Parents just got another reason to side-eye the toy aisle.
One popular squeeze toy sold at Walmart and Ollie&#8217;s Bargain Outlet is now being <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Orb-Funkee-Squeeze-Toys-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Asbestos-Exposure-Imported-by-The-Orb-Factory">recalled</a> over something that sounds straight out of a nightmare: asbestos.
More than 120,000 Orb Funkee squeeze toys are being pulled from shelves after officials warned on Thursday that the sand packed inside certain models may contain tremolite asbestos, a dangerous mineral linked to serious lung diseases and cancer.
Yes, we’re talking about a children’s squishy toy.
The recall specifically impacts certain “Funkee Monkee” squeeze toys sold nationwide between February 2025 and April 2026, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
And while, thankfully, no kids have reportedly been hurt so far, the warning itself is enough to make a lot of parents do a double take.
Officials say the danger comes if the toy breaks open and kids inhale particles from the sand filling inside. Asbestos exposure has long been associated with severe health problems, including lung scarring, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
In other words, not exactly the kind of thing parents expect to hear about a toy monkey sitting in a playroom.
The recalled products include both a large gold Funkee Monkee toy and several smaller colorful versions. Parents are being urged to immediately take the toys away from children and stop using them altogether.
<div id="attachment_1100395" style="width: 1450px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1100395" class="wp-image-1100395 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/orb-toy-recall.webp" alt="" width="1440" height="810" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/orb-toy-recall.webp 1440w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/orb-toy-recall-300x169.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/orb-toy-recall-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/orb-toy-recall-768x432.webp 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" />The recalled Orb Funkee squeeze toys may contain fibrous tremolite (asbestos) in the sand, which can cause adverse health issues if inhaled. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)</div>
And the cleanup instructions honestly make the situation sound even worse.
If the toy has ruptured and any sand leaked out, consumers are being told to wear gloves and a mask while cleaning it up, use damp cloths to avoid spreading particles into the air, then double-bag everything, including the toy, cloths, gloves, and even the mask itself.
That is a real instruction tied to a children’s toy.
The company behind the product, The Orb Factory, is offering refunds. Customers are being instructed to place the toy into a sealed heavy-duty plastic bag, tape it shut, and send a photo to the company to receive reimbursement.
The affected toys reportedly sold for anywhere between $5 and $40.
Parents can identify recalled models by checking for the date code “3102491A,” which appears on the hand of the large monkey toy or on the back of the smaller versions.
And honestly, stories like this are becoming way too common lately.
Between toy recalls, contaminated snacks, and household products suddenly getting pulled over health concerns, parents increasingly feel like they need a hazmat team just to survive a trip to the store.
This time, though, officials are making one thing crystal clear: if your child has one of these squeeze toys, get it out of the house immediately.

Nothing Says ‘Fun Children’s Toy’ Quite Like An Asbestos Warning

Recall

Toys

Walmart

Police in Omaha, Nebraska, shot and killed a woman who slashed the face of a 3-year-old boy during a kidnapping attempt at Walmart on Tuesday, authorities said.
The attacker, who authorities have not identified, was confronted by police just outside of the Walmart as she was holding a knife to the young child, who was sitting in a shopping cart, Omaha Police Deputy Chief Scott Gray said. The woman refused verbal commands from the officers and then slashed the 3-year-old boy across the face before at least one officer opened fire and killed her.
The toddler was taken to the hospital after suffering &#8220;a rather large laceration across the left side of the face,&#8221; according to the deputy police chief. Authorities believe the young boy will survive. No one else was injured in the kidnapping attempt or the shooting.
&#8220;The officers gave the suspect commands,&#8221; Gray said. &#8220;There is video that shows the suspect swiping the knife at the child, cutting him across the face.&#8221;
Police said the child&#8217;s &#8220;caretaker&#8221; was shopping at Walmart with the toddler seated in a shopping cart when she was confronted by the suspect, who was armed with a large knife, which investigators believe she stole from the store, ABC&#8217;s Omaha affiliate KETV <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-walmart-shooting-officers-kill-woman-kidnapping/71015802">reported</a>. The perpetrator then allegedly snatched the child from the caretaker, &#8220;essentially kidnapping the child,&#8221; and ordered the caretaker to walk in front of the shopping cart as they exited the store. The woman held a knife up to the child as they walked.
After walking out of the store, the two women had a verbal &#8220;back and forth&#8221; before police arrived on the scene at around 9:20 a.m. local time, Gray said. Authorities do not believe that the attacker and the caretaker knew each other, adding that it remains unclear why the perpetrator targeted the woman and the young boy. It is also not known whether the caretaker was the child&#8217;s mother or someone else.

Walmart/Police

Every Parent’s Nightmare Inside Walmart Ends With A Split-Second Decision

Crime

kidnapping

Nebraska

Police

When one thinks of Whole Foods, one might think of its selection of cheeses and organic yet processed offerings. Perhaps one thinks of the pizza and all-natural deodorants and lotions. Maybe one thinks of the patchouli that struggles to mask the aroma that comes with all-natural deodorants. (If so, you’re <a href="https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/grocery/search?k=patchouli">out of luck</a>, though parent company Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=patchouli&amp;crid=3K7552CU37UUZ&amp;sprefix=patchouli%2Caps%2C236&amp;ref=nb_sb_noss_1">has you covered</a>.) 
What you most likely do not think of, though, is jail. This is a mistake for, unlike patchouli, when it comes to being detained, Whole Foods is <a href="https://www.curbed.com/article/whole-foods-theft-shoplifting-wealthy-new-yorkers.html">there for you</a>. 
When talking about Walmart or Target, theft is a given. If your local supercenter switches back and forth from self-checkout to human checkers, theft — or shrink, as it’s known in the retail world — is the real reason. It’s just so easy to bag a few items that didn’t get scanned.
Shrink is one of the prices of doing business. Its presence is factored into budgets, both in expected amount and the cost of hiring people to thwart it. General employees are instructed to ignore it thanks to America’s surplus of lawyers. Instead, as is done in Whole Foods, you deploy specialists to combat the problem. 
This isn’t new. Back in the mid ‘90s, when I worked at Hastings Books, Music, and Video, which for the younger readers was one of the various places people could go to buy books and music and rent videos before streaming was a thing, we knew our most prolific shoplifters. We could never catch them in the act, though, so they were free to steal with impunity. We didn’t have a Mike, as the Fort Greene Whole Foods does, but we had a Toni. Toni, a former state trooper, never caught them either. It didn’t help that they were certain traveling people who only came through periodically.
There were also teenagers who couldn’t afford the latest from Wu-Tang Clan. They were sporadic and small potatoes, though, unlike those who preferred to steal CDs that they would later sell back to us a few months later when they swung back through the area. Most importantly, all of them knew they were stealing. There was no rationalization.
For those who end up in Whole Foods jail, it’s all rationalization. It’s not that they can’t necessarily afford “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlqB8jARITw">Bonestorm</a>,” it’s that, like punching someone in the dark, they view shoplifting as a victimless crime. This isn’t exactly shocking coming from a collective that thinks Bernie Sanders is correct about <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/thinkprogress-attacks-sanders-for-changing-rhetoric-on-millionaires-after-he-becomes-one/">millionaires — make that billionaires</a>, doesn’t understand that assets aren’t necessarily walking around money, and just really needs a sushi tray before therapy. 
The therapist, presumably, does not get stiffed, though this piece in <a href="https://www.curbed.com/article/whole-foods-theft-shoplifting-wealthy-new-yorkers.html">Curbed</a> on Whole Foods jail doesn’t specify. (Journalism is dead.):
<blockquote>For years, she had thought of the California rolls, brownies, and protein shakes she stole as a kind of artist’s subsidy while she got her own practice off the ground. But on this particular day, her luck had run out. Astrid was late for therapy and hadn’t eaten, so she stopped in for a quick lunch. As usual, she began her meal in-store, moving toward the door with confidence, while ripping open a sushi tray. Soy-sauce packet between her teeth, one foot out the door, she felt a hand on her arm.</blockquote>
As with all the people mentioned in the piece, Astrid is a pseudonym. Her story is amazing. California rolls, brownies, and protein shakes are not exactly sustenance foods. She could have stolen bananas, which I am not condoning, even as some extoll <a href="https://x.com/jarvis_best/status/2032115230428577809">the benefits of shoplifting</a>, which are super healthy and also low cost, but no, Astrid had to go elite. This also gets to the other problems with this attitude.
First, shrink is really <a href="https://x.com/KelseyTuoc/status/2031855465626476651">detrimental to business</a>. In the early days of Walmart, founder Sam Walton gathered a group of store associates around him early one morning. He had a coffee can with $1 in pennies in it. He starts taking pennies out for overhead, utilities, merchandise, payroll, and the other obvious costs of doing business. When he was done with those, only four pennies remained. He then took two of those, explaining that those two cents represented shrink, meaning that despite starting with a dollar, profits only equaled two cents.
Walmart famously operates on razor-thin profit margins, usually in the 2-3% range, though. What about Whole Foods? Surely hippie Walmart is pulling <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-aapl-net-profit-margin-021910677.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAISnplhmtBjdDa40Y2mOHblKTAuhqObCSV4ECnIsB-TqrZz-KPPz5N_-oqrQl61gnqA0SfK787vzWrLnfc2KS_jnv-WQ0DVsKNWhXIF_X1PQDVzzCaaxnzJE_y1PCIVidLFanX4fAjJQz6FR21OTPNURAqIoy-yXr3ngGRNqhTxd">Apple-esque numbers</a>, right? Wrong! Whole Foods is operating on … razor-thin profit margins comparable to Walmart. Stealing eye cream, sushi trays, tuna rolls, soft French cheeses, steaks, and the like means the company has to pass its increased costs onto paying customers. In other words, if you see something, say something.
The other, and to my mind larger, problem with hipster heists is there is a much better solution, especially for those who are presumably concerned about food waste, climate change, and inequality: dumpster diving.
And look, I get it, dumpster diving isn’t as sexy as committing crime, but it is victimless. You don’t even have to call it dumpster diving. Just become a <a href="https://freegan.info/">freegan</a> and really lean into “strategies for sustainable living beyond capitalism.” Commit, people! It may even provide your life with enough meaning to get you out of therapy.
Will you have to learn to live with bread that’s maybe a little stale, not that I’ve ever had a prototypical freegan give me such a loaf, or strawberries that are a little mushy. Toast the bread. Enjoy fruit when it’s at its sweetest. Wonder why you didn’t go dumpster diving with and learn from your anti-capitalist acquaintance who’s now building a <a href="https://www.vastspace.com/">private for-profit space station</a>.
You can start tonight. And it won’t even require you to give up Whole Foods, though I’d steer clear of the sushi if I were you. The cover of darkness may be required to become a successful freegan, but if you fly too close to the sashimi, you’re going to feel that punch to your stomach.
* * *
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/47LCsh6lIWl7w1hJk7yhQc">Cookin&#8217; Up a Story</a> podcast. You can also follow him on X: @rcromwell4
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Whole lotta trouble

Whole Foods Has Its Own ‘Jail’ For Shoplifters — Just Ask The Sushi Thief

Food

Opinion

shoplifting

Social Issues

Whole Foods

Firestorm Over Food Stamps Erupts With Funds Set to Expire

The EBT Scam Just Went From Bad To Worse

Amazon

Democrats

Federal Government

Food Stamps

Matt Walsh

Welfare

In a sweeping shift to align with the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, grocery giant Walmart will drop synthetic dyes and more than 30 other additives — including artificial sweeteners and preservatives — from all of its store brands.
Walmart&#8217;s brands, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and Bettergoods, are all getting the MAHA makeover, according to the retailer. The changes will affect more than 1,000 products, including salty snacks, sweet treats, salad dressings, and power drinks.
The reformulated products are expected to hit the shelves within a matter of months, and all changes are anticipated to be fully implemented by January 2027.
&#8220;Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we&#8217;ve listened,&#8221; Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/10/01/walmart-u-s-moves-to-eliminate-synthetic-dyes-across-all-private-brand-food-products">said</a>. &#8220;By eliminating synthetic dyes and other ingredients, we’re reinforcing our promise to deliver affordable food that families can feel good about.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-246585">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
The changes are expected to have a significant impact on the American family, as Walmart plays a massive role in national grocery shopping. Just last year, the company netted $276 billion in grocery sales, for example.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who&#8217;s viewed as the figurehead of the MAHA movement, has been working with private companies to end the use of synthetic food dyes and other controversial additives. So far, major companies like PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, and Sam&#8217;s Club, among others, have signed on to the mission.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸 MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!
The Trump Administration delivers on MAHA: Dozens of ice cream brands drop artificial colors, joining major companies in improving our food supply! 💪⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/NdR4u4pAya">pic.twitter.com/NdR4u4pAya</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1945156962183749905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
In addition to working with major food brands, HHS has teamed up with the Department of Agriculture to limit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food stamp</a> purchases to healthier options, generally cutting out sugary drinks and candy.
So far, at least a dozen states have had waivers authorized by Agriculture Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-amnesty-trump-usda-chief-address-deportations-of-illegal-farm-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooke Rollins</a> to make the changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Back in August, Kennedy reaffirmed his message that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for unhealthy foods like soda and candy, which he says are fueling the obesity epidemic in the United States and making Americans sick.
“We are spending $405 million a day on SNAP and about 10% is going to sugary drinks, and if you add candies to that, it’s about 13-17%,&#8221; he said.
“We all believe in free choice,” the secretary emphasized. “We live in a democracy — people can make their own choice about what they are going to buy and what they are not going to buy. If you want to buy a sugary soda, you should be able to do that, but the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it.”
“U.S. taxpayers should not be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes,” RFK added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. says he is officially moving to BAN food stamps from being used for soda
FINALLY!
&#8220;The U.S. Taxpayer should NOT be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes.&#8221;
&#8220;We are spending $405 MILLION a day on SNAP..… <a href="https://t.co/jjsmZ8DrGE">pic.twitter.com/jjsmZ8DrGE</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1952449669163839580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-maha-wins-12-states-cutting-soda-candy-from-food-stamps">More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps</a>

US-ECONOMY-EARNINGS-WALMART

Major MAHA Win: Walmart Cuts Dyes And Dangerous Additives From Store Brands

brooke rollins

Business

Health

MAHA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The man charged with wounding 11 people in a mass stabbing attack at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart, on Saturday afternoon was identified by authorities as 42-year-old Bradford James Gille.
Gille, a resident of Afton, Michigan — which is around 90 miles northeast of Traverse City — was charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder, Up North Live <a href="https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/sheriff-seeks-terrorism-charges-for-man-after-walmart-stabbing-traverse-11-munson-grand-garfield-victims">reported</a>. During a press conference on Sunday, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea said that Gille has a history of assault incidents and controlled substance violations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
42-year-old Bradford James Gille has been charged with terrorism following Walmart mass-stabbing in Traverse City. <a href="https://t.co/FUj60xl3bl">pic.twitter.com/FUj60xl3bl</a>
&mdash; Senator Aric Nesbitt (@SenAricNesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAricNesbitt/status/1949553786327859556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The sheriff <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/27/walmart-stabbing-traverse-city-bystanders-video-suspect/85395345007/">said</a> that bystanders who stepped in to stop the attack &#8220;were absolutely instrumental in preventing further injuries [or] potential casualties.&#8221; Video posted by Up North Live showed a group of bystanders gathered around the suspect in the parking lot after the attack, with one man holding a gun up to the suspect, yelling at him to &#8220;drop the knife.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bystanders confront suspect after 11 stabbed at Traverse City Walmart" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tBIeEFQ3TYE?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>
According to some reports, the good guy with the gun was identified as Derick Perry, who witnesses saw charging after the attacker and holding him until law enforcement arrived just a few minutes later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Hero Alert🚨 Derrick Perry and many others yet to be named answered the bell when called upon while shopping at TC Walmart. We’re offering these heroes free Iron Pig for life. These folks were the real first responders the other day. Amazing courage, and outstanding restraint.… <a href="https://t.co/eeh1IEqEvu">pic.twitter.com/eeh1IEqEvu</a>
&mdash; Iron Pig Smokehouse (@ironpigsmoke) <a href="https://twitter.com/ironpigsmoke/status/1949547637905981928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another man, 39-year-old Matt Kolakowski, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/27/us/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-michigan-wwk-hnk">CNN</a> that he was with his brother and 13-year-old daughter at Walmart when the attacker started his rampage. Kolakowski, a Marine, said his instincts kicked in and he jumped into action.
“I thought to myself, ‘Well, I don’t got no weapon, so what am I going to do?’ So, I just grabbed an empty grocery cart and just took off after him as hard as I could,” he said.
Kolakowski said he saw the attacker stab one man in the shoulder and a woman in the back as they were running from the store.
“He was screaming something about him being a soldier, and that everybody in Walmart were bad people,” Kolakowski said of the suspect. “His eyes were just bulging out of his head.”
Sheriff Shea said that Gille used a 3.5-inch &#8220;folding knife,&#8221; stabbing people near the checkout line at random. Only the ages and sexes of the victims have been released. Six men and five women were wounded in the attack, with the oldest victim being an 84-year-old woman and the youngest being a 29-year-old woman. One of the victims was a Walmart employee.
Four of the victims remain in serious condition and seven are in fair condition, Munson Healthcare said on Sunday, according to <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/27/walmart-stabbing-traverse-city-bystanders-video-suspect/85395345007/">The Detroit Free Press</a>. The Sunday update from the hospital is a positive development after six victims were described as being in critical condition and five were in serious condition after the attack.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office

Walmart Mass Stabbing Suspect Identified, Charged With Terrorism

attack

Michigan

Stabbing

Terrorism

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed Walmart CEO Doug McMillon’s “draconian” tariff warning on Sunday, stating the retail giant will absorb some costs and may pass other price increases on to consumers, following a direct conversation between the two.
Bessent shared the development on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; after McMillon announced last week that tariffs would lead to higher prices at Walmart, prompting President Donald Trump to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eat-the-tariffs-trump-unloads-on-walmart-ceo-for-saying-hes-raising-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn against</a> it.
&#8220;I did speak to Doug McMillon, who I have a very good relationship [with], yesterday, just to understand what he had to say,&#8221; Bessent told anchor Jake Tapper. &#8220;And understand that came from an earnings call. On an earnings call, because of SEC requirements, they have to give the most draconian case. So Walmart will be absorbing some of the tariffs. Some may get passed on to consumers.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;But the other thing that&#8217;s happening is that inflation is down. We had the first drop in inflation in four years under President Trump. The other thing that Doug mentioned to me is, for his consumers, for his buyers, the most important thing are gasoline prices. And this administration has gotten gasoline prices down. Service prices are down. So, overall, I would expect inflation to remain in line. But I don&#8217;t blame consumers for being skittish after what happened to them four years under [President Joe] Biden. We had the worst inflation in 40 years.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Bessent: &#8220;Walmart will be absorbing some of the tariffs. Some may get passed on to consumers.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/QhpOfIMsim">pic.twitter.com/QhpOfIMsim</a>
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1924092180613759120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McMillon shared his forecast for prices during an earnings call on Thursday, alluding to a breakthrough in negotiations in which the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-china-release-details-of-agreement-to-dramatically-slash-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lowered</a> tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% down to 30% for 90 days while trade discussions continue between the world&#8217;s two largest economies.
&#8220;We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins,” McMillon <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/content/dam/corporate/documents/newsroom/2025/05/15/walmart-releases-q1-fy26-earnings/q1-fy26-earnings-call-transcript.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, adding later: &#8220;We&#8217;re positioned to manage the cost pressure from tariffs as well or better than anyone. But even at the reduced levels, the higher tariffs will result in higher prices.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114523638623110397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> Saturday in a post on Truth Social.
&#8220;Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!&#8221;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Bessent Speaks To Walmart CEO, Dismisses ‘Draconian’ Forecast On Tariffs

China

Donald Trump

Economy

Scott Bessent

Tariffs

U.S.

President Donald Trump on Saturday told Walmart CEO Doug McMillon not to raise prices for Americans, but to instead &#8220;eat the tariffs.&#8221;
Trump recently dropped tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% down to 30%, but this week, McMillion said Walmart still could not absorb the extra costs, and will have to increase prices.
&#8220;Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,&#8221; the president posted on Truth Social. &#8220;Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected.&#8221;
&#8220;Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, &#8216;EAT THE TARIFFS,&#8217; and not charge valued customers ANYTHING,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!&#8221;
McMillon made comments about having to raise prices, specifically over tariffs on China, during an earnings call on Thursday.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmaqx46zq00193b6mokd0s1nm@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.&#8221;
“The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” McMillon added.
<div id="attachment_921641" style="width: 933px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-921641" class="wp-image-921641 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-923x576.jpg" alt="Walmart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon delivers a keynote address during CES 2024 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on January 9, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada." width="923" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-923x576.jpg 923w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-300x187.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381-768x479.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-1921426381.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px" />Ethan Miller/Getty Images</div>
There have been mixed reactions online to Trump&#8217;s demand for Walmart to &#8220;eat&#8221; the extra costs. Some have noted that Trump had previously suggested that China would likely &#8220;eat&#8221; the extra costs themselves.
However, others, like journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon, railed against Walmart for hurting Americans while she said they &#8220;brag&#8221; about being a pro-American corporation.
“This is absolutely unacceptable and infuriating,&#8221; Ungar-Sargon said on Fox News airwaves this week, following McMillon&#8217;s comments. &#8220;Walmart walks around bragging that 75% of the products that they sell are made here in the United States. Why are you raising prices?&#8221;
&#8220;Do you know what Walmart’s yearly profits were last year? 169 billion dollars,&#8221; Ungar-Sargon continued. &#8220;Don’t raise prices. Support the president, support the agenda, support the American working class.”
Ungar-Sargon added that she doesn&#8217;t see these potential price hikes as &#8220;political,&#8221; but more about &#8220;rampant greed.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon warns that they will be raising prices in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Shoppers will likely see price increases toward the end of May and more in June.
Batya Ungar-Sargon: “This is absolutely unacceptable and infuriating. Walmart walks around… <a href="https://t.co/JpONWTgQRE">pic.twitter.com/JpONWTgQRE</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1923354165436195059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-wholesale-prices-see-biggest-drop-in-5-years-flying-in-the-face-of-economists-predictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Wholesale Prices See Biggest Drop In 5 Years, Flying In The Face Of Economists’ Predictions</a>

‘EAT THE TARIFFS’: Trump Unloads On Walmart CEO For Saying He’s Raising Prices

Communist China

Politics

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) confirmed it has closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DEI</a>) office following President Donald Trump’s executive order to remove DEI from the federal government. 
In a statement from a PBS spokesperson to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/pbs-closes-dei-office-trump-executive-order-1236132553/">The </a><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/pbs-closes-dei-office-trump-executive-order-1236132553/">Hollywood Reporte</a><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/pbs-closes-dei-office-trump-executive-order-1236132553/">r</a>, the publicly funded nonprofit organization’s rep said, “In order to best ensure we are in compliance with the President’s executive order around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion we have closed our DEI office.”
“The staff members who served in that office are leaving PBS,” it added. “We will continue to adhere to our mission and values. PBS will continue to reflect all of America and remain a welcoming place for everyone.”
In a DEI report in Feb. 2023, the broadcast network said it had opened a DEI office in 2022 and staffed it, led by DEI head Cecilia Loving and DEI director Gina Leow. In the report, it said the company had reached a workforce of 44 percent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color.)
Last month, Trump signed the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/">executive order</a> “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEl Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” placing all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officials on paid leave, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-to-put-all-federal-dei-officials-on-leave-by-end-of-day-tomorrow">reported</a>.
“The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military,” the order said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SCOOP: PBS quietly shut down its DEI office and let go of its two top DEI executives—just hours after our Free Press reporter started asking questions. What happened? <a href="https://t.co/Arb98f15su">https://t.co/Arb98f15su</a>
— The Free Press (@TheFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFP/status/1889309215866454448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
In a separate executive order, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ends-equity-in-federal-hiring-promises-to-only-focus-on-merit">said</a> that the government would no longer consider goals like “equity” when hiring but prioritize based on skills, experience, and patriotism.
“Federal hiring should not be based on impermissible factors, such as one’s commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of ‘equity,’ or one’s commitment to the invented concept of ‘gender identity’ over sex,” the order added.  “Inserting such factors into the hiring process subverts the will of the People, puts critical government functions at risk, and risks losing the best-qualified candidates.”
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/yamiche/status/1881897181189214714?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">said</a> at the time. “This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept,” she added about Trump’s EO to end DEI.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nfl-to-remove-end-racism-message-in-super-bowl-end-zones-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL To Remove ‘End Racism’ Message In Super Bowl End Zones: Report</a>

In this photo illustration the Public Broadcasting Service (

PBS Confirms The Closure Of Its DEI Office

Celebrities

Disney

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Entertainment

Hollywood

Target

Two major retailers confirmed this week that they do not sell a popular abortion pill, despite pressure from Democratic officials to do so. 
Both Kroger and Sam’s Club confirmed to The Daily Wire that they do not offer mifepristone for sale after screenshots posted online last month appeared to show the life-ending drug available for purchase. Mifepristone is now used in over half of all abortions and has been used <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the country to bypass</a> pro-life protections in Republican-led states. 
The controversy emerged last month after pro-life organization Live Action <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/kroger-sams-club-third-party-vendors-abortion-pill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that both Kroger and Sam’s Club had mifepristone, which is estimated to be used in over half of abortions, advertised on their websites. 
An <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241213171505/https://www.krogerhealthsavings.com/drug/Mifepristone?q=Mifepristone%20(Mifeprex)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">archived</a> page from December 18 on Kroger’s website shows mifepristone listed for sale. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-855077" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM.png" alt="" width="2575" height="1125" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM.png 2575w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-300x131.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-1024x447.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-768x336.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-1536x671.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-2048x895.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2575px) 100vw, 2575px" /></div>
The company later told Live Action and The Washington Stand that the listing was a mistake. The retailer confirmed to The Daily Wire that it had never sold mifepristone, and that it was reviewing the FDA&#8217;s guidelines for the drug.
“Kroger Family of Pharmacies are reviewing the FDA&#8217;s updated Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy drug safety program,” a company spokesman said. “We will continue to align our dispensing practices with applicable federal and state laws.” 
Another screenshot from Live Action showed that Sam’s Club appeared to also have mifepristone for sale on its website. The company, a division of Walmart, also said the posting was made in error. 
“Regarding reports about details on our website, we use a third-party vendor to aggregate medication pricing, and their tool provided incorrect information,” a company spokesman told The Daily Wire. 
The acknowledgment comes after a group of conservative and Christian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-investors-urge-retail-giants-not-to-sell-widely-used-abortion-drug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shareholders organized</a> by the Alliance Defending Freedom urged Kroger, Walmart, Costco, and other retailers not to sell the life-ending drug. This campaign came after New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said that retailers should make the abortion drug available. 
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25</a>
Jeremy Tedesco, the senior vice president of corporate engagement for Alliance Defending Freedom, celebrated the news, saying that it was a “great outcome” and that it could be a “really significant” change in how corporations deal with politically-charged issues. 
He told The Daily Wire that abortion activists were “trying to co-opt the companies to advance their abortion agenda, regardless of what the law says. They want these companies to make abortion pills as widely available as possible.”
Tedesco added that until recently ”only the Left shows up for these battles with the corporations” but now conservatives&#8217; push to directly engage with companies was making a difference. 
He said that conservatives should want to neutralize companies on the issue of abortion, and that the companies should just focus on providing quality products. 
“The Left’s primary goal in all of this is to make the political process irrelevant by regulating all through what corporations do and how they behave,” he said. 
Alliance Defending Freedom has yet to receive any response from the companies it wrote to.

A sign for Sam’s Club is seen at the entrance to the members

Major Retailers Confirm They Are Not Selling Abortion Drug Despite Democrat Pressure

Abortion

Abortion Drug

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Pro-Life Movement

Wokeness

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/walmart">Walmart</a> is going <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/viral-video">viral</a> for introducing a dupe of a designer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fashion">handbag</a>, which has already sold out and inspired an array of reactions online.
The handbag is designed like a luxury Hermès Birkin bag, a status symbol that retails for a minimum of $2,000 to over $2 million, depending on the materials and exclusivity. According to CNN, Most Birkins cost between $26,500 and $399,999.
The new Walmart version, which some shoppers call a “Wirkin,” costs around $78. A dupe is different from a knockoff because it isn’t a counterfeit item, but is instead designed in the same style as a more expensive item. In the case of the Walmart handbag, the shape and hardware are similar, but it doesn’t include Birkin’s signature logo.
Social media helped the bag gain popularity. On December 19, TikTok user @styledbykristi posted a clip about her purchase of the BESTSPR Platinum Lychee Tote. Since then, that clip has racked up more than 8.1 million views.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@styledbykristi/video/7450220057646501166" data-video-id="7450220057646501166">
<section><a title="@styledbykristi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@styledbykristi?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@styledbykristi</a> Walmart Birkin. Thanks for the recommendation @Jessi My <a title="♬ original sound - StyledByKristi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7450220013480413998?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; StyledByKristi</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
“It’s real leather, and I paid $80 for it,” the content creator says in the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@styledbykristi/video/7450220057646501166">video</a> as she unwraps the Kelly green bag. “She’s so pretty!”
“(For) $80, you can pretend that you got a Birkin,” she continued. “I mean, everyone will probably know it’s not because who the hell has the money to spend on the real Birkin? Not me.”
Former “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel added to the conversation, saying the controversy is “fascinating.”
“A person who couldn’t afford a Birkin could have gone to Chinatown or bought a bag on the gate, but then they would seem fraudulent,” Frankel <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bethennyfrankel/video/7453467932346076458?lang=en">said in a TikTok</a> posted on December 28. “People would call them out.”
She continued, “Walmart has given them entry. It’s a similar shape. This one is more functional. And you are allowed to do this. You’re not fronting, and you’re not stunting.”
Frankel said the only people upset about the bag’s existence are those who obsess over appearances.
“The intellectual property issue is another story we’ll get into, but this is basically the mob storming the castle saying, ‘We’re here too, b****, deal with it. You guys flaunted it and made it seem like we never get to be part of this, and now we get to be part of this fair and square,’” she said. “And the people that are going to be pissed off about are a**holes because they are not interesting people and flexing a bag is the most interesting thing about them.”

Birkin bag

Walmart Goes Viral For Introducing Hermès Birkin Bag Dupe: ‘Not Fronting…Not Stunting’

Walmart Goes Viral For Introducing Hermès Birkin Bag Dupe: 'Not Fronting...Not Stunting'

Fashion

TikTok

viral video

“DEI isn’t actually dead,” proclaimed a recent CNN headline, in a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/17/business/dei-isnt-actually-dead/index.html">piece</a> by consumer reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn that somehow managed to be both condescending and ignorant at the same time. CNN would like you to believe corporate diversity isn’t really going anywhere, just changing its external terminology from the oft-maligned term “DEI” to more nebulous terms like “belonging” and “inclusivity,” while maintaining all of its internal elements.
Personally, I both love and hate this piece and the viewpoint it belies. I love that CNN actually believes the DEI skeptic coalition — made up of many serious investors, dedicated state fiduciaries, and corporate engagement professionals — is naive enough to just go away because companies changed the names of their diversity departments. But I also hate that CNN’s dream scenario might actually happen. Let me explain.
The ball’s rolling. This year was a major step towards undoing the damage done by discriminatory diversity initiatives and rejecting the radicalism of much of modern &#8220;anti-racism.&#8221; And it&#8217;s not even just Trump’s victory (although America’s rejection of Kamala Harris is a lesson DEI advocates seem unwilling to learn). Thanks to the efforts of conservative activists like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-caves-massive-retailer-the-next-woke-domino-to-fall-under-pressure-from-robby-starbuck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robby Starbuck</a>, there is a growing list of companies walking back, slashing, or in some cases altogether removing their DEI initiatives.
There&#8217;s also the ever-growing wave of scrutiny on the discriminatory elements of DEI coming from <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/adf-calls-corporations-ditch-dei-policies-light-2024-election/">legal groups</a> like Alliance Defending Freedom, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-state-treasurers-investors-urge-major-companies-to-drop-discriminatory-dei-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financial officers</a> in red states, and of course the shareholders we represent every day in the corporate engagement world.
The halls of American academia are following suit, with campuses like the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/05/university-of-michigan-dei-cut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Michigan</a> and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/diversity/race-ethnicity/2024/07/31/u-missouri-axes-dei-office-pre-empt-state-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mizzou</a> overhauling their DEI initiatives. Even whole states like Idaho are <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/idaho-board-education-bans-dei-offices-initiatives-all-public-universities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking steps</a> to stamp DEI out of publicly-funded institutions. And that’s not even considering the broader social pushback against the racialism that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fate-of-the-racially-furious" target="_blank" rel="noopener">infected</a> American society post-George Floyd, from the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3148007/am-i-racist-fighting-the-culture-war-with-a-smile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">success</a> of documentaries like Matt Walsh&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/am-i-racist#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Am I Racist?</a>&#8220; to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/opinion/daniel-penny-jordan-neely-subway-killing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejection</a> of the race narratives surrounding high-visibility court cases like Daniel Penny.
That’s the roadmap. And it’s easy to think the momentum of the battle against DEI’s problematic elements is all downhill from here. In reality, these are just the first steps, albeit crucial ones. The next steps? Keep walking the road. This is a labor that will take years — and losing momentum is the one thing we cannot afford. In fact, losing momentum is what the Left and the advocates of DEI’s most pernicious elements are counting on us to do. Seems unimaginable given the groundswell of anti-DEI, anti-ESG, and generally anti-woke sentiment that’s sprung up post-November. Give it time.
Post-inauguration, when life returns to normal, we have to keep at the task of rooting out the discriminatory and divisive ideology that so often permeates DEI programs. The staying force of the Left is tremendous. But we’re not just in a battle against the forces of the Left. We’re in a battle against the force of institutional inertia. If we stop, we lose. We must keep pushing. If you work for or own shares in a company with DEI programs, keep pushing for answers. If you’re at a college with a DEI program, keep pushing for answers. If we do these things, and don’t give up, 2025 can be America’s best year yet on rejecting the discrimination and divisiveness so many DEI programs promulgate.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN and the Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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