&#8220;In all sorts of alphabet soup agencies, we don&#8217;t do this. District courts apply the &#8216;likelihood of success&#8217; test as we normally conceive it. So why is this particular statutory regime different than so many others?&#8221; Gorsuch <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-examines-firings-pro-union-starbucks-workers-2024-04-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>.
Starbucks has a notoriously fraught relationship with its union, Starbucks Workers United, but tensions have recently cooled somewhat.
Starbucks and union representatives announced in February that they would resume talks. They were set to meet on Wednesday for a bargaining session, the first in close to a year, with the goal of getting a contract by the end of 2024.
Nevertheless, Starbucks has decided to plow ahead with its case before the high court to the dismay of union officials.
“The day [Starbucks] committed to a new path should’ve been the day that they pulled back the case before SCOTUS,” Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, the parent union of Starbucks&#8217; union, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/23/starbucks-union-supreme-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Washington Post.
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Twelve current and former Starbucks baristas also wrote to the Supreme Court to claim they had been fired or punished for supporting union activity. Some said they had lost their health insurance or had their electricity cut because they could not pay their bills.
If the court decides in favor of Starbucks, the decision could discourage union activity at other companies. Union activity has <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/union-petitions-up-35-unfair-labor-practices-charge-filings-up-7-in-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surged</a> across the country this year.
Amazon, SpaceX, and Trader Joe’s have also recently challenged the National Labor Relations Board.
SpaceX filed a federal lawsuit in Texas earlier this year against the agency after the labor board accused the company of illegally firing eight employees for criticizing Elon Musk, the company&#8217;s founder.

Starbucks Coffee shop

Starbucks Challenges Federal Labor Board Before Supreme Court

Business

Courts

Labor Unions

SCOTUS

Starbucks

Supreme Court

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/instagram">Instagram</a> will start automatically blurring nude photos sent via private messaging for account holders younger than 18, per an<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/new-tools-to-help-protect-against-sextortion-and-intimate-image-abuse/"> announcement</a> from its parent company, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meta">Meta</a>.
In addition to blurring images containing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nudity">nudity</a>, the popular social media platform will prompt users “to think twice before sending nude images.” The app will also show a notification to adult users, encouraging them to turn the feature on for their accounts.
The new feature is likely a response to increased public pressure from critics who say social media companies should be doing more to protect children from online harm. Meta also said the feature would help protect minors from “sextortion,” or the practice of scammers sending nude images to children in an effort to get them to send photos back.
“While people overwhelmingly use DMs to share what they love with their friends, family or favorite creators, sextortion scammers may also use private messages to share or ask for intimate images,” Meta shared Thursday in a blog post.
The new feature will make it so any images containing nudity will be automatically blurred, and a prompt will ask the user if they’d like to view it. 
“We’ll also show them a message encouraging them not to feel pressure to respond, with an option to block the sender and report the chat,” Meta said.
The company also said “severe action” is taken against any platform users who are determined to be engaging in sextortion. The users have their accounts removed and steps are taken to prevent them from making new profiles, Meta said. If warranted, the user may also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and local authorities.
Meta also said it has increased the data it shares with Lantern, an online child safety program. 
“Meta’s proposed device-side safety measures within its encrypted environment is encouraging,” John Shehan, SVP at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said in a statement provided by Meta. “We are hopeful these new measures will increase reporting by minors and curb the circulation of online child exploitation.”
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The move comes after Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg attended Senate hearings in January, which included testimonies from families of victims who experienced abuse online. 
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through. Nobody should have to go through what your families have suffered,” Zuckerberg said at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-sorry-for-everything-mark-zuckerberg-faces-families-harmed-by-social-media">reported</a>. “This is why we have invested so much and are going to continue industry-leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the types of things your families have suffered.”

Instagram

Instagram Will Blur Nude Images Sent To Teens To Curb Sextortion

Instagram Will Blur Nude Images Sent To Teens In Effort To Curb Sextortion

Nudity

Social Media

Technology

Teenagers

A 38-year-old bearded man was arrested last week in North Carolina on an indecent exposure to a minor charge after allegedly claiming to be a woman and stripping completely naked in a Planet Fitness women&#8217;s locker room, ABC affiliate WSOC-TV <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/suspect-accused-exposing-themselves-inside-womens-locker-room-planet-fitness/K6ETD7O6I5ERJJK7LBRJN7NK4A/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday.
Christopher Allan Miller allegedly took advantage of Planet Fitness&#8217; <a href="https://www.planetfitness.com/about-planet-fitness/planet-fitness-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> that allows members to use locker rooms, bathrooms, and showers based on their &#8220;gender identity&#8221; and entered the women&#8217;s locker room at the gym&#8217;s Gastonia, North Carolina, location. He then allegedly disrobed and asked a woman to rub lotion on him and shower together before one woman called 911, sources told WSOC-TV.
“It’s a man but he says he identifies as a woman, and he won’t leave the restroom. But he is just walking around showing us his &#8212; and he won’t leave,&#8221; a woman told the dispatcher.
Miller was booked in the Gaston County, North Carolina, jail and identified as a male in his online inmate entry, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/11/us-news/planet-fitness-member-arrested-after-going-to-ladies-locker-room-claiming-he-identified-as-a-woman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Male who identifies as female ARRESTED after stripping N*KED in a Planet Fitness women’s locker room.
“It’s a man but he says he identifies as a woman, and he won’t leave the restroom. But he is just walking around showing us his &#8212; and he won’t leave” a caller told… <a href="https://t.co/bWMXwCteH5">pic.twitter.com/bWMXwCteH5</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1778178111504584925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Betty Brice, a member of Planet Fitness, was outraged that a man could claim to be transgender and enter the women&#8217;s locker room.
“I think a woman should be able to go into a woman’s bathroom without a man coming in saying he’s transgender,” Brice said.
In a statement shared with The Daily Wire, Planet Fitness Chief Corporate Affairs Officer McCall Gosselin said, &#8220;At Planet Fitness, the safety of our employees and members is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind in our clubs. We took immediate action to ensure the safety of club members, including notifying and working with law enforcement.&#8221;
The incident comes a month after a woman said her Planet Fitness <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/planet-fitness-stock-plunges-after-it-canceled-membership-of-woman-who-photographed-man-in-the-womens-locker-room" target="_blank" rel="noopener">membership was terminated</a> after she reportedly took a photo of a man in the women&#8217;s locker room.
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“I received a call this morning at 8:55 AM from Samantha at Planet Fitness announcing that they have chosen to cancel my membership rather than protect youth girls and women 12 years and older that enter the women’s locker room from men with a penis. Instead, they defended the man with the penis, who was shaving in the women’s locker room. Despicable,” Patricia Silva wrote on March 13.
A Planet Fitness spokesman defended canceling Silva’s membership, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13203209/Alaskan-gym-goer-exposed-trans-woman-shaving-female-bathroom-12-year-old-girl-membership-cancelled-Patricia-Silva.html?fbclid=IwAR28oUcPZ4er22YzhEOx4EOQbpw8nTzLk_vIIJb4kTgr12otLs725GJ8F2I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>, saying in a statement, “As the home of the Judgement Free Zone, Planet Fitness is committed to creating an inclusive environment. … Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use the gym facilities that best align with their sincere, self-reported gender identity. The member who posted on social media violated our mobile device policy that prohibits taking photos of individuals in the locker room, which resulted in their membership being terminated.”
In a recent <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1773806864427348060" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Chaya Raichick, who runs the popular social media account Libs of TikTok, Planet Fitness founder and former CEO Mike Grondahl <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/planet-fitness-pretty-much-destroyed-150010141.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the reports on the company&#8217;s policies in the past few weeks have &#8220;destroyed&#8221; it.
&#8220;Planet Fitness was like another child for me. And I put my heart and soul into building that company and it&#8217;s been pretty much destroyed in, ya know, it’s lost all respect within the country within the last couple weeks,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There&#8217;s no common sense standing behind this.&#8221;
Planet Fitness lost around 15% of its stock price within two weeks of Silva going public with her story about encountering a man in the women&#8217;s locker room.
This article has been updated to include comment from Planet Fitness.

Planet Fitness

Man Arrested After Allegedly Stripping Naked In Planet Fitness Women’s Locker Room While Claiming To Be A Woman

Man Arrested After Allegedly Stripping Naked In Planet Fitness Women's Locker Room While Claiming To Be A Woman

Bathrooms

Fitness gym

Gender Identity

North Carolina

Social Issues

Transgender

Women

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ford-motor-co" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ford Motor Co.</a> announced on Thursday that it is delaying the production of two new electric vehicles and that it will instead focus on making more hybrid vehicles as consumer demand for electric vehicles continues to plummet.
The launch of at least two new three-row electric vehicles will be delayed from 2025 to 2027, the company said in a statement.
&#8220;The additional time will allow for the consumer market for three-row EVs to further develop and enable Ford to take advantage of emerging battery technology,&#8221; the company claimed.
&#8220;In parallel, Ford is expanding its hybrid electric vehicle offerings,&#8221; the company said. &#8220;By the end of the decade, the company expects to offer hybrid powertrains across its entire Ford Blue lineup in North America.&#8221;
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/business/ford-delays-electric-vehicles.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Ford’s electric vehicle business lost $4.7 billion before interest and taxes in 2023. By contrast, the division that makes gasoline and hybrid vehicles for consumers made a $7.5 billion profit.</blockquote>
“Many companies rushed in too fast with E.V.s that were too expensive and there was not as much of a market for them as they thought,” Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst for transportation and mobility at the research firm Guidehouse Insights, told the Times. “That’s made it a lot tougher to sell those vehicles.”
Numerous companies have been forced to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-ends-multi-billion-dollar-effort-to-build-electric-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrap their plans</a> to build electric cars, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mercedes-scraps-plan-to-only-sell-electric-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancel their plans</a> to go all electric, or in some cases are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ev-startup-fisker-halts-production-to-raise-emergency-funds-amid-cash-crunch-from-low-demand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling</a> just to stay in business.
Consumers regularly have complained about the high prices of electric vehicles, their quality and reliability, the lack of charging stations, the time it takes to charge them, how inconvenient they can be, and their significantly decreased performance during cold weather conditions.
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Former President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-campaign-vows-to-reverse-bidens-new-extreme-electric-vehicle-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to undo President Joe Biden&#8217;s electric vehicle mandate if he is re-elected this fall.
“Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate will force Americans to buy ultra-expensive cars they do not want and cannot afford while destroying the U.S. auto industry in the process,” a Trump campaign spokesperson said in a statement. “This radical policy is anti-jobs, anti-consumer, and anti-American. It will destroy the livelihoods of countless U.S. autoworkers while sending the U.S. auto industry to China.”
“President Trump will reverse Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate on Day One,” the statement continued. “He will protect the freedom of Americans to drive whichever vehicle they choose, enhance President Trump’s tough tariffs on Chinese-imported cars, and save the U.S. auto industry for generations to come.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-buttigieg-mocks-people-who-dont-want-electric-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Buttigieg Mocks People Who Don’t Want Electric Vehicles</a>

2018 Geneva Motor Show – 2nd Press Day

Ford Delays Production Of New Electric Vehicles By Years As Consumers Sour On EVs

Economy

Electric cars

Ford Motor Co.

Tesla

The rock band <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">KISS</a> has sold its music catalog, brand name, and intellectual property to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group, but the band’s frontman insists the deal is more of a “collaboration,” not an acquisition.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">deal</a>, announced on Thursday, is estimated to be worth over $300 million, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kiss-sells-catalog-brand-name-ip-pophouse-061d34ce4e92efffc25f35c62670a4f2">AP</a>. KISS had previously partnered with Pophouse to debut <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">digitized avatars</a> of themselves at the band’s farewell concert in December. 
“The record companies, the three big ones that are left, they’re doing a fantastic job, but they have so many catalogs and they can’t focus on everything,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin said. “We work together with Universal (Music Group) and KISS, even though we will own the artists rights, and we&#8217;re doing it in conjunction with KISS. But yes, we bought all rights, and that&#8217;s not something I&#8217;ve seen that clear before.&#8221;
He added that upcoming projects may include a biopic, a documentary, and a KISS experience. Sundin also discussed how he plans to use cutting-edge technology to expose the 1970s rock band to new generations of fans.
“I don’t like the word acquisition,” KISS frontman Gene Simmons told the outlet of the deal. 
“Collaboration is exactly what it’s about. It would be remiss in our inferred fiduciary duty — see what I just did there? — to the thing that we created to abandon it,” he told AP. “People might misunderstand and think, ‘OK, now Pophouse is doing that stuff and we’re just in Beverly Hills twiddling our thumbs.’ No, that’s not true. We’re in the trenches with them. We talk all the time. We share ideas. It’s a collaboration. Paul (Stanley) and I especially, with the band, we’ll stay committed to this. It’s our baby.”
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Simmons reiterated that the band’s touring days are over, and future concerts will all be digital. “We’re not going to tour again as KISS, period,” he said. “We’re not going to go put the makeup on and go out there.”
A KISS avatar show is slated for 2027. Pophouse is the same company that partnered with George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light &amp; Magic, to put on a fully digital ABBA show in London. ABBA Voyage debuted in May 2022.
Pophouse has also partnered with musician Cyndi Lauper, purchasing the majority share of her music and announcing a new immersive performance project.

Kiss

Gene Simmons Has An Explanation For Fans After KISS Sells Entire Music Catalog

Entertainment

Music

Music Industry

More than 200 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">recording artists</a> of all ages and genres have signed an open letter denouncing the use of AI (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>) in the music industry.
It was put together by the non-profit Artist Rights Alliance and <a href="https://artistrightsnow.medium.com/200-artists-urge-tech-platforms-stop-devaluing-music-559fb109bbac">signed</a> by mainstream artists, including Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Ja Rule, Jon Bon Jovi, The Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Miranda Lambert, Camila Cabello, Imagine Dragons, J Balvin, Ja Rule, Jon Batiste, Julia Michaels, Kim Petras, Mumford &amp; Sons, Nicki Minaj, Norah Jones, Pearl Jam, R.E.M. Sam Smith, Sheryl Crow, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Zayn Malik and the estates of Bob Marley and Frank Sinatra, and many others.
The letter urges <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">industry</a> leaders to “cease the use of artificial intelligence to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists,” warning against deepfakes and cloning, which are becoming major concerns. While the organization says technology will keep evolving, it wants protections from AI being used in certain ways. 
It also notes that “irresponsible uses of AI” could lead to decreased royalty payments for artists. “For many working musicians, artists, and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic,” the letter says.
“We believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere,” it continues. “Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing AI to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians and rightsholders.”
“Unchecked, AI will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it,” the letter concludes. “We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.”
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The letter comes as conversations about the use of AI continue across the entertainment industry, from films and television to music. Last year’s actors&#8217; and writers&#8217; strikes were partly driven by union members demanding job protection as AI usage increased.
In March, country artists widely supported Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signing the ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act), which protects artists from the unauthorized use of their voice, name, image, and likeness, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/country-music-stars-celebrate-new-tennessee-law-protecting-against-ai">reported</a>.
The law, the first of its kind in the U.S., allows artists and license holders to sue for damages when it is violated.

Billie Eilish

More Than 200 Musicians, From Billie Eilish To Pearl Jam, Denounce AI Misuse In Open Letter

Artificial Intelligence

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walt Disney Company</a> may be on the verge of picking its first female head in its century-long history: Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden.
Walden, 59, is on the shortlist to replace Bob Iger, 73, as Disney’s CEO, and she may be the first choice, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/01/disney-ceo-race-dana-walden-could-defy-critics-and-make-history.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>. Iger, who retired from the company in 2021, was replaced as CEO in 2020 by Bob Chapek. Iger took his place back at the head of the company after Chapek was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reeling-disney-fires-ceo-as-woke-culture-blamed-for-stock-plunge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> in 2022.
Walden is a longtime entertainment industry executive with deep ties to Hollywood and a reputation for an impeccable sense for what will sell in the world of television. When she was at Fox, her division made hits such as “24,” “Homeland,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Since moving to Disney, she’s been instrumental in the creation of shows such as “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
In addition to her experience in entertainment, Iger is reported to want to tap Walden to succeed him in part because he wants to have a role in Disney naming its first-ever female CEO. He also wants to rectify his previous pick Chapek, which he now regrets and sees as a mistake, according to CNBC.
Walden also has her critics, however, with some questioning her business acumen and ability to transition from her time in entertainment to being the head of and international corporation with many different facets, such as prestigious parks and resorts.
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“She’ll be eaten up by real investors,” one person told CNBC. “Does she have the necessary depth of business knowledge? She can learn, but you can’t have someone teach you decades of finance, business and tactics in a year or two.”
Others have dismissed criticism of Walden as misogynistic.
“There’s something about looking at female execs where questions are asked that would never be asked of men,” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, who previously worked with Walden, said. “Can they scale? Can a creative person be a business leader? I find that to be a huge bugaboo. She’s in charge of billions of dollars of assets, but she’s not capable of being a business leader?”
Iger retook the CEO role at Disney after a tumultuous two years at the company under Chapek, which saw the company get into a high-profile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-disney-court-battle-ends-in-legal-settlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feud</a> with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over a piece of legislation that banned sexual orientation and gender identity lessons for young students. Disney publicly denounced the bill. In return, DeSantis stripped Disney of special privileges it had enjoyed on about 25,000 acres that housed the company’s landmark Disney World theme parks and resorts.
Florida and Disney settled a legal battle over the special district last month.

Dana Walden

Hollywood Insider Dana Walden Could Be Next CEO Of Disney

Bob Iger

Disney

General

Hollywood

Fast-food restaurateurs in California are warning customers to expect price bumps ahead of a new minimum wage for the industry, which will go into effect on Monday.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill in September lifting the minimum wage for fast food workers from the state minimum of $16 an hour to an industry-specific rate of $20 an hour. The bill is set to go into effect on April 1.
With the new wage floor just days away, fast-food businesses are preparing to cut jobs and hike prices to offset the increase in costs.
“It’s going to be a pretty significant increase to our labor,” Chipotle chief financial officer Jack Hartung said during an earnings call last year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hartung said that a significant amount of the cost would be passed on to customers in “a mid-to-high single-digit” percentage price increase.
“We are definitely going to pass this on,” Hartung said.
A Starbucks spokesman said the company would offset the added labor costs “through a variety of levers—including near-term pricing as well as other efficiencies.”
In addition to price increases, some employees will be cut to make way for cheaper automated options. Other business owners may quit California entirely.
“Where they can automate, they will automate more,” said Harry Holzer, Georgetown University professor and former Labor Department chief economist. “Maybe some franchises will move out of state.”
Jamie Bynum, a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisee, said the new law would raise expenses at his southern California location by $3,000 to $4,000 monthly, additional costs he will pass on to customers.
“People don’t understand that when wages rise, so do the prices,” Bynum told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/business/economy/fast-food-minimum-wage-california.html">The New York Times</a>. He said that in the past, when he has been forced to raise prices, fewer customers have come to his business, eating away at his earnings and forcing him to make cuts to his workforce.
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The new law will make California’s minimum wage for fast-food workers the second-highest in the country for minimum wage workers. The only other place with a higher floor is a small city outside Seattle, where the minimum is set at $20.29 for some.
The bill signed by Newsom last year will force most fast food chains to raise pay, though the bill included a carveout for businesses that also make and sell bread as a separate menu item. The carveout was criticized as some alleged it was a favor to one of Newsom’s financial backers, Greg Flynn, a billionaire whose business runs two dozen Panera locations in the state. Newsom <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4499331-gavin-newsom-says-panera-not-exempt-from-california-minimum-wage-law/">denied</a> the accusation and insisted Panera was not exempt from the new law. Still, Flynn <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/business/panera-franchise-california-to-raise-minimum-wage/index.html">pledged</a> to increase the hourly wage at his Panera locations to $20 an hour after criticism erupted over the exception in the law.

Chipotle

CA Fast Food Joints Warn Of Price Hikes Ahead Of New Minimum Wage: ‘Definitely Going To Pass This On’

CA Fast Food Joints Warn Of Price Hikes Ahead Of New Minimum Wage

California

Gavin Newsom

Minimum Wage

restaurants

Comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-maher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Maher</a> is launching his own podcast network and has reportedly hired conservative Sage Steele, a former ESPN anchor, to be his first host.
Maher, who is known for hosting HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Real Time,&#8221; <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/bill-maher-podcast-sage-steele-host-1235860156/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter that he is building his network on the foundation of &#8220;freedom of expression.&#8221;
&#8220;I am looking for people who are not talking-point people,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;I’m looking for people who don’t, before they speak, say, ‘What’s the right answer here?'&#8221;
Steele parted ways with ESPN last year after settling a lawsuit with the company in which she alleged that the network — whose hosts have routinely engaged in promoting left-wing politics — retaliated against her for remarks that she made about vaccine mandates and that her free speech had been violated.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_F1DFB57D-5E16-7D2A-3476-F99C7AECD601@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,” Steele said in a social media post last year. “I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!”
Maher told THR that Steele was &#8220;the perfect choice to be our first new host because, like me, she pissed off Disney.&#8221;
“These are not rookies, these are grown-ass adult, mature, fun, unafraid people,” Maher says. “So I don’t worry about them, and I certainly wouldn’t dream of micromanagement. I mean, they are their own people. And that’s what we want.”
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The publication said that Steele is focused on having “conversations, not interviews” with notable figures ranging from athletes, executives, actors, comedians, to politicians.
“What I’ve always tried to dig out during my career is the ‘why’ behind people and get that human interest story,” Steele told the publication. “You realize that by sharing your story, others can benefit as well. I’ve gotten thousands of emails over the last couple of years since I kind of became controversial and started getting canceled, from people saying, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing,’ ‘Oh my gosh, I’m afraid too,’ and ‘Oh my gosh, please don’t be quiet, you’re speaking for me.’ So that’s where this came from. I’ve always had that curiosity, but now I know firsthand what it’s like when you open up and are vulnerable and share.”
“It’s not even about me or Bill, this is about the big picture, and what I believe and Bill believes is missing in this country, which is true conversation and listening. I mean, since my controversies began — and long before that, actually — people who know me knew my biggest priority is diversity of thought, and if we don’t have that we have nothing,&#8221; she continued. “Bill, by saying, ‘You’re gonna be my first hire for my new podcast network,’ he is living that, he’s practicing what he preaches because you look at just the basic issues, right? He thinks marriage is a joke, and kids are annoying. And he’s an atheist. I was married for 20 years. I have three kids and I am a strong Christian Catholic.&#8221;
&#8220;We could not be more different in many, many, many important ways. But we also think the same on some of the core issues that are dividing this country right now, like the craziness at the border with immigration laws, with what happened with the vaccine mandates — not the vaccine, the vaccine mandates — with the transgender sports issue. We’re on the same page with that, and we were able to find that out through that conversation on his podcast last fall,&#8221; she added.

2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Inside

Bill Maher Launches New Podcast Network, Hires Conservative As His First Host

Bill Maher

Media

Podcast

NBC News released a statement on Tuesday afternoon announcing that former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/ronna-mcdaniel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ronna McDaniel</a> is out at the network just days after the company announced that they had hired her to be a contributor.
NBC News Chairman Cesar Conde made the announcement in a memo to employees after multiple on-air hosts at MSNBC lashed out at the company during their news shows.
&#8220;There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned. Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Our initial decision was made because of our deep commitment to presenting our audiences with a widely diverse set of viewpoints and experiences, particularly during these consequential times.&#8221;
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Conde said that the network was committed to its &#8220;principle that we must have diverse viewpoints on our programs,&#8221; which means that they will &#8220;redouble&#8221; their efforts to &#8220;seek voices that represent different parts of the political spectrum.&#8221;
The problems at NBC News created additional problems for McDaniel as Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent agency that negotiated her deal, ended its relationship with her, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/nbc-news-ronna-mcdaniel-contributor-1235860170/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
McDaniel is now focused exploring her legal options following her termination from the network.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nbc-news-to-fire-former-rnc-chair-ronna-mcdaniel-after-on-air-hosts-revolt-report">NBC News To Fire Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel After On-Air Hosts Revolt</a>

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel Speaks At The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

NBC Releases Statement Announcing Ronna McDaniel Is Out Just Days After Hiring

Legacy Media

NBC News

Ronna Romney McDaniel

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will leave the company by the end of the year as it changes leadership amid quality and safety concerns with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> aircraft. 
Other top leaders are also leaving the company, with board chair Larry Kellner resigning from his position in May and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal retiring immediately. Boeing Chief Operation Officer Stephanie Pope will take over from Deal, while Steve Mollenkopf will become the company’s new board chair. 
The announcement comes after the company faced scrutiny after a Boeing plane&#8217;s door plug blew off midflight during an Alaska Airlines flight carrying more than 170 passengers in January, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. 
“As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a watershed moment for Boeing,” Calhoun <a href="https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2024-03-25-CEO-Message-to-Employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a letter to staff. “We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.&#8221;
“The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company, building on all the learnings we accumulated as we worked together to rebuild Boeing over the last number of years,” he added. “We have been working together for the last five years to address some of the most significant challenges our company and industry have ever faced in our 108-year history. I am confident that the way we have confronted these challenges, and how we are responding to this specific moment, is establishing standards for future generations of employees and will be woven into the fabric of how we operate for decades to come.”
The Alaska Airlines incident prompted a series of federal and congressional investigations into Boeing&#8217;s safety and manufacturing practices. 
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Earlier this month, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boeing-refusing-to-hand-over-records-on-alaska-airlines-plane-that-lost-chunk-of-its-wall-mid-air-gov-official-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that Boeing refused to tell investigators the names of people on a 25-member team that worked on a door plug that came off the Alaska Airlines plane.
“Boeing has not provided us with the documents and information that we have requested numerous times over the past few months, specifically with respect to opening, closing, and removal of the door,” Homendy told lawmakers. “Without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management, [and] safety management systems.&#8221;
Other Boeing planes have experienced high-profile malfunctions this year, with a United Airlines Boeing 737 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-airlines-boeing-737-loses-external-panel-mid-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing</a> an external panel midflight this month and a Boeing 737-800 in Japan being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boeing-737-forced-to-turn-back-mid-flight-after-cockpit-window-cracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced</a> to turn back in January because of a crack in the cockpit window. The incidents come as the Federal Aviation Authority<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-safety-quality-faa-audit-fc3a23505363800e1c6d4debd98c4d74" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> found</a> that a Boeing plant in Renton, Washington, failed 33 of 88 production standards.

Orders For U.S. Manufactured Goods Decline By Largest Margin In

Top Boeing Leadership To Leave Company After Alaska Airlines Flight Loses Door Plug Midflight

Air &amp; Space

airplanes

Boeing

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

National transportation Safety Board

With a $454 million civil fraud judgment looming over former President Donald Trump, the leading 2024 presidential candidate could be looking at a multi-billion-dollar windfall as his social media company, Truth Social, aims to go public.
Shareholders are expected to vote Friday on a merger to take the platform public, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/trump-is-in-line-for-a-3-5-billion-windfall-from-his-stake-in-truth-social-eae58c9d?mod=hp_lead_pos5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The social media company will likely merge with Digital World Acquisition, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which Truth Social could then replace on the stock market with the ticker DJT, Trump’s initials. Trump’s stake in the public company would be around 60%, or $3.5 billion at its current value.
Digital World Acquisition’s shares have skyrocketed since January, moving up from around $17 to more than $42, where it currently stands. The shell company has turned into a “<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/meme-stock-5206762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meme stock</a>” for Trump supporters, which has helped boost Truth Social’s value to $6 billion, according to WSJ. If shareholders approve the deal on Friday, the social media company could go public as soon as next week, but that wouldn’t result in an immediate windfall for Trump. The former president would have to hold his shares for six months before he could sell any of them unless Digital World Acquisition waives its agreement, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/15/truth-social-trump-merger-sec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. But if the agreement were waived, the potential of the company&#8217;s largest stockholder dumping his holdings could tank the stock price.
Even with the current valuation of $6 billion, some remain skeptical about Trump’s chances to rake in billions. University of Florida Finance Professor Jay Ritter told the Post that the current value of the merged company doesn’t line up with the actual performance of the company, Trump Media.
Ritter called Trump Media “a money-losing company that generates less than $5 million per year,” adding that Digital World Acquisition appears to be “a classic meme stock, whose price is totally unrelated to the underlying fundamentals.”
Trump was fined last month by Judge Arthur Engoron, siding with New York Attorney General Letitia James who charged that the former president inflated his net worth and misled lenders. Engoron ordered Trump to dish up $350 million, which increased to $454 million, including interest. Trump’s co-defendants were also fined in the judgment, raising the combined amount that Trump and his fellow defendants owed to more than $464 million.
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The former president’s lawyers said earlier this week that securing bond for the massive fine is “a practical impossibility,” explaining that their client approached “about 30 surety companies through 4 different companies.” Attorney General James, a Democrat, has said that she will seize the former president’s properties if he cannot come up with the money to pay the fine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that it isn’t clear if insurers that would back Trump’s bond would accept shares of the merged company.

Donald Trump

Trump Could Make Billions From Truth Social Stock As Company Looks To Go Public

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