Costco just changed how it sells bagels, and not everyone is happy about it. 
Previously, the big-box retailer offered its Kirkland Signature brand bagels in two six-packs for $5.99, with no option to split the packs and purchase only a half dozen if they didn’t need so many. This led to many complaints, as customers reported that the freshly made bagels went stale or moldy before they could be consumed, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/lifestyle/costo-changes-bakery-rule-after-years-of-customer-complaints/">per</a> The New York Post.
Now Costco is rolling out a new option: eight bagels for $4.99. While it’s a welcome change for shoppers who prefer fewer bagels at once, customers with some basic math skills can’t help but notice that the price was reduced by $1, but the quantity of bagels was reduced by four. 
“No more bagels going bad before you can finish them,” the popular Instagram account @costcobuys said of the change. 
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“I never buy them for home because I don’t want 12 bagels, so I love the single pack option!” one commenter said.
“Yay!!! 8 pack!! For ppl who don’t own a hotel,” another agreed.
But not everyone was happy. Many commenters said they didn’t mind the 12-pack because even if it was too many, they could freeze the extras.
“Why would I want one bag with more for more money&#8230; That is the stupidest math ever,” one person observed.
“So they removed choice and quantity. Good job,” another complaint read.
Costco has been making several notable changes lately, including amending the legendary $1.50 hot dog deal. Shoppers can now opt for bottled water as part of the combo, rather than being limited to a fountain soda alongside the oversized hot dog. 
It’s the first major tweak to the $1.50 deal in more than 40 years, dating back to its debut in the 1980s, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/costco-adjusts-its-legendary-1-50-hot-dog-deal-for-the-first-time-in-decades">reported</a>.

Costco

Costco Finally Fixes A Major Bakery Complaint From Shoppers

Business

Food

United States

Costco is making a rare change to its legendary $1.50 hot dog combo, but don’t worry: it’s a good one.
The price isn&#8217;t going up, staying true to the founder’s commitment to keep the famously cheap meal intact. Instead, Costco shoppers can now opt for bottled water as part of the combo, rather than being limited to a fountain soda alongside the oversized hot dog. 
It&#8217;s the first notable tweak to the $1.50 deal in more than 40 years, dating back to its debut in the 1980s, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/shopping/deals/membership/2026/04/28/new-costco-hot-dog-combo-deal/89841410007/">according to</a> USA Today. 
This upgrade is seen as a major plus at a time when fast food chains are being accused of reducing portion sizes, at least according to people posting viral videos online about “shrinkflation.”
Costco, by contrast, has built a reputation around holding the line on its food court staple. CEO Ron Vachris recently reiterated that commitment, saying the $1.50 combo will “not change as long as I’m around.”
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The promise echoes the stance of co-founder Jim Sinegal, who was famously adamant that the price never increase. Former CEO W. Craig Jelinek once recalled suggesting a price hike, only to be swiftly shut down. 
“I came to (Sinegal) once and I said, ‘Jim, we can’t sell this hot dog for a buck fifty,&#8221; Jelinek said, <a href="https://www.delish.com/food-news/a34111722/costco-hot-dog-combo-story/">according to</a> Delish. &#8220;We are losing our rear ends.’ And he said, ‘If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.’ That’s all I really needed.&#8221;
While haters like to point out that the deal is only available to Costco members, with memberships starting around $65 annually, the combo remains one of the most iconic bargains in retail.

Costco hot dog deal

Costco Adjusts Its Legendary $1.50 Hot Dog Deal For The First Time In Decades

Major retailer Costco has decided against selling abortion pill mifepristone at its 500+ pharmacies across the nation, sparking praise from pro-life activists.
Costco joins other major retailers, like Walmart and Kroger, in refusing to sell the life-ended pill, which has been marred by controversy over its safety for women.
<div class="text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__full_width__kCIGb body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body__paragraph__2-BtD" data-testid="paragraph-2">&#8220;Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,&#8221; Costco <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/costco-not-sell-abortion-pill-mifepristone-its-us-pharmacy-stores-aug-14-2025-08-14/#:~:text=By%20Reuters,File%20Photo%20Purchase%20Licensing%20Rights">said</a> in a statement on Thursday.</div>
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A top legal mind at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal organization aimed at protecting religious freedoms, called the news a &#8220;huge win.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;Huge win: Costco said NO to distributing deadly Chemical Abortion Pills,&#8221; ADF&#8217;s Jeremy Tedesco posted to X. &#8220;No business case. No shareholder upside. Just ideology—and it failed.&#8221;
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&#8220;Kudos to [Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, &amp; Kroger] for protecting shareholder value over activist demands,&#8221; he added, referring to the companies&#8217; decision to refuse to sell mifepristone.
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Huge win: <a href="https://twitter.com/Costco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Costco</a> won’t cave to activist pressure to turn stores into abortion pill dispensaries.
No business case. No shareholder upside. Just ideology—and it failed.
Credit to <a href="https://twitter.com/inspireadvisor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Inspireadvisor</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryLeeBowyer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryLeeBowyer</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AMACforAmerica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AMACforAmerica</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SFOF_States?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SFOF_States</a> &amp; other fiduciary trustees who…
— Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Tedesco/status/1955978533508956184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Pro-lifers were quick to praise the move by Costco, while also calling out other major pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens, which do sell the controversial drug.
<div class="css-175oi2r r-xoduu5">&#8220;[Walgreens &amp; CVS Pharmacy] should follow Costco’s lead and immediately stop trafficking in the deaths of children. The FDA must pull its approval for this lethal drug!&#8221; activist Lila Rose said on X.</div>
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BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/Costco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Costco</a> will NOT sell the deadly abortion pill!<a href="https://twitter.com/Walgreens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Walgreens</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/cvspharmacy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cvspharmacy</a> should follow Costco’s lead and immediately stop trafficking in the deaths of children.
The FDA must pull its approval for this lethal drug!
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) <a href="https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1956051853592158262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<div>Kristan Hawkins, of Students of Life, wrote, &#8220;This is what winning looks like.&#8221;</div>
&#8220;Students for Life has worked hard to call on pharmacies to reject these dangerous drugs,&#8221; Hawkins wrote. &#8220;Great to see 500+ pharmacies truly living up to their slogan, &#8216;Simplifying Home and LIFE.&#8217; Protecting moms, protecting babies.&#8221;
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WIN: Costco said NO to distributing deadly Chemical Abortion Pills. <a href="https://twitter.com/StudentsforLife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StudentsforLife</a> worked hard to call on pharmacies to reject these dangerous drugs.
Great to see 500+ pharmacies truly living up to their slogan: “Simplifying Home and LIFE.” Protecting moms, protecting… <a href="https://t.co/l5vFWLPbme">pic.twitter.com/l5vFWLPbme</a>
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristanHawkins/status/1956065604911423723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
The safety of mifepristone has become a key issue in the fight over abortion and women&#8217;s safety. As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-chief-commits-to-full-review-of-abortion-pill">The Daily Wire</a>, the pill, which is usually followed by misoprostol, aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> released in April found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
That is about 22 times higher than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
In June, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary committed to reviewing the pill.
“As the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, I am committed to conducting a review of mifepristone and working with the professional career scientists at the Agency who review this data,” Makary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-chief-commits-to-full-review-of-abortion-pill">wrote</a> in a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “As with all drugs, FDA continues to closely monitor the postmarketing safety data on mifepristone for the medical termination of early pregnancy.&#8221;
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails">More Than 1 in 20 Women Need Second Abortion Attempt After Abortion Pill Fails</a>

US-RETAIL-COSTCO

Costco Won’t Sell Abortion Pill, Rebuffing Abortion Activists

Costco Won't Sell Abortion Pill, Rebuffing Abortion Activists

Abortion

Prescription Drugs

Pro-Life Movement

Social Issues

U.S.

A coalition of more than a dozen Republican attorneys general warned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/costco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Costco</a> on Monday that its embrace of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies may expose it to legal risks in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action. 
Led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, the group wrote in a letter to CEO Ron Vachris that the company should ditch any DEI policy and adopt a merit-based approach. Last week, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/costco-shareholders-reject-anti-dei-proposal-spark-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot down</a> an effort to pass an anti-DEI measure. 
“Although Costco’s motto is ‘do the right thing,’ it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing—clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal,” the Republican officials wrote. “Costco should treat every person equally and based on their merit, rather than based on divisive and discriminatory DEI practices.”
Approximately 98% of the retailer&#8217;s shareholders reportedly voted last week to block a resolution from the National Center for Public Policy Research on merit-based hiring. Costco’s decision to maintain DEI practices comes after other companies, such as McDonald’s, Target, and Walmart, have all rolled their policies back. 
“Inexplicably, Costco has doubled down on DEI,” the AGs wrote. “Last month, Costco’s board of directors unanimously recommended that shareholders vote against a proposal requiring Costco to study and report on financial risks associated with its DEI policies.”
The Republican officials cited the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action and said the company’s position “raises concerns about Costco’s compliance with State and federal laws.” They added that Costco should rethink its decision, pointing to a recent <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> from President Donald Trump eliminating DEI from the federal government and encouraging private companies to do the same. 
“And beyond eliminating legal exposure, repealing its DEI policies would provide Costco with time to deal with other important issues, such as questions regarding the alleged connection between Costco products and slave labor in China,” the letter said. 
The attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia signed the letter. They asked Costco to respond within 30 days stating whether the company would still stand by its policies. 
Costco chairman Hamilton James has said that the company’s DEI initiatives are meant to help their employees feel “included and appreciated and that they transmit these values to our customers.” 
Costco has several <a href="https://consumersresearch.org/woke-alert/woke-alert-costco/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DEI initiatives</a> in place, including a “<a href="https://mobilecontent.costco.com/staging/resource/img/25w03130/2d_SupplierInclusion_FY24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supplier inclusion program</a><a href="https://mobilecontent.costco.com/staging/resource/img/25w03130/2d_SupplierInclusion_FY24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">.</a> &#8221; The company <a href="https://mobilecontent.costco.com/staging/resource/img/25w03130/2a_Inclusion_FY24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tracks</a> the number of non-white men it has employed and placed in management positions to measure how &#8220;inclusive” it is.

Republican AGs Say Costco Faces Legal Risks Over ‘Divisive’ DEI Policies

Attorney General

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Politics

Supreme Court

Despite several major companies like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-caves-massive-retailer-the-next-woke-domino-to-fall-under-pressure-from-robby-starbuck">Walmart</a> rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei">DEI</a>) initiatives, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/costco">Costco</a> shareholders have overwhelmingly opted to keep theirs in place. Per <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/23/costco-dei-shareholders-reject-anti-diversity-proposal">Axios</a>, more than 98% of the company&#8217;s shareholders shot down a proposed anti-DEI initiative. 
The anti-DEI proposal was filed by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), which describes itself as &#8220;a non-partisan, free-market, independent, conservative think tank.&#8221; The block didn’t come as a huge surprise as the retail giant’s chairman and other board members had already encouraged members not to support it.
Costco chairman Hamilton “Tony” James said of their DEI initiatives, &#8220;We owe our success to the more than 300,000 employees who serve our members every day. It is important that they all feel included and appreciated and that they transmit these values to our customers.” 
Meanwhile, Ethan Peck from the NCPPR argued in a prerecorded message that DEI is &#8220;illegal, immoral and detrimental to shareholder value &#8221; and poses litigation risks for the company, according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/01/23/costco-dei-shareholder-proposal-rejected/77907655007/">USA Today</a>.
&#8220;By not hiring and promoting completely irrespective of race and sex ‒ in other words, by merit alone ‒ the company is not always hiring or promoting the best person for the job, and anything short of that is selling the success in the future of the company short, and therefore selling shareholders short,&#8221; Peck said in the message.
This vote was decided just days after newly inaugurated President Donald Trump issued executive orders targeting DEI practices in government agencies. One EO purged DEI from the Department of the Interior, one of the wokest agencies in the federal government, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-anti-dei-order-takes-effect-at-one-of-the-wokest-government-agencies">reported</a>.
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All DEI offices within the federal government closed down, and employees were put on leave this week as the first step toward mass layoffs.
This puts Costco in opposition to what’s happening in the government and other private companies. Social media users were quick to call out their continued embrace of DEI.
“Costco is refusing to end DEI practices. It&#8217;s time to Bud Light Costco!” one X user <a href="https://x.com/LangmanVince/status/1882512626342916213">said</a>, referring to the successful boycott of the beer brand in 2023.
“It’s immoral and illegal for any employer—including Costco—to discriminate on the basis of race,” another user <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1882825993481859123">observed</a>.

Costco Shareholders Reject Anti-DEI Proposal, Spark Backlash

Costco Shareholders Reject Anti-DEI Proposal, Spark Major Backlash

Costco won’t be gutting its diversity initiatives in response to the latest shareholder pushback. At its annual meeting yesterday, more than 98% of shareholders voted against a recent proposal urging the company to axe its diversity initiatives. Sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, the <a href="https://s201.q4cdn.com/287523651/files/doc_financials/2024/ar/FY24-Proxy-Statement.pdf">proposal</a> asserted that “DEI holds litigation, reputational and financial risks to the Company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders,” and laid out an explanation of Costco’s shifting diversity initiatives, including the company renaming its DEI efforts to “People and Communities.” As of today, Costco’s defense of diversity seems to have dealt a serious blow to the growing skepticism and criticism of DEI within many American companies. Seems.
So what’s to be made of this? Several weeks ago, I <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-costcos-doubling-down-on-dei-means-and-doesnt-mean">wrote</a> that “Costco may not be the kind of company that flips overnight on biased corporate policies,” which is undoubtedly the case. Is Costco’s resounding rejection of this proposal an indicator that anti-DEI shareholder groups simply are falling on uncaring ears?
In a recent Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/23/costco-dei-shareholders-reject-anti-diversity-proposal#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piece</a> covering the vote, Trillium Asset Management chief advocacy officer Jonas Kron made the case. “It&#8217;s also a strong indication that all the media reports of the death of DEI and ESG are way overblown,” Kron said. “The investing community clearly understands the importance and value of these ESG and DEI approaches.” Let’s leave aside the whole “death of DEI” business, that’s been covered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-year-the-dei-tide-turned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in depth before</a>, how no serious corporate engagement figure thinks diversity programs are actually dead. However, what about Kron’s opinions on the “investing community?” This is clever wording, intentionally or otherwise, from Kron. Who exactly are the “investing community” that generated such a strong pushback to Costco’s DEI-skeptical shareholders?
To explain how shareholder proposals work, we’re going to have to get a bit technical. Perspective time: you’re a Costco shareholder and as such receive a proxy statement from the company ahead of its annual meeting, containing all the items to be voted on, including this anti-DEI proposal. But the reality? Most people don’t vote directly on shareholder proposals. That job gets outsourced to what’s called a “proxy adviser,” prominent <a href="https://www.diligent.com/resources/blog/Proxy-advisory-firms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examples</a> of which include Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis &amp; Co. Such proxy advisory firms are the ones that make recommendations regarding the best way to vote on many shareholder proposals, including ones that pertain to ESG &amp; DEI initiatives. Very few alternatives exist for ESG and DEI skeptical shareholders — the firm I work for, Bowyer Research, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/proxy-adviser-iss-expands-offerings-esg-skeptic-clients-2024-03-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently offers</a> the only such set of ESG skeptical guidelines offered through ISS.
The point of this explanation? Most Costco shareholders didn’t directly vote their shares on the anti-DEI proposal on the company’s ballot yesterday. Proxy advisory services are notably unfriendly to proposals calling for corporate depoliticization — and their recommendations determine the votes of vast swaths of corporate shareholders. To be clear, many pro-ESG resolutions are also not looked fondly upon by proxy advisers.
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The pro-DEI crowd, as evidenced by perspectives like Kron’s, would like you to think that the Costco narrative is one of shareholders directly voting en masse to keep their diversity initiatives. But, as with many things, the reality is more complicated. Most of the “against” votes on this proposal were determined by the will of a proxy adviser. The bias of proxy advisers is another obstacle that ESG/DEI-skeptical corporate engagement groups have to overcome — and that work is ongoing. We’re in this for the long game, and setbacks are no longer a deterrent.
Costco clearly isn’t flipping overnight on DEI, but that doesn’t mean they’re immune from pressure — and it definitely doesn’t mean the pressure’s going anywhere.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN, and The Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Costco Wholesale store exterior, Connecticut

Costco Votes To Keep DEI. What Now?

Corporations

Opinion

shareholders

Is the anti-DEI movement losing momentum? Costco certainly isn’t a fan of it.
Several days ago, the retail giant sparked <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/27/business/costco-dei/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headlines</a> for a robust defense of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, in response to an anti-DEI shareholder proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR). “Our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is to enhance our culture and the well-being of people whose lives we influence,” Costco <a href="https://s201.q4cdn.com/287523651/files/doc_financials/2024/ar/FY24-Proxy-Statement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in its response. “Our efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion remind and reinforce with everyone at our Company the importance of creating opportunities for all.”
What does Costco’s doubling down actually mean? Is this the first stumble in the anti-DEI trend? Does a single company standing by its diversity efforts indicate a larger rebirth of support for biased corporate policies? The simple answer is: no. As someone whose day job involves dealing with corporate DEI, and who has helped submit shareholder proposals critical of DEI and other aspects of ESG (environmental, social, and governance issues), let me break down Costco’s DEI decision before explaining what it actually means.
<h3>What Actually Happened At Costco</h3>
To understand Costco’s decision, we first have to understand the basics of how shareholders talk to companies that they own. Under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, eligible shareholders are allowed to submit proposals to the company and have those proposals featured on what’s known as a “proxy statement,” a document that goes to all shareholders of record before a company’s annual meeting. That proxy statement contains all the items of business on which a company’s shareholders vote — directors who are up for election, management issues, and whatever shareholder proposals are submitted.
In Costco’s case, the proposal was a simple one: evaluate the risks of Costco having DEI initiatives. That proposal is now on Costco’s ballot, and shareholders will vote on it later this month. The statement from Costco that generated the brouhaha is called a ‘statement of opposition,’ which company management issued in response to NCPPR’s shareholder proposal.
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Now that we’re all clear on the basics, here’s the key truth about Costco’s statement on DEI: as a matter of corporate policy, this statement isn’t unusual. Companies issue statements of opposition for virtually every shareholder proposal they receive, whether it’s Lockheed Martin shareholders urging the company to ditch Israel, Google shareholders urging the company to censor pro-life pregnancy centers, or Costco shareholders urging the company to abandon DEI. As someone in the corporate engagement industry, these statements are very commonplace.
The <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91254055/costco-no-nonsense-defense-of-dei-branding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argument</a> that Costco’s statement, by itself, is a game-changer in the DEI debate makes no sense. It’s simply a part of the process on a matter of corporate business that hasn’t even been voted on yet.
<h3>What is Costco Actually A Litmus Test For?</h3>
That said, does the broader corporate stance behind Costco’s statement matter? Undoubtedly — and that’s also worth examining. Costco’s vision — where DEI can be simply framed as a milquetoast respect for diversity against which no one but (presumably) dysfunctional race-baiters would seriously argue — would have played quite nicely in 2021 or 2022, when the spirit of post-George Floyd racialism still permeated American corporate culture. But that vision is a hollow one in 2025. The legal/cultural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-year-the-dei-tide-turned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backlash</a> to DEI, combined with the reality of an incoming Republican administration that’s put DEI and ESG efforts in its crosshairs, is ushering in a new world — a world where companies with DEI programs are going to have to marshall a lot more to defend their diversity initiatives than the boilerplate rhetoric of “opportunity for all.” The microscopes of scrutiny have been brought out, by everyone from activists like Robby Starbuck to lawyers and corporate engagement professionals — and one brand’s willingness to stick to its guns now is no guarantee that it’ll do so indefinitely.
Costco’s doubling down on DEI is an unspoken appeal to a corporate zeitgeist that no longer exists. It’s a hard contrast to their competitors’ moves — such as Walmart’s admirable decision to listen to shareholder concerns about DEI. This is a different, undoubtedly shortsighted strategy: trying to peddle vaguery to shareholders and customers demanding specificity. Costco may not be the kind of company that flips overnight on biased corporate policies — but the vast majority of people working in the corporate engagement world are playing this for the long game. A short-term setback is nothing if not expected.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN and the Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Costco Wholesale in Folsom California

What Costco’s Doubling Down On DEI Means — And Doesn’t Mean

What Costco's Doubling Down On DEI Means — And Doesn't Mean

Woke Culture

Retail giant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/costco">Costco</a> has recalled close to 80,000 pounds of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food">butter</a> due to an error on the packaging.
The FDA sent out an initial recall for 79,200 pounds of both unsalted and salted Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter in October due to the label failing to say the product “contains milk.”  Packages for both variations include “cream” on the ingredients list, but that was not enough to avoid a recall. Costco created the Kirkland Signature line in 1995.
On November 7, the FDA classified the recall as Class II, which is &#8220;a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,&#8221; per the administration’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/industry-guidance-recalls/recalls-background-and-definitions">website</a>.
Reactions on social media were filled with mockery.
“80,000 pounds of Costco butter was just recalled, because the label doesn’t say that it contains milk. It’s butter. News articles are telling people how they can return, or safely dispose of, the butter. It’s butter,” one popular X reaction <a href="https://x.com/RealSpikeCohen/status/1855830188594012492">said</a>. 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Another commenter <a href="https://x.com/cactusncookies/status/1855848231097295356">quipped</a>, “Can y’all please safely dispose of it at my house? I have a lot of holiday baking to do.”
“But if the butter is mislabeled, consumers would literally be spreading misinformation—all over their toast, bagels, pancakes, baked potatoes, muffins—it’s too horrific to think about,” another joking response <a href="https://x.com/utterboor/status/1855840676526629189">said</a>.
Despite all the mockery, some social media users agreed with the recall. 
“The laws exist to make sure that any food that contains a recognized allergen is labeled as such. Yeah in this case it seems silly, but how do you codify ‘you must label food that contains allergens, unless posters on Twitter decide that it&#8217;s obvious enough on its own’?” one person <a href="https://x.com/tempestis/status/1856031369014718469">wrote</a>.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists milk as one of the main foods that &#8220;account for most serious allergic reactions in the United States.&#8221;

Costco Recalls 80,000 Pounds Of Butter. You’ll Never Guess Why.

Costco Recalls 80,000 Pounds Of Butter. You'll Never Guess Why.

General

Recall

Major pharmacies were urged on Monday by 17 Republican state financial officers to disregard calls from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> officials to start offering the widely-used abortion drug mifepristone for sale.
In letters to the CEOs of Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson, the Republican officials said that selling mifepristone would be a bad business decision that would alienate customers. They argued that the pharmacies would be wading into political activism if they started offering mifepristone, which is used in more than half of all abortions. 
“This radical position ignores all of the business decisions that go into whether to sell a particular product — decisions that should be made by Albertsons’ leadership based on how it will serve their customers. Your competitor, Costco, also recently admitted that there was no material demand for the drug,” they wrote in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/SFOF-Letter-re-NYC-Comptroller-ALBERTSONS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran.
The letters come after NYC Comptroller Brad Lander <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/nyc-comptroller-presses-pharmacy-giants-to-provide-abortion-medication-or-risk-losing-investor-confidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> the retailers in July to move to offer mifepristone for sale or risk losing consumer confidence. Lander noted that NYC pension funds have about $1.3 billion in ownership in the retailers.
“Companies do best when they provide excellent goods and services to their customers, not when they adopt divisive stances on contentious political issues. We are calling on Albertsons to fulfill that purpose and to ignore activist efforts like the New York City Comptrollers,’” the financial officers wrote. 
The letter was signed by the financial officers of Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. 
“As public officials who oversee various aspects of the financial interests of our own states, state employees, and citizens whom we represent, we find these actions to be inappropriate,” they wrote. “Pushing political issues onto companies harms business, weakens investor fiduciary standards, and is detrimental to the ultimate beneficiaries who depend on strong economic results for their retirement.”
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Last month, Christian and conservative investors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-investors-urge-retail-giants-not-to-sell-widely-used-abortion-drug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a similar call</a> for the pharmacies to rebuff Lander’s recommendations.
Mifepristone has been increasingly used for abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, especially in conservative states with strong pro-life protections where abortion has largely been banned. 
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Wire investigation</a> earlier this year found that a network of Left-wing activist groups are flooding red states with abortion pills. People can ​​circumvent state laws with access to the internet, a willingness to make payments online, and a shipping address.

Grand Opening At A New Wal-Mart Store

GOP Officials Urge Pharmacies To Rebuff New York’s Call To Sell Abortion Pills

Health

New York

Walmart

A group of Christian and conservative investors are calling on several major retailers, including Walmart and Costco, to rebuff calls from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> Comptroller to start selling the widely used abortion drug <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/completely-unjustified-medical-journal-retracts-major-studies-critical-of-abortion-pill-ahead-of-supreme-court-clash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mifepristone</a>.
Organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a group of business leaders and customers recently <a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/vds_storage/document/Investor%20Mifepristone%20Letters%20080524.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent letters</a> to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson, calling them to not offer mifepristone, a drug that is estimated to be used in over half of all abortions. Signers included Inspire Insight CEO Robert Netzly, Guidestone Financial Resources Managing Director Will Lofland, and Bowyer Research CEO Jerry Bowyer, and financial advisor David Bahnsen, among others.
“We are investors, investment advisors, fiduciaries, proxy voting and corporate engagement consultants to investors who hold over $100 billion in assets under management and $56 million in Costco stock,” the letter to Costco said. “We write to urge Costco, for its own sake and the sake of its shareholders and customers, to continue its current practice of not dispensing the abortion drug mifepristone.”
The letters come after NYC Comptroller Brad Lander <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/nyc-comptroller-presses-pharmacy-giants-to-provide-abortion-medication-or-risk-losing-investor-confidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> the retailers to move to offer mifepristone for sale or risk losing consumer confidence. Lander noted that NYC pension funds have about $1.3 billion in ownership in the retailers.
The coalition disagreed with Lander’s assessment that the companies needed to start providing mifepristone.
“Not true. Maximizing shareholder value requires Costco to avoid politicizing its services and to continue to do what it has always done best, provide excellent grocery and retail goods to families,” the letter from the coalition said in response.
In a statement, ADF Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco said that the group was happy to help facilitate the letter.
“As the letter emphasizes, the legal landscape on dangerous chemical abortion drugs is anything but settled. The FDA’s own label admits that roughly one in 25 women who take this drug will end up in the ER,” he said. “Retail pharmacies are there to serve the health and wellness of their customers, but abortion drugs like mifepristone undermine that mission by putting women’s health at risk.”
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Mifepristone has increasingly become the most common way for a woman to end the life of her unborn child, especially in states where abortion is supposed to be illegal.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Wire investigation</a> earlier this year found that a shady network of Left-wing activist groups are flooding red states with abortion pills. People are able to ​​circumvent state laws with access to the internet, a willingness to make payments online, and a shipping address.

Costco Raises Membership Fees For First Time Since 2017

Conservative Investors Urge Retail Giants Not To Sell Widely Used Abortion Drug

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Economy

New York City

In the midst of economic uncertainty, one thing remains true — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/costco">Costco</a> will not be raising the price of its $1.50 hot dog and soda combination anytime soon.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wall-street-journal">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported on Thursday that Richard Galanti, chief financial officer at Costco, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-1-50-costco-hot-dog-combo-that-defies-inflation-11657753870">assured</a> customers that they can still rely on seeing the incredible deal that they&#8217;ve come to love since 1985 inside its stores across <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-states">America</a>.
&#8220;That $1.50 price point has been sacrosanct from the very beginning,&#8221; Gallanti told the paper.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics&#8217; Consumer Price Index report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-products-making-your-wallet-lighter-as-inflation-hits-new-highs">announced</a> on Wednesday that inflation rose 9.1% between June 2021 and June 2022, marking a 40-year high.
Costco has raised prices on other food court items, but the CFO admitted that the company&#8217;s profits in that part of the store are practically nonexistent.
&#8220;Needless to say we aren’t making a lot or any money,&#8221; Galanti said about Costco&#8217;s food courts. “At the end of the day, the whole value of our warehouse club includes a great value on that hot dog and soda.&#8221;
The Journal also cited the classic tale about the time that Costco&#8217;s co-founder, Jim Sinegal, comedically threatened to murder Costco CEO W. Craig Jelinek who suggested raising the price in order to recoup revenue.
Sinegal allegedly told the executive, &#8220;If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.&#8221;
Had the price of the combo kept up with inflation, customers would be currently paying $4.13, per the Journal.
Costco has been so intent on keeping the price-point low that it has opened two factories that produce nothing but hot dogs to help keep costs down.
&#8220;What we figured out we could do is build our own hot dog-manufacturing plant (in Los Angeles) and make our own Kirkland Signature hot dogs,&#8221; Jelinek <a href="https://www.425business.com/news/costco-ceo-craig-jelinek-on-shareholders-costco-com-and-hot-dogs/article_5ff4b632-1f75-5e98-b9ff-6e02d676668b.html">said</a> after the plant opened in 2011. &#8220;Now we are doing so much hot dog business that we&#8217;ve opened up another plant in Chicago.&#8221;
&#8220;By having the discipline to say, &#8216;You are not going to be able to raise your price. You have to figure it out,&#8217; we took it over and started manufacturing our hot dogs,&#8221; he said at the time. &#8220;We keep it at $1.50 and make enough money to get a fair return.&#8221;
In 2009, Costco&#8217;s assistant vice president of publishing, Dan Fuller, <a href="https://www.supermarketguru.com/the-lempert-report/costcos-secret-weapon-1.50-hot-dog-and-soda/">wrote</a>, &#8220;Holding a price that steady for that long sends a clear message about what is possible when you decide to operate your business model on a &#8216;cost plus&#8217; basis instead of a &#8216;what the market will bear&#8217; basis.

Costco Hot Dog

Costco’s $1.50 Hot Dog Combo Remains ‘Sacrosanct’ Amidst Record-High Inflation

Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog Combo Remains 'Sacrosanct' Amidst Inflation

Economics

Inflation

Fully vaccinated people can throw off their masks when shopping at Trader Joe&#8217;s, Walmart, Sam&#8217;s Club, and Costco.
In separate announcements on Friday, the companies invited shoppers who have taken the vaccine to come to their stores without wearing masks, in accordance with CDC guidelines. However, the stores say they will comply with any state or local mandates.
&#8220;In Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, we will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield,&#8221; said Costco <a href="https://www.costco.com/covid-updates.html">on its website</a>. &#8220;We will not require proof of vaccination, but we ask for members’ responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy. Face coverings will still be required in healthcare settings, including Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid. Costco continues to recommend that all members and guests, especially those who are at higher risk, wear a mask or shield.&#8221;
&#8220;In those Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does have a mask mandate, we will follow the state or local regulations and continue to require members and guests to wear a face mask or face shield. Children under the age of 2 are exempt. If a member or guest has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, they must wear a face shield,&#8221; the company added.
Walmart executives reportedly sent a letter to all Walmart and Sam&#8217;s Club stores, &#8220;as well as supply chain facilities encouraging employees to get vaccinated,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/business/trader-joes-mask-guidance/index.html">CNN</a>. &#8220;Employees who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to work without masks starting May 18, the letter said, adding that some workers may have to continue to wear masks for health or sanitation reasons. The letter added that &#8216;masks will also continue to be required by some city and state ordinances, and we will follow those requirements.'&#8221;
Trader Joe&#8217;s will be keeping many of its policies in place, including employee wellness checks and spacing people out in-store while letting fully-vaccinated customers to shop without a mask.
On Thursday, after months of telling fully-vaccinated Americans to continue wearing masks, the CDC finally issued new guidelines that vaccinated people generally do not have to wear masks indoors.
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physically distancing,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters in a virtual press conference on Thursday afternoon. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that we have stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
Walensky noted that the vaccines had high effectiveness when combatting COVID-19.
“In the United States, vaccines were 90% effective against any infection in nearly 4,000 health care workers, and 94% effective against hospitalizations from COVID-19 in an evaluation across 24 hospitals in 14 states,” she said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-fully-vaccinated-can-stop-wearing-a-mask-or-physical-distancing-in-most-circumstances">CDC: Fully Vaccinated Can Stop ‘Wearing A Mask or Physical Distancing’ In Most Circumstances</a>

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Trader Joes, Costco, Walmart To End Mask Requirement For Vaccinated Customers

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