<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago’s</a> Democratic mayor has announced a partnership with a far-left non-profit to advance his proposal of a government-owned grocery store, which he argues is needed for the sake of “racial justice.&#8221;
Mayor Brandon Johnson <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2023/september/MayorJohnsonAnnouncesTheExplorationOfAMunicipallyOwnedGroceryStore.html#:~:text=A%20City%2Downed%20grocery%20store,retail%20reaches%20beyond%20food%20access." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release this month that the city-owned grocery store &#8212; which would be the largest of its kind in the U.S. &#8212; is needed to address the exit of corporate grocery stores and promote &#8220;food equity.&#8221;
&#8220;[F]ood access and security link directly to environmental and racial justice,&#8221; Johnson&#8217;s office said in a press release, adding that &#8220;37% of Black residents and 29% of Latine/x residents are food insecure, compared to 19% of residents overall.&#8221;
The mayor&#8217;s office argued that &#8220;historic disinvestment has led to inequitable access to food retail across Chicago,&#8221; and noted that &#8220;existing inequities have been exacerbated as at least six grocery stores closed on the South and West sides over the past two years.&#8221;
Indeed, as Chicago continues to reel with violent crime and large-scale theft, corporate grocery stores like Walmart and Amazon-owned Whole Foods have recently packed up and left Chicago.
Walmart announced the closure of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-closes-four-stores-in-chicago-amid-elevated-crime-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four stores</a> in Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods back in April, and said it was due to a lack of profitability going back 17 years when the company first opened in Chicago. &#8220;These stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2023/04/11/walmart-announces-closure-of-four-chicago-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubled</a> in just the last five years,&#8221; the press release said.
The statement did not specifically mention shoplifting, which has <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/18/chicago-mayor-considers-creating-city-owned-grocery-stores/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jumped</a> in Chicago by 25% over just the last year. However, Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon did <a href="https://www.smashdatopic.com/walmart-to-close-stores-if-theft-doesnt-decrease/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn</a> last year that if shoplifting across the country didn’t slow down, he&#8217;d have to shut down some stores.
Johnson has promoted a community safety team to try to tackle crime, but that, so far, has been unsuccessful. He&#8217;s even resorted to suing car companies because of the outrageous auto thefts in the city &#8212; a move <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thieves-steal-cars-then-commit-armed-robberies-yet-its-the-cars-fault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily criticized</a>.
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The city has yet to provide an exact estimate for the price tag of something like a city-owned grocery store, but it is notable that the mayor announced just this month that the city is projecting a deficit of <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-budget-shortfall-property-taxes-brandon-johnson/13779337/#:~:text=CHICAGO%20(WLS)%20%2D%2D%20The%20city,also%20contributing%20to%20the%20problem." target="_blank" rel="noopener">$538 million dollars</a> for this upcoming fiscal year. 
The mayor’s chief of policy, Umi Grisby, has claimed that this project won’t use taxpayer dollars, though she admitted the city would use state and federal funding.
“We are not spending any taxpayer dollars, right?&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/chicago-mayor-explores-opening-a-city-owned-grocery-store-in-food-deserts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS Chicago. &#8220;What we’re also going to be able to access is the funding that exists at the national level and the state level.”
Moreover, the mayor’s office has already acknowledged that this project, if completed, will also use economic grant money, which, too, comes from taxpayers. 
Critics have said this grocery store proposal is akin to “<a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/chicago-mayor-grocery-stores-scam-is-a-lefty-crime-smokescreen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soviet-style central planning</a>.” Detractors have also highlighted the city’s penchant for corruption and the city&#8217;s half-a-billion dollar deficit to question how the store could be efficient. There are also still questions about how prices would be set, how this would be superior to private grocery stores, and how it would affect private enterprise.

Brandon Johnson

Democratic Mayor Proposes Government-Owned Grocery Store For ‘Racial Justice’

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Proposes Government-Owned Grocery Store For ‘Racial Justice’ 

Chicago

Food

General

U.S.

Federal officials have declared Yellowstone River fish too toxic for human consumption after a train derailment that occurred back in June.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks (MFWP) <a href="https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2023/sep/0919-state-agencies-issue-consumption-advisory-for-all-fish-species-on-yellowstone-river-near-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a consumption advisory on Tuesday afternoon declaring the discovery of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across multiple fish species. MFWP stated that the source of the toxins remains unknown. MFWP advised that no fish from the river be consumed anywhere, even beyond their advisory area.
“Out of an abundance of precaution and unknown conditions in adjacent sections of the river, those with specific concerns may want to avoid consuming all species of fish from the Yellowstone River at any location until more is known on the severity and prevalence of this contamination,” stated MFWP.
The PAHs discovered were naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and acenaphthylene. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, as cancer-causing agents, but doesn’t classify acenaphthylene as cancer-causing.
Apart from cancer, the CDC notes that PAHs have been associated with the <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons/health_effects.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">onset</a> of various pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, and dermatological issues.
The consumption advisory affects all fish species in the river spanning from the Indian Fort Fishing Access Site (FAS) near the census-designated place of Reed Point to the Highway 212 bridge in the city of Laurel. That’s roughly 45 miles, longer than the initial MFWP emergency closure enacted over the train derailment back in June. That closure spanned from Reed Point to the city of Columbus, roughly 18 miles.
MFWP explained that the PAHs source was unknown &#8212; despite the train derailment &#8212; due to the natural occurrence of some PAHs in the environment, like shale rock, and the introduction of other common materials like oil, gas, plastics, and pesticides.
In June, 10 cars transporting asphalt liquified petroleum, molten sulfur, and scrap metal <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=16083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fell</a> into the Yellowstone River after the 52-car freight train derailed when the Twin Bridges railroad bridge collapsed. The train’s crew reported no injuries.
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The highway bridge parallel to the railroad bridge was closed and demolished in 2021. The bridge passed a safety inspection in May, according to a spokesman for the entity that maintains the bridge, Montana Rail Link (MRL), in a statement to the Associated Press.
MRL <a href="https://www.montanarail.com/2023/06/unified-command-press-release-as-of-1230-june-29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the cause of the derailment was unknown. The Federal Railroad Administration hasn’t <a href="https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary-search?search_api_fulltext=%2522Montana%2520Rail%2520Link%2522&amp;sort_by=field_effective_date&amp;items_per_page=5&amp;field_effective_date%255Bmin%255D&amp;field_effective_date%255Bmax%255D&amp;f%255B0%255D=document_series:14786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a Factual Investigation Report naming a probable cause for the incident.
The EPA <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/Stillwater%2520MT%2520Derailment%2520Press%2520Release%252020230626.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in its press release immediately following the derailment that asphalt globules were detected downstream and in the body of the river. However, the EPA said that the asphalt waste wasn’t water soluble and wouldn’t affect water quality.
In a site <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/EPA%2520Stillwater%2520Train%2520Derailment%2520Site%2520Update%252020230815.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> last month, the EPA said that there were no known threats to public health from the spill. The agency noted that local cleanup crews were only targeting “actionable asphalt material,” or only that which could be removed without causing “significant damage to natural habitat” like sediment and vegetation. As a result, the EPA reported that the crews have been breaking down the material into smaller pieces and covering them with sediment to “aid in the natural breakdown process.”
This practice is part of Phase 1 of the cleanup effort, which <a href="https://response.epa.gov/sites/16083/files/Stillwater%2520MT%2520Derailment%2520Press%2520Release%252020230907.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> early last month and will last until next spring. Phase 2 is scheduled for next summer.
Per that update, crews collected approximately 231,700 pounds of asphalt out of the estimated 419,400 pounds of asphalt.
Tuesday’s consumption advisory followed another from last month, which more narrowly affected mountain whitefish following the discovery of elevated phenanthrene levels, another PAH. Phenanthrene wasn’t discovered in the more recent sampling that resulted in this week’s sweeping consumption advisory. The EPA doesn’t classify phenanthrene as a cancer-causing agent.

Fish

Yellowstone River Fish Toxic After Train Derailment; Officials Warn Against Consumption

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Train

Here&#8217;s a stat that will blow your mind: New research shows that just 12% of the U.S. population is responsible for 50% of all <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meat</a> consumed daily in the country. Most of that group are men between the ages of 50 and 65.
The study was published in the journal &#8220;Nutrients&#8221; and its ultimate purpose is to assist in &#8220;educational&#8221; efforts on the dangers of eating meat — particularly for the planet, according to the researchers. So, these academics want to convince you to give up meat to combat climate change.
“We focused on beef because of its impact on the environment, and because it’s high in saturated fat, which is not good for your health,” the study’s corresponding and senior author Diego Rose, professor and nutrition program director at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/999770">said</a> in a statement.
As reported by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/08/31/50-of-us-beef-is-eaten-by-just-12-of-americans-mostly-men-study/">New York Post</a>, Americans ate roughly 30 billion pounds of beef in 2021. The team behind the study thinks they might have a tough time trying to convince the 12% to change their ways.
&#8220;On one hand, if it’s only 12% accounting for half the beef consumption, you could make some big gains if you get those 12% on board,” Rose said. “On the other hand, those 12% may be most resistant to change.&#8221;
Interestingly enough, the authors of the study speculated men ate more red meat because of cultural norms — not because it tastes delicious.
“This may be because meat, especially red meat, is associated with masculinity, strength and power in Western culture,” they added.
One has to wonder whether or not the authors asked any red-blooded American male why he eats meat. There&#8217;s an obvious answer: Again, it&#8217;s delicious.
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To reiterate, part of the goal of this study is for others to use it to try and convince you to sacrifice your ribeyes, beef hamburgers, and more to combat global warming.
So how about a trade-off: We&#8217;ll give up all that glorious food when John Kerry, Al Gore, and every other climate warrior gives up fossil fuels.
Deal?

Steak

12% Of The Population Eats 50% Of U.S. Beef: Study

Climate Change

meat

Americans are expected to spend more on food through the rest of 2023 and into 2024 as prices continue to rise even as President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> touts his record on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> and &#8220;Bidenomics.&#8221;
According to a recent <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s Economic Research Service, food prices will remain elevated for the remainder of this year and into 2024, with increases in 2023 projected to be higher than average. 
“Food prices are expected to grow more slowly in 2023 than in 2022 but still at above historical-average rates. In 2023, all food prices are predicted to increase 5.9 percent, with a prediction interval of 5.3 to 6.5 percent,” the USDA researchers said in a press release. 
Prices for food-at-home, which is food bought at grocery stores or supermarkets, are expected to increase by 5.2% by the end of 2023. Food-away-from-home, food purchased at restaurants, is expected to jump 7.1%. 
Prices for key food staples are expected to increase, including beef and veal (4.2%), other meats (4.8%), poultry (3%), dairy products (4.1%), fats and oils (9.6%), processed fruits and vegetables (9.2%), sugar and sweets (9.3%), cereals and bakery products (9%), nonalcoholic beverages (7.6%), and other foods (7.4%). 
Food inflation is expected to continue into 2024 but rise at a lower rate. 
“In 2024, all food prices are predicted to increase 2.8 percent, with a prediction interval of -2.0 to 7.9 percent. Food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 2.1 percent, with a prediction interval of -5.1 to 9.9 percent, and food-away-from-home prices are predicted to increase 5.1 percent, with a prediction interval of 2.7 to 7.5 percent,” the USDA said. 
The predictions were made by examining data from the July 2023 Producer Price Index and Consumer Price Index. In July 2023, food cost 4.9% more than in July 2022. 
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Inflation has been an ongoing problem during the Biden administration, with prices on everything from gas to food to used cars soaring. In speeches <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-touts-record-on-inflation-as-americans-spend-hundreds-more-per-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the country</a>, Biden has emphasized that inflation rates have declined since their peak during his presidency. However, many Americans are still spending hundreds more per month, on average. 
One recent report showed that Americans paid $709 more dollars for basic goods and services in July 2023 than they did in July 2021.

New U.S. Government Eating Guidlines Issued

Food Prices Set To Increase ‘Above’ Historical Average: Govt Analysis

Economy

Inflation

Joe Biden

USDA

In the wake of ex-chief Chris Licht&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/26/media/cnn-after-chris-licht-reliable-sources/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sudden exit</a>, CNN was apparently thrust deep into the throes of an identity crisis – and nowhere was that more evident than in their breathless coverage on Tuesday of Trump prosecutor Jack Smith&#8217;s &#8230; sandwich?
That&#8217;s right. In a segment that Newsbusters writer Alex Christy correctly characterized as TMZ-esque, one reporter and two anchors devoted actual air time to the fact that Smith was seen leaving Subway with a sandwich and saying nothing.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
John King marvels, &quot;Jack Smith going to Subway today is a message to Donald Trump. &#8230; Jack Smith with no words and a simple $5 sub in his hand saying &#39;I&#39;m not going anywhere.&#39;&quot; Dana Bash adds &quot;the imagery was intentional and spoke volume.&quot; (2/2) <a href="https://t.co/nDmd952R2c">pic.twitter.com/nDmd952R2c</a>
&mdash; Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexchristy17/status/1681360567385063424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;CNN or TMZ?&#8221; Christy tweeted. &#8220;Kaetlyn Polantz informs us that &#8216;[Jack Smith] was spotted today by CNN going to Subway for lunch, picking up a sandwich, leaving and not saying a word.'&#8221;
If that wasn&#8217;t ridiculous enough, anchors John King and Dana Bash took the baton and ran with it, suggesting that there was some hidden meaning buried in the fact that Smith had taken time out of his busy day to &#8220;eat fresh.&#8221;
&#8220;Jack Smith, remember when the classified documents target letter, when Trump announced that, there was a lot of commentary — &#8216;Is Jack Smith making a mistake here? Is he leaving this all to Donald Trump?&#8217; — and then they released the indictment and we all said, &#8216;wow, wow,'&#8221; King began. &#8220;We read it, we saw the documentation, we saw the level of detail.&#8221;
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&#8220;Jack Smith going to Subway today is a message to Donald Trump,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Donald Trump tries to intimidate people, he tries to bully people, tries to scare you away. That was Jack Smith with no words and a simple $5 sub in his hand saying, &#8216;I&#8217;m here, I&#8217;m not going anywhere.'&#8221;
&#8220;The imagery was intentional and spoke volumes,&#8221; Bash added.
The segment followed former President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-expects-to-be-arrested-indicted-by-special-counsel-jack-smith-in-2020-election-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> that he expected to be indicted again and possibly arrested in the coming days as a result of the case Smith is pursuing.
CNN did not reveal what kind of sandwich Smith ordered, nor did the outlet seem overly concerned with whether or not he opted to add a drink, chips, or a freshly-baked cookie.

Trump Prosecutor Ate Lunch At Subway, Next On CNN

Donald Trump

Media

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> users shared a variety of opinions on Friday about fast-food restaurant employees being told not to wear masks months after the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/end-of-phe.html#:~:text=May%2011%2C%202023%2C%20marks%20the,public%20health%20data%20will%20expire.">federal COVID-19 public health emergency</a> came to an end.
At the center of the debate was an apparent flyer sent out to In-N-Out Burger locations outside the chain&#8217;s home state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a>, announcing new health guidelines starting on August 14 that determine no masks &#8220;shall be worn in the Store or Support facility unless an Associate has a valid medical note exempting him or her from this requirement,&#8221; and those who do get a doctor&#8217;s approval must wear a company-provided N-95 mask unless a physician advises otherwise.
The policy is said to apply to associates working in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, except those &#8220;who are required to wear masks or other protective gear as part of their job duties,&#8221; and is &#8220;subject to local health authority guidelines and regulations.&#8221;
Lucky Tran, who has been identified as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/09/16/climate-change-conversation-action/">&#8220;science communicator&#8221;</a> working at <a href="https://www.communications.cuimc.columbia.edu/contact-cuimc-office-communications">Columbia University</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679878468748599297">shared the screenshot</a> on Twitter and encouraged people to <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679880707252838400">reach out</a> to the In-N-Out Burger&#8217;s customer service page regarding the chain&#8217;s &#8220;discriminatory policy banning masks.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Businesses like In-N-Out burger are banning staff from wearing masks (unless they provide a medical note) <a href="https://t.co/OchZl5STIH">pic.twitter.com/OchZl5STIH</a>
&mdash; Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679878468748599297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Users reacted with all sorts of commentary, ranging from horror to appreciation.
&#8220;Covid is a huge worker&#8217;s rights issue, and employers can now forcibly expose low wage workers to a deadly/disabling pathogen,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1679962861597265922">said</a> Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz. &#8220;Meanwhile big leftists/labor organizers have aligned themselves w corporations pushing anti mask, anti public health, far right messaging on covid.&#8221;
While some commenters called for people to boycott or sue, Tran <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679985695560028160">said</a> that it was &#8220;critical to note In-N-Out isn&#8217;t trying this in CA because the state has laws preventing employers from banning masks.&#8221; Tran also noted that a recent court ruling in California that determined employers are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-06/california-supreme-court-says-woman-cant-sue-spouses-employer-over-covid-infection">not legally responsible</a> for COVID spreading from workers to their family members &#8220;seems to have emboldened companies to try mask bans in other states without protections.&#8221;
Among those to deliver praise of In-N-Out was the Twitter account for the conservative group Turning Point USA. &#8220;Based,&#8221; it said in an approving <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1679931050192150528">tweet</a>.
&#8220;Interesting way to clear out problem employees,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1679998838545825792">said</a> criminal defense attorney Marina Medvin. &#8220;Fantastic! I hate when customer service people wear masks,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamdima24/status/1679946161912676361">a different user said</a>, &#8220;Also of note is the use of &#8216;him or her&#8217; as these are the only two normal pronouns when referring to people. There&#8217;s a reason I love IN N OUT!
&#8220;In-N-Out Burger just did the single GREATEST thing I’ve ever seen a business do,&#8221; said &#8220;The Patriot Voice&#8221; account. The tweet also said the guidelines need to be &#8221; the standard moving forward. Masks are not only unnecessary, ineffective, and disgusting…But, it also really hinders customer service when you can’t see the face of a staff member because of their face diaper.&#8221;
&#8220;In-N-Out has banned their employees from wearing masks unless they have a note from a doctor and the left is losing their woke minds over it,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/chakery/status/1679959303057289216">quipped</a> another.
The Daily Wire received a response from In-N-Out Burger days after publication of this report.
&#8220;At In-N-Out Burger, we’ve communicated with our smiles since 1948, and a smiling Associate helps to set a warm and inviting atmosphere in our stores. We believe that wearing a mask literally adds a barrier to communication — much of which is nonverbal — and promotes a more distant and disconnected environment,&#8221; Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement.
&#8220;In balancing these fundamental values while still accommodating the specific circumstances affecting our Associates, we have updated our internal guidelines to permit only those Associates with a medical need to wear a facemask while working,&#8221; Warnick added. &#8220;This change will be effective August 14, 2023, where local regulations allow.&#8221;
In-N-Out Burger made headlines during the height of the pandemic when multiple locations in California were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-in-n-out-burger-location-closed-for-bucking-vax-mandate-other-locations-targeted">shut down</a> by health officials for refusing to check customers’ vaccination status before serving them food.
“We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Newsweek/status/1450567344212828160">a spokesperson</a> for the fast-food chain said at the time.

Restaurant Workers Get Masks But Few Long-Term Gains In Crisis

In Or Out? A Fast-Food Fight Over Employee Masking Bans

Business

Face Masks

Restaurant

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ice-cream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s ice cream</a> posted an anti-American message on social media as the nation celebrated its 247th birthday Tuesday.
&#8220;Ah, the Fourth of July,&#8221; the company claimed in a statement. &#8220;Who doesn&#8217;t love a good parade, some tasty barbecue, and a stirring fireworks display? The only problem with all that, though, is that it can distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth: The US was founded on stolen Indigenous land.&#8221;
&#8220;The U.S. exists on stolen land,&#8221; the statement later added. &#8220;We have to acknowledge that—today and every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Just announce the ESG flavor already lmao,&#8221; one popular Twitter account responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just announce the ESG flavor already lmao <a href="https://t.co/4NXvxEty1D">https://t.co/4NXvxEty1D</a>
&mdash; The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRabbitHole84/status/1676379431634599936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) tweeted: &#8220;Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s, your once-good ice cream now sucks. You just guaranteed that I (a once-loyal customer) will never again consume a single pint of it.&#8221;
&#8220;When you suggest &#8216;returning&#8217; the land on which our country has been built for centuries, what exactly do you imagine?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Expungement of property rights? Repatriation of most Americans to Europe?&#8221;
Political commentator Joel M. Petlin pointed out apparent hypocrisy from the company when he shared a screenshot of a news article that said: &#8220;Jewish students call for Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s to evacuate &#8216;illegally occupied&#8217; Vermont land.&#8221;
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&#8220;Speaking of stolen land, the Abenaki Nation would like to have a word with @benandjerrys about the land under their headquarters that they are occupying in Vermont,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They really should commit to returning this stolen land, and naming their next flavor *Shameful Hypocrisy Crunch*&#8221;
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Speaking of stolen land, the Abenaki Nation would like to have a word with <a href="https://twitter.com/benandjerrys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benandjerrys</a> about the land under their headquarters that they are occupying in Vermont.
They really should commit to returning this stolen land, and naming their next flavor *Shameful Hypocrisy Crunch* <a href="https://t.co/3OddasrfEt">https://t.co/3OddasrfEt</a> <a href="https://t.co/xk7oKmPOoy">pic.twitter.com/xk7oKmPOoy</a>
&mdash; Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joelmpetlin/status/1676408670484062210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Attorney and columnist Kurt Schlichter tweeted: &#8220;Good. The conqueror should get the spoils. If that makes you sad, that&#8217;s even better. My land acknowledgement is this: &#8216;We won. Too bad.'&#8221;

Vermont Economy

Ben & Jerry’s Posts Anti-American Message On July 4th; Critics Blast Their Hypocrisy

Ben & Jerry's Posts Anti-American Message On July 4th; Critics Blast Their Hypocrisy

4th of July

Ice Cream

The CEO of Bud Light&#8217;s parent company still won&#8217;t admit putting transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney&#8217;s picture on a can of beer was a mistake, despite an enormous backlash that has cost the brand its perch atop the market.
Brendan Whitworth, a Marine Corps veteran and ex-CIA employee, appeared Wednesday on CBS “This Morning,” where he called the backlash “divisive.” Bars, restaurants, and retail stores have reported the thirst for Bud Light bottomed out in April after Mulvaney released a TikTok video showing the custom can while celebrating 365 days of “being a woman.” Although the company later told reeling wholesalers only one such can was printed, the brand&#8217;s sales have fallen by as much as 25% with no sign of a recovery brewing.
“I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer and the conversation has become divisive,” Whitworth said. “Bud Light really doesn’t belong there; Bud Light should be about bringing people together.”
Asked what the intention of the company was in sending Mulvaney the can of beer emblazoned with his picture, Whitworth reiterated the company’s statement from early May, declaring, “It was a gift and it was one can.”
Then came the crucial question: co-host Tony Dokoupil asked, “Knowing what you know now, if you go back, would you send a can to this one person again?”
“There’s a big social conversation taking place right now and big brands are right in the middle of it,” Whitworth replied. “And it’s not just our industry or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, it’s happening in fast food. And so, for us, what we need to understand is — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer, and what they want, what they care about, and what they expect from big brands.”
“Where are you on the issue? Was this a mistake?” Dokoupil pressed.
Again, Whitworth ducked the question.
“Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades. But as we move forward, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them, making sure we do right by our employees, take care and support our partners, and ultimately make an impact in the communities that we serve.”
Whitworth repeatedly spoke of his employees’ “pride” in working for the company saying, “They’re full of pride” and full of “pride and commitment.”
While the botched campaign has clearly hurt Bud Light sales, it is difficult to gauge how much it has hurt the parent company, which produces numerous popular brands of beer. Asked how much the Mulvaney fiasco had cost the company, Whitworth demurred.
“We’re focusing on investing behind the brand right now,” he said.
Whitworth concluded with a patriotic flourish.
“It really is, as I mentioned, an American institution, and it’s really, to me, one degree of separation from the American flag.”
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In response to recent controversy, <a href="https://twitter.com/AnheuserBusch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnheuserBusch</a> CEO Brendan Whitworth tells CBS Mornings that his company will continue to support the LGBTQ community.
He did not directly answer the questions of whether the promotional campaign with a transgender influencer was a mistake. <a href="https://t.co/19PXJQkoem">pic.twitter.com/19PXJQkoem</a>
&mdash; CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSMornings/status/1674029413917130752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-single-can-anheuser-busch-sends-letter-to-minimize-disastrous-mulvaney-backlash">‘One Single Can’: Anheuser-Busch Sends Letter To Minimize Disastrous Mulvaney Backlash</a>

UNITED STATES ECO MISSION TUESDAY

Anheuser-Busch CEO Asked If He’d Send Can To Mulvaney Again. He Refuses To Answer.

Anheuser-Busch

Backlash

Bud Light

Dylan Mulvaney

The United States Department of Agriculture <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cultivated-meat-lab-grown-cell-based-a88ab8e0241712b501aa191cdbf6b39a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Wednesday it approved the sale of “lab-grown” meat for commercial sale.
Two California companies, Good Meat and Upside Foods, are now approved to sell chicken created from animal cells in the United States. The decision makes the U.S. only the second country in the world to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/21/us-approves-sale-of-cell-cultured-chicken-to-two-start-ups.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> the commercial sale of lab-grown meat, which is also referred to as “cultured” and “cell-cultivated” meat.
“This announcement that we’re now able to produce and sell cultivated meat in the United States is a major moment for our company, the industry and the food system,” Josh Tetrick, the CEO of Good Meat’s parent company, said in a statement. 
The FDA has already given the green light for lab-grown meat for the two companies, and the approval by the USDA means it can now be sold commercially, though the companies will not be bringing it to grocery stores yet due to high production costs. Just one other country, Singapore, allows the legal sale of lab-grown meat, while in March, Italy moved to ban the sale of it to protect its food heritage, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65110744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the BBC. 
The lab product will be labeled as “cell-cultivated chicken,” CNBC notes. The companies argue that lab-grown meat is a more environmentally sustainable option than animals from farms and ranches. 
&#8220;GOOD Meat is real meat, made without tearing down a forest or taking a life. We’re the first and only company in the world to sell cultivated meat made from cells instead of slaughtered animals,&#8221; Good Meat says on its <a href="https://www.goodmeat.co/newsroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
“This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table,” Uma Valeti, CEO of Upside Foods, said. “It’s a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future — one that preserves choice and life.”
These statements come despite a <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/lab-grown-meat-carbon-footprint-worse-beef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preprint</a> study published in May, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed, that found lab-grown meat may actually be worse for the environment than regular meat.
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“If companies are having to purify growth media to pharmaceutical levels, it uses more resources, which then increases global warming potential,” lead author Derrick Risner from UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology said. “If this product continues to be produced using the ‘pharma’ approach, it’s going to be worse for the environment and more expensive than conventional beef production.”
Lab-grown meat, which is not vegetarian, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lab-grown-meat-moves-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultivated</a> from animal cells, which Valeti says are “like a starter dough.” The cells are incubated and grown into masses of meat in steel tanks, then cut and made to look like traditional meat, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/usda-approves-first-lab-grown-meat-sold-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox Business. The product will reportedly cost upwards of $20 per pound when it comes to stores. Lab-grown meat is not the same as plant-based “meat” products, such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat.
Initially, two restaurants have partnered with the companies to serve the lab-grown food: Bar Crenn, a Japanese-style restaurant in San Francisco, will be serving the lab-grown meat from Upside Foods, and Good Meat’s product will be sold at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, according to the Associated Press.

Fried Chicken

USDA Approves Sale Of ‘Lab-Grown’ Meat

Animals

A new report estimates Anheuser-Busch InBev’s market value has plunged a staggering $15.7 billion since April 1, the day the Dylan Mulvaney controversy exploded.
That estimate came from <a href="https://www.investors.com/etfs-and-funds/sectors/bud-light-boycott-already-costs-anheuser-busch-15-7-billion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Investor&#8217;s Business Daily</a>, which used a conversion to U.S. dollars using data from S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence. On April 1, Mulvaney promoted Bud Light during the NCAA March Madness tournament.
“We believe there is a subset of American consumers who will not drink a Bud Light for the foreseeable future,” Jared Dinges, beverage analyst at JPMorgan Chase, said on Tuesday. “We believe a 12% to 13% volume decline on an annualized basis would be a reasonable assumption.”
Shares of Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s stock have plummeted 11.9% since April 1, while Molson Coors Beverage shares have soared 20%, rewarding Molson Coors with over $2.2 billion in additional market value. According to JPMorgan analysts, U.S. beer volumes for Anheuser-Busch could plunge 12% this year.
“Shares [of Anheuser-Busch] have underperformed EU Beer peers by 15% since the start of April,” Dinges continued. “We believe this is due to U.S. uncertainty, as investor focus has shifted squarely to the potential impact from the Bud Light controversy. &#8230; We do not expect the lost sales to be recovered in fiscal year 2024.”
Bud Light accounts for 7% of Anheuser-Busch’s volume while Budweiser accounts for 11%, Corona 8%, and Brahma 7%.
Anson Frericks, the former president of sales and distribution for Anheuser-Busch, recently intimated that trouble lay ahead for the company, telling The Daily Wire he foresaw “a long, hot, dry summer for Anheuser-Busch.”
“I think that you&#8217;re going to see sales continue to be down because customers, it&#8217;s too easy for them to switch to other brands, and they&#8217;re seeing the impact of their results,” he continued. “If they want those customers back, they have an easy decision that they can make, which is saying, ‘We want Bud Light customers back, therefore Bud Light is not going to get involved with political issues moving forward.’ If not, they&#8217;re probably going to be in a worse position next year and their sales will continue to decline.”
On April 1, Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a woman, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqgTftujqZc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=be47ac0a-7017-4d6d-a424-8dcf6d27a837" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVGDPlG42bU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> to his 1.8 million followers on Instagram promoting his partnership with Bud Light. “This month I celebrated my day 365 of womanhood, and Bud Light sent me possibly the best gift ever, a can with my face on it,” Mulvaney said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-long-hot-dry-summer-former-anheuser-busch-president-makes-dire-prediction-about-the-future-of-bud-light">‘A Long, Hot, Dry Summer’: Former Anheuser-Busch President Makes Dire Prediction About The Future Of Bud Light</a>

Bud Light Boycott Continues After Company Partnered With Transgender Influencer

Anheuser-Busch InBev Market Value Has Plunged Staggering $15.7 Billion Since Mulvaney Fiasco: Report

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey">New Jersey</a> woman reported that she made an unlikely discovery in the woods when she came across more than 500 pounds of cooked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food">pasta</a> dumped among the trees.
Nina Jochnowitz, who ran for city council in the past, was walking through a creek near Veterans Park in Old Bridge, New Jersey, when she found the heaping mounds of cooked spaghetti and macaroni. She <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=256033300128994&amp;set=pcb.6825396244142464">shared</a> photos of the noodles on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=256033303462327&amp;set=pcb.6825396244142464">Facebook</a> and thanked the public works department for cleaning up the mess.
The photos were then reposted in a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/134q4ur/estimated_300400_lbs_of_pasta_dumped_in_old_bridge/">subreddit</a> about New Jersey, which led to a lot of commenters coming up with pasta puns.
&#8220;We should send the perpetrators to the state penne tentiary,&#8221; one Reddit user said.
&#8220;Italian grandmas: why would someone dump four servings of pasta in the woods like that?&#8221; another person said.
“I swear it wasn&#8217;t me&#8230;.,” a Facebook user named Al Dente commented on the original Facebook post.
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Hundreds of pounds of pasta dumped in New Jersey woods <a href="https://t.co/XzMy251nVW">https://t.co/XzMy251nVW</a> <a href="https://t.co/UbTbd4fd9r">pic.twitter.com/UbTbd4fd9r</a>
&mdash; Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7NY/status/1654320078060507136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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While many were treating the incident as a joke, Jochnowitz criticized the mayor in her original post and accused him of ignoring the situation. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pasta-new-jersey-mysteriously-dumped-in-old-bridge-woods/">CBS News</a> noted that Jochnowitz ran on a platform of cleaning up the waterways and environment in her town. She also intended to improve waste and recycling services, which would include bulk pickup for trash, ostensibly including trash bags filled with pasta. 
&#8220;You might say, ‘Who cares about pasta?’ But pasta has a PH level that will impact the water stream,&#8221; Jochnowitz <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/new-jersey-pasta-dump-old-bridge-township-reddit-20230503.html">told</a> the Philadelphia Inquirer. &#8220;That water stream is important to clean up because it feeds into the town’s water supply…It was one of the fastest cleanups I’ve ever seen here.&#8221;
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Jochnowitz referred to the incident as, &#8220;Mission Impastable.&#8221;
“The township heard or read the comments and responded by doing a rapid cleanup the river basin and pasta dump,” she wrote on social media. “As my friend called it a &#8216;Mission Impastable&#8217;!!! They also cleaned out all the garbage tossed in the basin. Thank you Kasey and the entire crew of Public Works!”
“No surprise when we see the dumping of construction and other garbage spewed in all of the neighborhoods,” the New Jersey resident continued. 
“This week, there was a new type of dumping, of excessive food, PASTA. A good Estimate is more than 500 pounds of pasta dumped adjacent to the streams intersecting with Hilliard and Mimi. While it has been reported to our township administrator (myself) and I reckon that someone forwarded my post on this to the no-can-do Mayor knows…and his CaL girls, they will ignore this food garbage.”

Pasta variation

‘Mission Impastable’: Woman Discovers 500 Lbs Of Cooked Pasta Dumped In NJ Woods

'Mission Impastable': Woman Discovers 500 Lbs Of Cooked Pasta Dumped In NJ Woods

Facebook

New Jersey

CKE Restaurants, the company which controls <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fast food</a> chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, announced on Thursday that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a> would use <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificial intelligence</a> in their drive-thru systems at select locations across the country.
Leading corporations and investors have poured considerable funds into developing AI tools meant for consumer products and business solutions in recent months. The two brands will incorporate Tori, an AI voice ordering platform created by OpenCity, to increase “order accuracy” and create a “significant impact to labor efficiencies,” according to a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cke-restaurants-deploys-opencitys-game-changing-ai-tori-to-revolutionize-the-drive-thru-experience-301816176.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
&#8220;The implementation of OpenCity&#8217;s AI technology at our drive-thru&#8217;s has significantly benefited our business by enhancing the speed and accuracy of order processing, resulting in reduced wait times for customers and increased efficiency for our staff,&#8221; CKE Restaurants CTO Phil Crawford said. &#8220;The AI technology has transformed our drive-thru experience, providing us with a competitive edge in the market and helping us to better serve our guests.&#8221;
Customers who arrive at drive-thru lines can place their orders through a “digital interaction” with Tori before they pay an employee for their meal, thereby allowing associates to “focus more on providing better customer service and preparing timely and freshly made orders.”
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are two of several fast food restaurants to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-fast-food-chains-invest-in-automation-amid-labor-shortages-minimum-wage-increases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pivot</a> toward increased automation. McDonald’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-partners-with-ibm-to-automate-drive-thrus-as-labor-shortages-persist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnered</a> with IBM to automate drive-thrus and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-is-testing-voice-automated-drive-thrus-in-wake-of-15-minimum-wage-proposals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> voice-ordering technology at multiple Chicago restaurants two years ago after purchasing several AI startups, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a robotic chip machine in California after the state passed a law to create a council with authority to raise fast food minimum wages.
The trend occurs as labor shortages persist well after the lockdown-induced recession: there are currently nearly two open positions for every unemployed worker in the United States, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/job-openings-and-labor-turnover/unemp-per-job-opening.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released two months ago, increasing operational expenses for businesses and contributing to broader inflationary pressures.
Tori integrates with existing point-of-sale and headset technology at restaurants to take orders with “zero wait time,” according to a <a href="https://www.opencity.co/#tori" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webpage</a> from OpenCity. The AI platform can also offer personalized recommendations to increase the average revenue per order.
High Noon Restaurant Group, a franchisee for Popeyes based in Louisiana, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opencitys-conversational-voice-ai-tori-forever-changes-the-drive-thru-experience-301533253.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deployed</a> the system last year, resulting in a 20% faster speed of service and a 20% increase in satisfaction.
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The rush for companies to implement AI solutions into their products and services accelerated when ChatGPT, a mass-market AI chatbot capable of writing computer code and emails in a matter of seconds, rapidly gained popularity across the world. Microsoft, which invested billions of dollars into ChatGPT creator OpenAI, announced that the system would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-unveils-new-version-of-bing-powered-by-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incorporated</a> into search engine Bing and internet browser Edge, while Google <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/google-search-will-soon-receive-ai-upgrade-as-company-scrambles-to-release-chatgpt-competitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Bard, an experimental conversational AI service, would soon be added to the company’s search engine.
Some analysts have raised concerns about possible widespread technological employment even as the novel AI applications create productivity increases for workers and businesses. One recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colossal-share-of-american-jobs-could-be-replaced-by-ai-new-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> from Goldman Sachs predicted that AI could eliminate 7% of positions in the United States, largely in sectors that rely upon office work such as administrative support and legal, while positions in sectors such as building and grounds maintenance, construction, logistics, and healthcare support are predicted to remain broadly intact.

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