For several years now, Democrats in the state of California have enjoyed all the perks of one-party rule. With supermajorities in the state assembly, they don&#8217;t have to deal with an opposition party. They certainly don&#8217;t need to provide any kind of transparency to the public. They&#8217;re completely free to enact the Democratic Party&#8217;s grand vision — just like the leaders of notorious utopias like Baltimore, Selma, Detroit, or Oakland. If states are the laboratories of democracy, then California is the laboratory of the Democratic Party. Whatever Democrats want, they get.
That&#8217;s why hundreds of thousands of people flee California every year and it&#8217;s why a lot more are about to leave the state. California, without much discussion or debate, just raised its minimum wage for certain fast-food workers to $20 an hour. This is a 25% wage hike, up from $16 an hour. The law applies to chains with 60 or more locations in California, including franchises — many of which are family-owned.
The totally foreseeable and inevitable followed, and a bunch of fast-food chains announced mass layoffs. Others started raising prices, and at least one restaurant so far has closed down completely. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="005 Lemoore Foster&#039;s Freeze" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mgi_Z-cmNyU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Those employees at Foster&#8217;s Freeze went from $16 an hour to zero dollars an hour, thanks to the minimum wage hike which California declared a &#8220;win for workers.&#8221; And they&#8217;re not alone.
When this law was signed, two large Pizza Hut franchisees <a href="https://www.nrn.com/top-500-restaurants/two-california-pizza-hut-franchisees-lay-delivery-workers-ahead-minimum-wage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laid off</a> more than 1,200 delivery drivers. In San Jose, The Wall Street Journal reports that two small Vitality Bowls restaurants have <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/california-restaurants-cut-jobs-as-fast-food-wages-set-to-rise-eb5ddaaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut their workforce</a> in half. Restaurants like Jack in the Box are &#8220;testing fryer robots and automated drink dispensers&#8221; so they can fire more employees soon. Hours are being cut and of course, prices are going up too, across the board. 
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/02/us-news/californias-20-fast-food-wage-raises-prices-by-up-to-1-80/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, at one Los Angeles-area Burger King, prices for a Texas Double Whopper went from $15.09 on March 29 to $16.89 on April 1, once the law went into effect. That&#8217;s an increase of nearly $2 for the same exact — already horrifically overpriced — food in just two days. The Big Fish meal went up by $4, from $7.49 to $11.49. That&#8217;s the precise increase in hourly wage, passed directly onto customers. Several other menu items went up &#8220;anywhere from 25 cents to a dollar,&#8221; the Post found. 
From what I’ve seen, some of the advocates of the minimum wage hike on social media have tried to dismiss the concerns over the price hikes by saying that 25 cents to a dollar isn’t a very steep increase. But what they’re ignoring is that, first of all, as a percentage of the overall price of the item, these hikes are already significant. And second, this law has been in effect for less than two days and this is what has happened only in that time frame. We can assume that prices will continue to go up.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1339-the-matt-walsh-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
One of the many fast-food companies raising prices is the fried chicken restaurant Raising Cane&#8217;s. The CEO of the company went on CNBC recently to talk about the impact of this legislation on his business.
Now, based on everything you&#8217;ve just read, you might assume that the CNBC anchor conducting the interview would have a dim view of this new legislation. After all, you&#8217;d expect someone at a business-oriented network to understand that higher prices and fewer jobs are generally a bad thing. But here&#8217;s how she frames her question:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="006 Raisin Canes" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OpDLVLZAE8w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The CEO doesn&#8217;t really answer the question, probably because he&#8217;s there for a nice PR opportunity and he doesn&#8217;t get adversarial or maybe he wasn&#8217;t paying attention. But it&#8217;s an incredible question to ask in earnest, which she appears to be doing. If you give minimum wage workers a raise, but in the process make it more expensive for them to live and eat, you have not really given them a raise. You haven&#8217;t made it easier for them to purchase more chicken fingers.
This is especially the case for the many workers who have already lost their jobs because of it, and the many more who will in the near future.
The fact that this is apparently difficult to say out loud — even for the CEO of Raising Cane&#8217;s — tells us a lot about how California got in this position. Very few people in the state seem to understand basic principles of economics — or at least, they don&#8217;t want to talk about them. But the fast food workers themselves understand what&#8217;s going on here. They realize that they didn&#8217;t actually get a raise.
Here’s an employee from Jack in the Box explaining a basic economic reality that the governor of her state doesn’t seem to comprehend:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="001 Minimum Wage Increase" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hjafi_exbb4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
How does a fast-food worker understand the economics of this situation better than the CNBC anchors? Why is she raising issues that California politicians don&#8217;t seem to understand? Whatever the answer is, this is getting to be a running theme in California.
A couple of years ago, California sent out millions of &#8220;inflation relief checks,&#8221; which accomplished <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/30/politics/inflation-relief-checks/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nothing</a> except making inflation even worse. But there was no opposition party that could block those checks, just like there&#8217;s no opposition party to block this minimum wage increase.
In fact, in California, the labor unions <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/california-fast-food-law-panera-newsom-nda/60117858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> nondisclosure agreements during the negotiations for the minimum wage bill. So no one can talk about how exactly this bill came about. There&#8217;s never going to be a full explanation for why Gavin Newsom&#8217;s friend and donor at Panera Bread managed to secure an exemption for fast-food restaurants that make bread, for example. (Not that we really need an explanation for that. It&#8217;s the kind of naked corruption that one-party states are well known for).
But you don&#8217;t need an insider&#8217;s look into the legislative process to know how poorly conceived this law is. That&#8217;s because, after the bill was passed, legislators went back and <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/in-house-counsel/california-airports-stadiums-now-exempted-under-fast-food-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> a bunch of other exemptions, including fast-food locations in airports and stadiums. That&#8217;s how you know you&#8217;re dealing with a very well-thought-out law — the legislators just go back and redo it a few weeks later. These are the people manipulating the economy in the most populated state in the country. They&#8217;re doing it as haphazardly as you&#8217;d expect.
The truth is that raising the minimum wage (by 25%, which is obviously a very sizable hike) in the midst of inflation and a struggling economy is incredibly stupid. There&#8217;s really no other word for it. It attempts an end-run around the actual problems facing Californians. Except, really, it&#8217;s worse than that. They aren&#8217;t just avoiding the problems, but actively making everything worse. They’re trying to solve problems by creating more of the problems they’re allegedly trying to solve. And they aren’t done. 
In fact, some leaders in California think that $20 an hour is still too low. It’s not even half of what they think the minimum should be. Here’s Rep. Barbara Lee:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="004 CA Senate Race Debate" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UZswdhUXkB4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Just do the math. Do the math, says the woman who apparently can’t add two plus two. She wants to mandate six-figure incomes for the people who run the cash register at McDonald’s. You notice that she was asked about the economic sustainability of such a plan and did not pretend to even address that concern. That’s because it is, of course, not sustainable at all. $20 an hour isn’t even sustainable. $20 an hour has already caused a bloodbath of layoffs and price hikes. $50 an hour would simply be the end of commerce in California, which means the end of California itself. So, on second thought, maybe her plan has some benefits.
But you notice what Lee said in that clip. She said that a family of four needs a six-figure income just to get by. That’s not really true — you can get by on less, my family did at one time — but think about how that applies here. She’s saying that minimum wage workers need a massive, mandatory raise because that’s what’s necessary for families of four to survive. This obviously implies that there are a lot of single-income households of four where the breadwinner makes minimum wage. But that’s not generally the case, and this is really, perhaps, the most important point here. Minimum wage jobs are not meant to be careers. These are supposed to be jobs for teenagers working part-time while they finish high school. These aren’t jobs that grown adults with kids and mortgages are supposed to be doing for years on end. So if you’ve been working at a job for five or ten years and you still make minimum wage, there’s obviously a serious problem — and it’s not one a minimum wage hike can solve.
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Personally, I want every minimum wage worker to get a hefty raise. But that can be achieved, and should be achieved, by earning a raise. It can also be achieved by getting some work experience under your belt and then finding a better job somewhere else. Minimum wage is supposed to be a stepping stone. Not a foundation to build your life on.
It’s a bit like if lawmakers passed a law declaring that all tent manufacturers must make their tents big enough and sturdy enough that they can be lived in for six months at a time. But that’s not what tents are supposed to be used for. That’s not what a tent is. A tent is something you stay in for a few days at a time. Now, lawmakers in California might respond, “No that’s not true. In our state lots of people live in tents for years. They set them up right on the sidewalk!” Yes, but the problem there is not that the tents are insufficient homes. The problem is that those people are trying to turn tents into homes. The problem is with how the tent is being used. Minimum wage is like the tent of salaries. It’s meant to be very temporary.
The advantage of working a minimum wage job is that the bar is pretty low. Show up on time, look presentable, put in the effort, be reliable, be moderately competent, cover all the basics, and you’ll be on the fast track to a better job — either at your current place of work or somewhere else. You don’t need to wait around for the government to force your employer to give you a raise.
As I’ve said plenty of times before, the best way for a minimum wage worker to make more money is to not be a minimum wage worker anymore. That’s a basic truth that you won’t hear from politicians like Barbara Lee. Instead they’ll promise you the pie in the sky. The bad news is that they probably won’t deliver on that promise.
The worse news is that they might. And then everyone’s problems will get much worse.

California Minimum Wage Rises To $20 For Fast Food Workers

California Triggers Bloodbath By Raising Minimum Wage To $20 An Hour

California

Democrats

Food

Gavin Newsom

Minimum Wage

Opinion

Readers Pass

Restaurant

A political action committee backing former President Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign has rolled out a new website highlighting the dramatic increase in grocery prices since President Joe Biden took office. 
The <a href="https://www.biden-mart.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, which was created by Make America Great Again Inc, is called “Biden-Mart.&#8221; It allows visitors to compare the prices of fruits, vegetables, and meats at the end of Trump’s presidency to current prices under Biden. The website cites data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture from January 2021 and January 2024. 
“Every time you go grocery shopping you are reminded of the failure of &#8216;Bidenomics,&#8217;” Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for MAGA INC, told The Daily Mail, which first <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13250027/trump-super-pac-biden-mart-grocery-shopping-expenses.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on the website. “Joe Biden&#8217;s inflation is robbing hard-working Americans of their money.”
The interactive site allows people to compile their weekly grocery lists to “see how much more expensive your bill has become under Joe Biden.” Foods listed on the website include chicken, eggs, ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, oranges, milk, grapes, sweet corn, cheese, yogurt, butter, eggs, coffee, and other meats and vegetables. 
According to the website, some of the products with the most significant jumps under Biden include apples (111% increase per 2 pounds), boneless chicken thighs (91% increase per 2 pounds), ribeye steak (82% increase per pound), and ground beef (66% increase per 2 pounds). 
<div id="attachment_717279" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-717279" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-717279 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-1024x435.png" alt="" width="1024" height="435" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-1024x435.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-300x127.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-768x326.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-1536x653.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/Screen-Shot-2024-04-01-at-10.34.47-AM-2048x870.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: &#8216;Biden-Mart&#8217; website.</div>
Last month, the USDA said that food prices would likely continue to increase in 2024, but at a slower pace. In 2023, food-at-home prices, food purchased at grocery stores as opposed to food purchased at restaurants, increased by 5%, and those prices are expected to continue to tick up by 1.6% in 2024, <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the USDA. 
While Biden blamed corporations for increasing food prices, Trump said that Biden&#8217;s policies caused inflation. Biden has attacked several large companies over &#8220;shrinkflation,&#8221; saying that they have reduced the amount of product while prices remain the same. 
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“Likewise, the sight of a feeble Joe Biden talking about ‘shrinkflation’ — the term he uses — is one of the most ridiculous things this country has ever seen,” Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2908660/state-of-union-trump-biden-border-inflation-prebuttal-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> ahead of Biden’s State of the Union last month. “Shrinkflation is just another way of saying inflation — it means that you’re losing a lot of money because these people don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Under my leadership, there was no inflation. We had the greatest economy in the history of the world,” Trump said. “It’s time to tell crooked Joe Biden, ‘You’re fired.’”

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

Trump PAC Launches Interactive Website To Show How Food Prices Have Skyrocketed Under Biden

2024 Election

Donald Trump

Economics

Elections

Executive

Inflation

Joe Biden

Politics

Trump 2024

Tyson Foods is hiring a number of illegal immigrants who have recently arrived in New York.
Tyson, which is known for its chicken products and owns brands like Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm, has already hired dozens of migrants who obtained work permits and is looking to hire many more, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-11/tyson-is-hiring-new-york-immigrants-for-jobs-no-one-else-wants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The meatpacking company is working with Tent Partnership for Refugees, which was founded by Chobani yogurt founder Hamdi Ulukaya, to hire some of the recently arrived migrants in New York.
On one day in February, Tyson met with 17 migrants from Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia at Chobani’s offices in Manhattan and hired them to work at Tyson&#8217;s Humboldt, Tennessee plant. Last week, Tyson reportedly hired 70 more migrants.
New York has seen an influx of more than 180,000 illegal migrants over the past two years creating a crisis that has strained the city&#8217;s budget and caused officials to plead for federal help.
Tyson already employs about 42,000 immigrants and refugees, although it is not clear how many are in the country illegally.
“We would like to employ another 42,000 if we could find them,” Garrett Dolan, a human resources leader at Tyson, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-11/tyson-is-hiring-new-york-immigrants-for-jobs-no-one-else-wants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Bloomberg.
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“We’re recognizing there’s not a lot of people that are going to be working labor-manufacturing jobs that are American,” Dolan said, adding that many of the new hires “are going to come from refugees and immigrants, so we’re now in the business of strategically thinking that through.”
Tyson has a high turnover rate for frontline employees — those washing and packing chicken, for example — with four in 10 of those workers leaving the company each year. Because of this, the company is looking to hire about 52,000 employees just over this year. Those frontline jobs start at $16.50 an hour and include benefits.
Tyson is also providing migrant workers with other benefits including on-site childcare, transportation, and optional English classes. The new hires from New York also get temporary housing, a relocation stipend to move to Humboldt, and paid time off.
The company also set aside $1.5 million for legal aid services and is providing workers with paid time off to attend court hearings.
In 2023, Tyson paid for 1,317 workers to become U.S. citizens.
“They’re very, very loyal,” Dolan said. “They’ve been uprooted and what they want is stability — what they want is a sense of belonging.”
Tyson currently has a U.S. workforce of about 120,000 people.
Last year, Tyson was one of several food companies that faced a Labor Department probe over allegations of child migrant labor. Tyson has said it has zero tolerance for child labor and maintained it does not allow minors to work at any of its facilities.
Some critics took to social media to call for a boycott over Tyson&#8217;s decision to hire migrants.
&#8220;Tyson is selling out Americans and hiring illegal immigrants,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1768674422175527382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> X user Paul Szypula. &#8220;This is blatantly America-Last.&#8221;
&#8220;Tyson is closing its facility in Perry, Iowa and laying off its 1,200 workers. Instead, they plan to hire thousands of new illegals in states like New York. #BoycottTyson. Pass it on,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1768589814260015610">posted</a> the X account End Wokeness.

Tyson To Close Four Plants As Chicken Sales Weaken

Tyson Foods Hiring Illegal Migrants In New York, Wants More: ‘They’re Very, Very Loyal’

Tyson Foods Hiring Illegal Migrants In New York, Wants More: 'They're Very, Very Loyal'

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Migrants

Doritos has fired a trans-identifying male influencer who <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763">reportedly</a> posted sexual comments about children in the past.
Over the weekend, Samantha Hudson, a trans-identifying man and social media influencer, appeared in a 50-second Instagram promo called “Crunch Talks” for Doritos Spain, which is part of PepsiCo Spain.
A Doritos Spain spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Rolling Stone that the company had launched a campaign with Hudson on Sunday before they were aware of his previous comments.
On Monday, after the company was “made aware of Samantha’s deleted Tweets from around 2015,” the spokesperson said the Instagram video was removed.
“We have ended the relationship and stopped all related campaign activity due to the comments,” the Doritos Spain spokesperson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/06/us-news/doritos-spain-fires-transgender-influencer-ivan-ranedo-over-controversial-tweets/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We strongly condemn words or actions that promote violence or sexism of any kind.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Doritos facing backlash for hiring TRANS man to be the face of the brand in Spain. 
Samantha Hudson, a biological man, has sparked outrage across the country for some of his tweets where he shares his fantasies about abusing kids.
H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@libsoftiktok</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/hermanntertsch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hermanntertsch</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ef3z6Xir10">pic.twitter.com/Ef3z6Xir10</a>
&mdash; Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1764688557136843201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🇪🇸 | Fuerte polémica en España tras conocerse que Doritos eligió a Samantha Hudson como embajadora de su marca en el país europeo.
Samantha Hudson: &#8211; Ha admitido ser una persona pedófila &#8211; Se identifica como una chica trans no binaria &#8211; Se burla abiertamente de las víctimas de… <a href="https://t.co/ur3l2orx3S">pic.twitter.com/ur3l2orx3S</a>
&mdash; UHN PLUS (@UHN_Plus) <a href="https://twitter.com/UHN_Plus/status/1764655776813969632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The campaign’s removal and Hudson’s termination was due to Hudson’s history of controversial comments, not his gender identity, the spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“Being perfect is not easy, but you end up getting used to it,” Hudson says in the Doritos Instagram spot, according to a translation.
By Monday, several jarring sexual posts about children that Hudson allegedly wrote resurfaced, sparking outrage online.
“I want to do thuggish things [to] a 12-year-old girl,” Hudson allegedly posted on X several years ago, adding a description of an extreme sexual crime against a child.
Hudson, 24, was <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> 15 when he allegedly made that post.
“In the middle of the street in Mallorca in panties and screaming that I’m a nymphomaniac in front of a super beautiful 8-year-old girl,” Hudson allegedly wrote in another post.
Hudson also appears to have previously said that he wants to destroy the traditional nuclear family.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional family.&quot; Brand ambassador for Doritos and self-described pedophiIe Samantha Hudson <a href="https://t.co/j4hPgmoaxi">pic.twitter.com/j4hPgmoaxi</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1764724659088482349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional, monogamous, nuclear family,” Hudson said in a video posted to X by several social media users.
“Not that I’m going to beat up my parents,” he added to laughter from an audience.
In yet another X post, Hudson allegedly said that he hates women who are rape victims.
“I hate women who are victims of rape and who turn to self-help centers to overcome their trauma. k fat wh****,” Hudson allegedly wrote.
Hudson himself previously attempted to explain away his old posts when they came to light after he became a minor celebrity, Rolling Stone reported.
“Some tweets that I posted in 2015 are resurfacing and honestly I don’t know what to say, I don’t remember having written such barbarities,” he <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to a translation of his posts. “At that time I dedicated myself to saying nonsense, the heavier the better, because I thought that ‘dark humor’ was funny.”
The backlash over Doritos Spain’s decision to partner with Hudson echoes the reaction in the U.S. to Bud Light collaborating with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.
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Bud Light’s parent company <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/business/anheuser-busch-revenue-bud-light-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> $395 million in the aftermath of a boycott.
Target also faced an expensive boycott last year over its Pride Month merchandise, which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-target-lgbtq-1203e875adcc7c86f62252d4ace1a738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> a kid’s swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions” and “The Pronoun Book” aimed at children.

PepsiCo Products Ahead Of Earnings Released

Doritos Fires Trans-Identifying Influencer After Backlash To Sexual Comments About Children

Bud Light

Business

Europe

Gender

Social Issues

Spain

Target

Transgender

Doritos Spain is facing backlash for partnering with a trans-identifying man who <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763">reportedly</a> posted sexual comments about children in the past.
Over the weekend, Samantha Hudson, a trans-identifying man and social media influencer, appeared in a 50-second Instagram promo called &#8220;Crunch Talks&#8221; for Doritos Spain, which falls under PepsiCo Spain.
&#8220;Being perfect is not easy, but you end up getting used to it,&#8221; Hudson says in the spot, according to a translation.
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Doritos facing backlash for hiring TRANS man to be the face of the brand in Spain. 
Samantha Hudson, a biological man, has sparked outrage across the country for some of his tweets where he shares his fantasies about abusing kids.
H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@libsoftiktok</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/hermanntertsch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hermanntertsch</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ef3z6Xir10">pic.twitter.com/Ef3z6Xir10</a>
&mdash; Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1764688557136843201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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🇪🇸 | Fuerte polémica en España tras conocerse que Doritos eligió a Samantha Hudson como embajadora de su marca en el país europeo.
Samantha Hudson: &#8211; Ha admitido ser una persona pedófila &#8211; Se identifica como una chica trans no binaria &#8211; Se burla abiertamente de las víctimas de… <a href="https://t.co/ur3l2orx3S">pic.twitter.com/ur3l2orx3S</a>
&mdash; UHN PLUS (@UHN_Plus) <a href="https://twitter.com/UHN_Plus/status/1764655776813969632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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By Monday, however, Newsweek reported that several jarring sexual posts about children that Hudson allegedly posted resurfaced, sparking outrage online.
&#8220;I want to do thuggish things [to] a 12-year-old girl,&#8221; Hudson allegedly posted on X several years ago, adding a description of an extreme sexual crime against a child.
Hudson, 24, was <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> 15 when he allegedly made that post.
&#8220;In the middle of the street in Mallorca in panties and screaming that I&#8217;m a nymphomaniac in front of a super beautiful 8-year-old girl,&#8221; Hudson allegedly wrote in another post.
Hudson also appears to have previously said that he wants to destroy the traditional nuclear family.
&#8220;I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional, monogamous, nuclear family,&#8221; Hudson said in a video posted to X by several social media users.
&#8220;Not that I&#8217;m going to beat up my parents,&#8221; he added to laughter from an audience.
In yet another X post, Hudson allegedly said that he hates women who are rape victims.
&#8220;I hate women who are victims of rape and who turn to self-help centers to overcome their trauma. k fat wh****,&#8221; Hudson wrote.
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&quot;I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional family.&quot; Brand ambassador for Doritos and self-described pedophiIe Samantha Hudson <a href="https://t.co/j4hPgmoaxi">pic.twitter.com/j4hPgmoaxi</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1764724659088482349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A Doritos Spain spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Rolling Stone that the company had launched a campaign with Hudson on Sunday before they were aware of his previous comments.
On Monday, after the company became aware of his comments, the spokesperson said the Instagram video was removed. The campaign&#8217;s removal and Hudson&#8217;s termination was due to Hudson&#8217;s history of controversial comments, not his gender identity, the spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Hudson himself previously attempted to explain away his old posts when they came to light after he became a minor celebrity.
“Some tweets that I posted in 2015 are resurfacing and honestly I don’t know what to say, I don’t remember having written such barbarities,” he <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to a translation of his posts. “At that time I dedicated myself to saying nonsense, the heavier the better, because I thought that ‘dark humor’ was funny.”
The backlash over Doritos Spain&#8217;s decision to partner with Hudson echoes the reaction in the U.S. to Bud Light collaborating with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.
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Bud Light&#8217;s parent company <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/business/anheuser-busch-revenue-bud-light-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> $395 million in the aftermath of a boycott.
Target faced an expensive boycott last year as well over its Pride Month merchandise, which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-target-lgbtq-1203e875adcc7c86f62252d4ace1a738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> a kid&#8217;s swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions” as well as “The Pronoun Book” aimed at children.
&nbsp;

Food Packaged

Doritos Facing Backlash For Partnering With Trans-Identifying Influencer Who Allegedly Made Sexual Comments About Children

Doritos Facing Backlash For Partnering With Trans-Identifying Influencer Who Made Sexual Comments About Children

Dylan Mulvaney

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) pushed back last week on accusations that Panera Bread is exempt from California&#8217;s new $20 minimum wage for fast-food restaurant employees.
Republicans have accused Newsom of giving the chain special treatment because a high school classmate and donor to Newsom&#8217;s campaigns, Greg Flynn, runs two dozen Panera Bread restaurants in California. Bloomberg News first reported that Panera appeared to be exempt from the new minimum wage law, which takes effect in April and raises the minimum wage for fast-food workers from $16 to $20.
The law carves out an exception for businesses that produce their own bread on the premises. The exemption was added late in the bill&#8217;s process, and Newsom&#8217;s administration has not explained the reason for it — but now his team contends that Panera won&#8217;t be exempt from the law.
“The Governor never met with Flynn about this bill and this story is absurd. Our legal team has reviewed and it appears Panera is not exempt from the law,” Newsom spokesman Alex Stack <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article286132126.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Previously, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher called for an investigation and accused Newsom of setting his special interests up with “favors at the expense of regular Californians.”
“This type of crooked dealmaking is wrong and exactly why our constituents think the government isn’t looking out for them,” Gallagher said.
“Campaign contributions should not buy you exemptions in legislation. The public deserves to know the truth about the allegations of Governor Newsom’s crony capitalism,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) said in a statement.
Bloomberg reported that Newsom had fought for Panera&#8217;s exemption.
Newsom&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article286131426.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that Panera is not exempt since the restaurants do not technically &#8220;produce&#8221; their own bread. The law says the minimum wage increase does not apply to businesses with a bakery that “produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread.”
Panera locations do not make their own dough on the premises, although they do bake their own bread.
Bloomberg&#8217;s reporting also named Paris Baguette and Great Harvest Bread Co. as exempt from the minimum wage hike. It is unclear whether those companies produce their own bread entirely on the premises.
Flynn <a href="https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/newsom-now-says-panera-bread-is-not-exempt-from-californias-minimum-wage-hike/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> donated $100,000 to Newsom in 2021 to help him fight a recall effort, as well as $64,800 in 2022 for Newsom&#8217;s re-election campaign.
Flynn said that while he opposed the minimum wage bill, he never asked for special treatment.
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“To be clear, at no time did I ask for an exemption or special considerations. In fact, the idea never even occurred to me and I was surprised when the exemption appeared in the final legislation. I also never met with Governor Newsom about this bill, though I did meet with his staff in a group meeting with other restaurant owners,” Flynn <a href="https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/newsom-now-says-panera-bread-is-not-exempt-from-californias-minimum-wage-hike/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Thanks to the law, some fast food will become more expensive in California. McDonalds and Chipotle, which are not exempt from the minimum wage increase, have already <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/fast-food-in-california-is-about-to-get-more-expensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans to raise prices.

A Panera Bread Restaurant As Panera Brands Prepares For IPO

Newsom Pushes Back On Pay-To-Play Accusations, Says Panera Is Not Exempt From Minimum Wage Hike

Economy

Organizers behind the disastrous &#8220;Willy&#8217;s Chocolate Experience&#8221; in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Kingdom</a> issued an apology on Friday nearly a week after attendees slammed the awful event.
In a lengthy post on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/houseofilluminatiofficial/posts/pfbid02oCZoYDpLGamdirosNkD44grmfd22vVdWmdj8n6odBGqqjniieCjAcmhXQq73Naaxl">Facebook</a>, a statement from the <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/willy-wonka-experience-glasgow-organisers-house-of-illuminati-b1141838.html">Glasgow-based House of Illuminati</a> &#8211;&#8211; with director Billy Coull &#8212; read, &#8220;I want to extend my sincerest apologizes to each and every one of you who was looking forward to this event. I understand the disappointment and frustration this has caused, and for that, I am truly sorry.&#8221;
Organizers used artificial intelligence (AI) to promote its &#8220;immersive experience,&#8221; but when kids showed up and paid $44 for a ticket, the event looked nothing like what was promised. It was also so bad that parents ended up calling the police, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/willys-chocolate-experience-for-kids-slammed-for-misleading-ai-ads-so-bad-that-attendees-called-the-cops">reported</a>. Photos of the event and customer reactions went <a href="https://x.com/AlsikkanTV/status/1762235022851948668?s=20">viral</a> on social media, too.
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Police were called to an &#8216;immersive event&#8217; inspired by Willy Wonka in Glasgow after furious parents complained about the quality of the event. <a href="https://t.co/8BIz7jOESm">https://t.co/8BIz7jOESm</a> <a href="https://t.co/hqpgeNB9uk">pic.twitter.com/hqpgeNB9uk</a>
— STV News (@STVNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/STVNews/status/1762089580851855412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;It&#8217;s important for me to clarify that the organization and decisions surrounding this event were solely my responsibility,&#8221; the statement on FB read. &#8220;I want to make it clear that anyone who was hired externally or offered their help, are not affiliated with [me] or the company, any use of faces can cause serious harm to those who did not have any involvement in the making of this event.&#8221;
At one point in the message, they noted they were doing all they could to rectify the situation and promised that &#8220;all 850 Transactions&#8221; will be refunded to &#8220;ensure transparency and to demonstrate my commitment to making this right for everyone affected.&#8221;
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&#8220;I ask for a bit of time to process everything that has happened,&#8221; the statement concluded. &#8220;My intention is to learn from this experience. Your support and understanding during this time mean the world to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/scotland">U.K.</a> event promised attendees that they&#8217;d visit &#8220;a universe where confectionary dreams are brought to life&#8221; with &#8220;mind-expanding projections&#8221; and &#8220;wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn!&#8221;
The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/27/glasgow-willy-wonka-experience-slammed-as-farce-as-tickets-refunded?CMP=twt_b-gdnnews">reported</a> that customers instead encountered &#8220;a sparsely decorated warehouse with a scattering of plastic props, a small bouncy castle, and some backdrops pinned against the walls.&#8221; Some children cried when they saw it, the outlet noted, and things were so bad that someone called Scotland police.
&#8220;Apparently this was sold as a live Willy Wonka Experience but they used all AI images on the website to sell tickets and then people showed up and saw this and it got so bad people called the cops lmao,&#8221; one X post with more than 19 million views read.
Another post showed an event employee posing as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/viral-sad-oompa-loompa-from-bogus-willy-wonka-experience-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oompa Loompa</a>.
&#8220;The Oompa Loompa from the knock off Wonka land experience looks like she&#8217;s running a literal meth lab and is seriously questioning the life choices up until this point. If you scripted this, I would say it was too on the nose,&#8221; the caption read.
Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.

Oompa Loompa

Disastrous ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ Creators Issue Apology

Disastrous 'Willy's Chocolate Experience' Creators Issue Apology

Artificial Intelligence

Entertainment

General

World

A shrimper interest group is suing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> over a costly new rule that threatens the livelihoods of many Louisiana fisherman, the Louisiana Shrimp Association (LSA) announced Wednesday.
The LSA, in partnership with the conservative Pelican Institute, challenged a requirement by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that skimmer trawl vessels 40 feet and longer in length use Turtle Excluder Devices (TED). The devices are designed to <a href="https://www.businessreport.com/business/louisiana-shrimpers-suing-federal-government-over-turtle-protection-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help</a> sea turtles escape if caught in shrimpers nets.
“The bureaucrats who instituted this rule ignored the economic devastation it will cause to shrimpers,” Pelican Institute founder James Baehr said in a statement. “This unnecessary and unconstitutional rule is a direct attack on Louisiana livelihoods and culture.”
The new rule mandates an expensive new update to shrimpers boats, and one that is, by the data, unnecessary, the lawsuit argues.
“These [NMFS] bureaucrats ignored data showing 1) the devastating financial impact the rule would have on Louisiana shrimpers and 2) the complete lack of environmental threat facing inshore turtles – as only two documented interactions with sea turtles have occurred in 55 years and neither was harmed – and turtle nests are thriving,” said the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Wire.
In addition, the LSA filing accused the Biden administration of violating the regulatory protocol when implementing the new rule.
“Defendants have violated the [Administrative Procedures Act (APA)] by (1) failing to show the need for a new rule without any evidence that sea turtles inhabit Louisiana’s inshore waters and thereby encounter skimmer trawls, (2) refusing to consider relevant data supporting an exclusion zone for inshore waters of Louisiana despite the State of Louisiana’s request for an exclusion zone, and (3) ignoring significant industry reliance interests by the shrimpers,” the lawsuit said.
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The NMFS issued the final rule requiring TEDs in 2019, but the implementation of the rule was delayed several times. The rule was first delayed until April 1, 2021, to give time for local shrimping shops to acquire and affix the TEDs to shrimp boats. The rule was delayed again after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until August 1, 2021, to allow for travel and business restrictions.
“[D]espite a request from the Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife for the NMFS to delay the rule again in light of continuing challenges, the Defendants refused to delay the Final Rule’s effective date and Plaintiffs have paid the price,” the lawsuit states.
An NMFS economic analysis completed prior to the rule’s implementation found that “that the financial conditions for many vessels are and have been poor” and that shrimpers operate on small margins. The analysis also found that &#8220;a high number of the part-time vessels may not continue operating” after the costly new rule is put in place, according to the lawsuit.

shrimp trawler

Costly Biden Rule Threatens To Put Louisiana Shrimpers Out Of Business, Lawsuit States

Biden Administration

Louisiana

U.S.

Celebrity chef <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guy-fieri-lands-another-massive-food-network-contract-remaining-highest-paid-talent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guy Fieri</a> said he&#8217;s made it clear to his kids that they won&#8217;t have a free ride and that if they want a piece of the entertainment empire he&#8217;s created, they are going to have to come and take it from him.
The 55-year-old who created his Flavortown success on the Food Network told Fox News that he&#8217;s told his sons Hunter and Ryder that if they want success, they will have to work for it.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says, &#8216;When I die, you can expect that I&#8217;m going to die broke, and you&#8217;re going to be paying for the funeral,'&#8221; Fieri told the outlet.
&#8220;And I told my boys, none of this that we&#8217;ve been … that I&#8217;ve been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Guy Fieri refuses to leave fortune to his kids: You’ll have to ‘come and take it from me’ <a href="https://t.co/0HhHTTN4Bj">https://t.co/0HhHTTN4Bj</a> <a href="https://t.co/BHSJXneXpL">pic.twitter.com/BHSJXneXpL</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1734965538994987249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;My youngest son, Ryder, is a senior in high school getting ready to graduate, or you know, going to graduate in the spring,&#8221; Fieri continued. &#8220;And he&#8217;s like, &#8216;Dad this is so unfair. I haven&#8217;t even gone to college yet, and you&#8217;re already pushing that I&#8217;ve got to get an MBA? Can I just get through college?'&#8221;
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The celebrity chef, who won the second season of the reality show &#8220;The Next Food Network Star&#8221; in 2006 then found massive success with his &#8220;Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives&#8221; show, making it one of the network&#8217;s biggest shows.
He recently made news when he reportedly landed a multi-year contract with Food Network for over $100 million.
Fieri reportedly signed a three-year contract with the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channel, besting his previous contract with Food Network, which is estimated to be around $80 million for three years.
&nbsp;

UFC 290: Nickal v Woodburn

Guy Fieri Says He’s Told His Kids There’s No Free Ride

Celebrities

Television

Food Network star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ina Garten</a> recently revealed one of the reasons she and her husband of 55 years, Jeffrey, opted not to have children.
The “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barefoot Contessa</a>” host said her own <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childhood</a> was at least partially to blame. When asked during an interview with BBC News&#8217; Katty Kay if she chose her career over kids, Garten said while it would have been “much harder” to juggle both, that wasn’t the main driver.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s why I made the decision,&#8221; the 75-year-old celebrity chef <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/04/entertainment/ina-garten-reveals-why-she-never-had-kids-with-husband-jeffrey/">said</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m actually writing a memoir now, and I&#8217;m kind of looking back at my childhood. It was nothing I wanted to recreate.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m always looking forward. To look back and realize a lot of my decisions were based on my childhood, I think that was really the motivating factor, and Jeffrey and I were just so happy together,&#8221; Garten added. She and Jeffrey met when Garten was just 15 and got married when she was 20. 
The cookbook author has alluded to not being happy with her childhood in the past. She told Al Roker that she wasn’t “allowed” to experiment in the kitchen when she was growing up.
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&#8220;When I was growing up, I wasn&#8217;t allowed to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cook</a>,&#8221; she <a href="https://people.com/food/ina-garten-says-her-dietician-mother-didnt-let-her-cook-growing-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during an episode of Roker’s &#8220;Cooking Up a Storm&#8221; podcast in 2021. 
&#8220;I think my mother just wanted me in my room and she wanted the kitchen to herself. And so she said, &#8216;It&#8217;s your job to study, it&#8217;s my job to cook, and just get out of the kitchen.&#8217; So, I kind of always wanted to do it,&#8221; Garten continued. &#8220;And I got married when I was 20, and I think that&#8217;s when I started to think I love cooking.&#8221;
Garten is not a classically trained chef but rather learned everything on her own. &#8220;I think what I was craving as a child is connecting with people, and I felt that if you feed them, they always show up and you have a good time together. And that was the connection I loved. So, I kept doing it over and over again,&#8221; she said of discovering her passion for cooking.
She also admitted previously to having a difficult relationship with food while she was growing up due to her mother restricting what she ate. 
&#8220;My mother was obsessive about food. So, we weren&#8217;t allowed any carbs, we weren&#8217;t allowed any butter. We had margarine. … She just kind of got dinner on the table. … And her idea of a great dessert was an apple,&#8221; she <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ina-garten-at-home-with-the-barefoot-contessa/id1134154895?i=1000384601932" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during an episode of Katie Couric’s podcast “Next Question” in 2017.
&#8220;It&#8217;s the ultimate rebellion,&#8221; she added of her chosen career path.

Ina Garten

Food Network Star Ina Garten Never Had Kids Because She Didn’t Want To ‘Recreate’ Her Own Childhood

Food Network Star Ina Garten Never Had Kids Because She Didn't Want To 'Recreate' Her Own Childhood

Children

The Mayor of Flavortown has done it again, scoring a massive multi-year contract with Food Network to remain the channel&#8217;s highest-paid talent.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celebrity-chef-guy-fieri-raises-over-20-million-for-out-of-work-restaurant-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guy Fieri</a>, 55, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/guy-fieri-100-million-food-network-deal-1235810817/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> signed on to a three-year contract with the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channel for upwards of $100 million. His past contract with Food Network was estimated to be around $80 million for three years.
“For nearly two decades, Food Network has been my home and continuing to create great TV within the Warner Bros. Discovery universe is exactly where I want to be,&#8221; Fieri said, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/guy-fieri-100-million-food-network-deal-1235810817/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Variety. &#8220;Food is our most universal language so being able to unite people through highlighting chefs, restaurateurs and the folks dishing out incredible meals all over this country and world is a privilege and responsibility that I don’t take lightly.”
Warner Bros. Discovery head of food content Betsy Ayala gushed over the talent.
“Recognized everywhere he goes, there is only one Guy Fieri,” she said. “Guy’s love of food, restaurants, and the chefs behind the dishes, combined with his extraordinary passion for crafting series with stories that resonate make extending this partnership a clear choice in our mission to deliver to viewers more of what they love.”
The host will continue with hits like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives&#8221; and &#8220;Guy’s Grocery Games&#8221; and develop other projects for the network through his production company, Knuckle Sandwich LLC.
Generally, Fieri is universally loved at a time when many celebrities have merged their public identities with politics. The Food Network star has refused to comment on politics directly, once <a href="https://www.avclub.com/the-unknowable-guy-fieri-pandemic-folk-hero-and-politi-1847588586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> in an interview that this has &#8220;allowed fans to project whatever they want onto him&#8221; &#8212; something that doesn&#8217;t bother him.
He&#8217;s also been involved in vital charity work. For example, during the early days of the pandemic, Fieri <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celebrity-chef-guy-fieri-raises-over-20-million-for-out-of-work-restaurant-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked</a> with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation to raise $25 million for the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. The fund provided grants to out-of-work restaurant employees.
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This past summer, however, some on the Left erupted with anger at Fieri being cordial with former President Donald Trump at a UFC match in Las Vegas.
&#8220;Trump in Flavor Town,&#8221; conservative Benny Johnson captioned a picture of the two men.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump in Flavor Town 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/s4ULf5bX4F">pic.twitter.com/s4ULf5bX4F</a>
&mdash; Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1677870801763090432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In reaction, the online food magazine Eater quickly <a href="https://www.eater.com/23789874/guy-fieri-donald-trump-ufc-drama" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a piece titled, &#8220;Of Course, Guy Fieri Was Nice to Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;Many Fieri fans are furious, speculating about his (Fieri&#8217;s) politics and wondering if he was secretly sympathetic to Trump and everything he stands for this whole time,&#8221; the piece said. The magazine noted that Fieri generally stays out of politics but added that the &#8220;apolitical facade has occasionally slipped.&#8221;
For Fieri&#8217;s part, the host refused to weigh in on the supposed controversy.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celebrity-chef-guy-fieri-raises-over-20-million-for-out-of-work-restaurant-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri Raises Over $20 Million For Out-Of-Work Restaurant Employees</a>

Guy Fieri Lands Another Massive Food Network Contract, Remaining Highest-Paid Talent

Guy Fieri Lands Another Massive Food Network Contract, Remains Highest-Paid Talent

The family of a woman named Sarah Katz has filed a lawsuit against bakery and fast food restaurant chain <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Panera Bread</a> after they say their 21-year-old daughter died following the consumption of a Panera Charged Lemonade while unaware of how much caffeine it contained.
Katz was diagnosed with a condition called Long QT, a heart rhythm disorder, when she was five years old, and according to family and friends, avoided high amounts of caffeine.
“She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe,” Victoria Conroy, Katz&#8217;s former roommate, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/panera-lawsuit-charged-lemonade-sarah-katz-death-rcna120785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News. “I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.”
On September 10, 2022, Katz ordered a Charged Lemonade with her Panera Sip Club membership, believing the drink was a traditional lemonade, the lawsuit claims. Several hours later, Katz suffered cardiac arrest at a friend&#8217;s birthday gathering; she was taken to a hospital and suffered cardiac arrest a second time, which was fatal.
The family says Panera neglected to sufficiently warn customers that the drinks contain a high amount of caffeine, arguing that the word &#8220;charged&#8221; can be associated with electrolytes and not necessarily caffeine.
“Defendants [Panera] knew or should have known that the Panera Charged Lemonade, as designed and formulated, once consumed, could injure children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people sensitive to caffeine — including those with underlying heart problems — by causing catastrophic injuries and/or death,” the suit claims.
Katz, according to the suit, ordered a large Charged Lemonade on the day of her death, noting that the drink contains <a href="https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/app/product/9a24831f340edaf1ab6ac210f13341c7.html">390 mg</a> of caffeine, in addition to a high amount of sugar and another stimulant. The Charged Lemonade has significantly more caffeine than some standard energy drinks. A regular <a href="https://www.celsius.com/essential-facts/#:~:text=CELSIUS%20Original%20contains%20200%20mg%20of%20caffeine%20per%20can.">can</a> of CELSIUS, for example, contains 200 mg of caffeine, a <a href="https://www.redbull.com/us-en/energydrink/how-much-caffeine-is-in-a-can-of-red-bull" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can</a> of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, and a <a href="https://www.monsterenergy.com/en-af/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can</a> of Monster Energy contains 160 mg of caffeine. According to the FDA, 400 mg of caffeine is generally safe for consumption, per day.
NBC News reported this past week that a medical examiner’s report showed that the 21-year-old&#8217;s cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia due to Long QT syndrome, though the report does not mention the Panera drink as a contributing factor. Katz had no drugs in her system at the time she was brought to the hospital.
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As of Saturday, Panera has the following description on its website for its Charged Lemonades: &#8220;Naturally flavored, plant-based, with about as much CAFFEINE as our Dark Roast Coffee. Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.&#8221;
The company has said in a statement that it&#8217;s &#8220;very saddened&#8221; to learn of Katz&#8217;s &#8220;tragic passing.&#8221; &#8220;Our hearts go out to her family,” a Panera spokesperson said. “At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients.”
A <a href="https://ahatribute.funraise.org/fundraiser/sarahkatz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tribute fundraiser</a> for Katz on the American Heart Association&#8217;s website describes Katz as the &#8220;the sweetest, smartest, most empathetic and driven person whose kindness touched the lives of everyone.&#8221;
&#8220;Since 2011, Sarah served as Red Cap Ambassador with the American Heart Association, teaching CPR in high schools and underserved communities,&#8221; the fundraiser reads. &#8220;During her first year at Penn, she worked as a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she introduced a bill to Pennsylvania state legislators advocating that all Pennsylvania schools become certified &#8216;heart safe&#8217; spaces. She returned to campus this semester eager to begin working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a health communications intern.&#8221;
“We are devastated by this tragic passing of our beloved Sarah,&#8221; Katz&#8217;s parents shared in a statement. &#8220;She loved the University of Pennsylvania so much and was so happy and thriving. Sarah was fully engaged in so many aspects of campus life, academics, clubs, socially, and through internships. Words cannot express how much of a loss we are feeling.”

Sarah Katz

21-Year-Old Woman With Heart Condition Dies After Drinking Panera ‘Charged Lemonade,’ Family Lawsuit Claims

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