Happy New Year 2025

Category: Business

Why an activist investor says the battle against Costco DEI regime isn’t over

Storch Advisors CEO and former Toys”R”Us and Target executive Gerald Storch reacts to a strong November retail report and explains how industry winners are ‘value-based’ players.

Costco shareholders may have overwhelmingly rejected a challenge to the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies on Friday, but the activist investors leading the charge against the wholesaler club’s “woke” business practices say the fight is far from over.

“A board opposing a shareholder proposal is a typical and expected part of the shareholder proposal process– nearly every shareholder proposal, regardless of topic, is opposed by every board,” Ethan Peck deputy director for the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project (NCPR), told Fox News Digital.

The NCPR had made a bid for Costco executives to investigate the risks the company’s business posed to the company’s bottom line, but the grocery club chain’s board of directors unanimously came out against their effort.

COSTCO BOARD MEMBER DEFENDS DEI PRACTICES, REBUKES COMPANIES SCRAPPING POLICIES

Costco roundly rejected a challenge to its DEI policies. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We owe our success to the more than 300,000 employees who serve our members every day. It is important that they all feel included and appreciated and that they transmit these values to our customers,” Costco Chairman Hamilton “Tony” James said at the shareholder meeting Friday. Ninety-eight percent of Costco’s shareholder voted against NCPR’s proposal.

However, Peck says that setbacks like this are normal, and predicts that Costco may go the way of Walmart, McDonald’s, Harley-Davidson and other companies that ditched DEI in the midst of President Donald Trump’s historic election win.

“Just months before Boeing dropped DEI, they opposed our shareholder proposal requesting an audit of their DEI efforts. So Costco doubling-down on DEI in the proxy statement is not as meaningful as has been made out to be,” Peck said.

COSTCO SHAREHOLDERS REJECT ANTI-DEI MEASURE

President Trump signed an executive order banning DEI from the federal government. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“There’s still a decent chance that Costco drops DEI by the end of the year,” he added.

Costco is a high-profile holdout from the rising tide of companies rolling back or abandoning their DEI policies, which can include taking racial or gender considerations into hiring practice and workplace diversity trainings.

Costco board member Jeff Raikes, who formerly served as CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been a vocal supporter of DEI policies, and has written that businesses should “maximize” their DEI initiatives.

WHAT CAUSED THE REVOLT AGAINST DEI IN AMERICA?

The activists say that Costco may still ditch DEI by the end of the year. (Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“Attacks on DEI aren’t just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let’s focus on building a future where all talent thrives,” Raikes wrote in a Nov. 2024 post on X.

President Trump, who has issued executive orders banning DEI in the federal government, slammed DEI as “discriminatory” and “absolute nonsense” in his Davos speech Thursday.

Costco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

January 27, 2025
China AI model wowing Silicon Valley

Jason Miller, senior adviser of the Trump-Vance transition, discusses the push for a dismissal in Trump’s New York criminal case, the Hunter Biden pardon and potential roles some prominent public figures could play in Trump’s policies.

A Chinese AI company that rivals ChatGPT, is gaining attention in Silicon Valley with its rapid rise, nearly outperforming leading American AI companies like OpenAI and Meta.

DeepSeek is a Chinese AI startup that develops open-source large language models (LLMs), according to the company’s website.

The company unveiled R1, a specialized model designed for complex problem-solving, on Jan. 20, which “zoomed to the global top 10 in performance,” and was built far more rapidly, with fewer, less powerful AI chips, at a much lower cost than other U.S. models, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The announcement of the latest version of the app happened on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day as another Chinese-owned social media app, TikTok, was making headlines about whether it would be banned in the U.S.

TIKTOK SHOUTS OUT TRUMP AS APP GOES DARK FOR MILLIONS OF USERS ACROSS US

A chatbot app developed by the Chinese AI company DeepSeek. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

Meta’s Chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, took to social media to speak about the app and it’s rapid success.

He pointed out in a post on Threads, that what stuck out to him most about DeepSeek’s success was not the heightened threat created by Chinese competition, but the value of keeping AI models open source, so anyone could benefit.

“It’s not that China’s AI is ‘surpassing the US,’ but rather that ‘open source models are surpassing proprietary ones,’” LeCun explained.

“DeepSeek has profited from open research and open source (e.g. PyTorch and Llama from Meta) They came up with new ideas and built them on top of other people’s work,” LeCun continued. “Because their work is published and open source, everyone can profit from it. That is the power of open research and open source.”

Just days after the release of the latest version of DeepSeek, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his company was planning on spending over $60 billion in 2025 as it remains steadfast on AI.

Meta’s latest move aims to bolster the company’s position against rivals OpenAI and Google in the race to dominate AI.

Big Tech firms have been investing tens of billions of dollars to develop AI infrastructure after the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Meta’s announcement came just days after Trump announced that OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle will form a venture called Stargate and invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure across the U.S.

“Deepseek R1 is one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs I’ve ever seen,” Marc Andreessen, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who has been advising Trump, wrote in a post on X. “And as open source, a profound gift to the world.”

AI WILL BE THE MAJOR FOCUS AT LAS VEGAS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

“DeepSeek R1 is AI’s Sputnik moment,” Andreessen wrote in a comment.

Alexandr Wang, CEO at Scale AI, a San Francisco-based software company, also spoke out on the technology and said DeepSeek’s quick success is a “wake-up call for America.”

“DeepSeek is a wake up call for America, but it doesn’t change the strategy,” Wang wrote in a post on X.

Wang explained that the “USA must out-innovate & race faster, as we have done in the entire history of AI” and “tighten export controls on chips so that we can maintain future leads.”

“Every major breakthrough in AI has been American,” Wang said.

OPENAI CEO SAM ALTMAN RINGS IN 2025 WITH CRYPTIC, CONCERNING TWEET ABOUT AI’S FUTURE

The ChatGPT logo appears on a smartphone screen in this illustration photo in Reno, United States, on January 3, 2025. (Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

DeepSeek’s development was led by a Chinese hedge-fund manager, Liang Wenfeng, who has become the face of the country’s AI push, the Journal wrote.

Experts told the Journal that DeepSeek’s technology is still behind OpenAI and Google. However, it is a close rival despite using fewer and less-advanced chips, and in some cases skipping steps that U.S. developers consider essential.

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As of Saturday, the Journal reported that the two models of DeepSeek were ranked in the top 10 on Chatbot Arena, a platform hosted by University of California, Berkeley researchers that rates chatbot performance.

While DeepSeek’s flagship model is free, the Journal reported that the company charges users who connect their own applications to DeepSeek’s model and computing infrastructure.

FOX Business’ Breck Dumas and Reuters contributed to this report.

January 27, 2025
Vice President JD Vance pressed on when grocery prices will come down: ‘Which one lowers prices?’

Vice President JD Vance was pressed on when grocery prices would come down during an interview on Sunday with CBS’s Margaret Brennan.

Vice President JD Vance was pressed on grocery prices during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Sunday, arguing that several of President Donald Trump’s first moves in office would help bring down prices for Americans.

“No, Margaret, prices are going to come down, but it’s going to take a little bit of time, right? The president has been president for all of five days. I think that, in those five days, he’s accomplished more than Joe Biden did in four years,” Vance told Brennan, who pressed him on which of the several executive orders Trump signed in his first week addressed lowering grocery prices. “All of the stuff that we’ve done on energy, to explore more energy reserves, to develop more energy resources in the United States of America.”

Some Democrats have mocked Trump over grocery prices after he took office, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who posted on X in early January, “I don’t care if Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland. I just want to know what he’s going to do to lower the cost of groceries.”

“Donald Trump has already taken multiple executive actions that are going to lower energy prices, and I do believe that means consumers are going to see lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store,” Vance said, “but it’s going to take a little bit of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

CBS News’ Margaret Brennan pressed VP JD Vance on grocery prices. (Screenshot/CBS / Fox News)

The price of eggs is up nearly 37% from last year, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI.)

BIDEN SAYS TRUMP INHERITING ‘STRONGEST ECONOMY IN MODERN HISTORY,’ SLAMS TARIFF PLAN AS ‘MAJOR MISTAKE’

Former President Biden and his administration had repeatedly insisted that it would take time for Americans to feel the former president’s accomplishments when it came to the economy.

Brennan asked Vance about when voters would see differences in the products they “touch and feel” at the grocery stores, and specifically noted Vance mentioned bacon on the campaign trail.

“Well, but Margaret, how does bacon get to the grocery store? It comes on trucks that are fueled by diesel fuel. If the diesel is way too expensive, the bacon is going to become more expensive. How do we grow the bacon? Our farmers need energy to produce it. So if we lower energy prices, we are going to see lower prices for consumers, and that is what we’re trying to fight for,” Vance responded.

The vice president also said during the interview that Big Tech was still on notice, despite their donations to Trump’s inauguration.

Vice President Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) arrives for a campaign rally at Radford University on July 22, 2024 in Radford, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Brennan said during the interview that most of the executive orders were not focused on the economy, but Vance pushed back.

“We’ve taken over 200 executive actions — some executive orders, other executive actions. Again, this is in less than a week, and a lot of them were focused on the economy, bringing investment into our country and lowering energy prices. We’ve also focused on safety, restoring public safety, ending weaponization of the Department of Justice. We’ve done a lot, and I think the president is to be commended for actually coming in and doing something with this incredible mandate the American people gave him. He’s not sitting in the Oval Office doing nothing. He’s doing the American people’s business, and I think they’re going to see a lot of good effects from it,” he said.

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January 26, 2025
United Airlines says ‘technical issue’ led to dozens injured on flight from Nigeria to DC

A United Airlines flight from LAX to Denver lost a wheel during takeoff Momday morning, the airline confirmed.

Dozens of people aboard a United Airlines flight from Africa to the U.S. were injured, six seriously, according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The airline’s Boeing 787-8 from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington, D.C., on Thursday “returned to Lagos after a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft  movement,” United told FOX Business via email.

After landing safely back in Lagos, four passengers and two flight attendants were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and have since been released, the airline said.

An additional 27 passengers and five crew members “had minor injuries,” FAAN said in a statement shared on X.

UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES ‘ACCELERATED’ STARLINK TIMELINE FOR PASSENGERS

A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from United Airlines lands at Barcelona airport in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 2, 2024. (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto / Getty Images)

United flight 613 was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants and three pilots at the time of the incident.

The aircraft did not sustain “any major damage,” FAAN said.

“We are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause,” United said.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES MAKES CHANGE REDUCING PASSENGER MOVEMENT IN EFFORT TO LOWER INJURY RISK

Ticker Security Last Change Change %

UAL UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. 105.00 +2.00 +1.94%

BA THE BOEING CO. 176.03 -2.42 -1.36%

Passengers wait for their luggage after arriving United Airlines flights at O’Hare International Airport on Dec. 13, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

“The public may not know for a couple of weeks to a month but the investigators are going to know within a couple of days,” Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board told the New York Times.

“They’re going to download the flight data recorder and they’re going to interview the flight crew and also listen to the cockpit voice recorder,” he said.

Earlier this month, an Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aborted its takeoff from Melbourne Airport in Australia for technical reasons, according to reports.

A logo is seen on the Boeing stand on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, south-west of London, on July 22, 2024. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Etihad Airways Flight EY461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi began its acceleration on the runway just at around 7 p.m. before slamming on the brakes and coming to a stop.

“The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution,” Etihad Airways told UAE state-owned newspaper The National.

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The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a passenger on the plane said two tires burst after the landing gear caught fire.

FOX Business’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

January 26, 2025
Costco confirms monthlong rumor over new food court changes

Storch Advisors CEO and former Toys”R”Us and Target executive Gerald Storch reacts to a strong November retail report and explains how industry winners are ‘value-based’ players.

Costco has officially confirmed a month-long rumor that the wholesale club will officially swap out Pepsi for Coca-Cola products at its food courts, prompting excitement among some of its customers.

“This summer, we will be converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola,” Costco CEO Ron Vachris said during the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Thursday.

Rumors that Costco will swap out its fountain drinks were first reported last month by Costco Insider.

“After over a decade, Costco is switching back from Pepsi to Coke products in their stores,” Costco Insider said in a post on Instagram. “The change will bring Coke, Coke Zero and Diet Coke, as well as Sprite instead of Starry.”

COSTCO FOOD COURT CHATTER SUGGESTS SODA SWITCH COMING IN 2025: ‘SUPER HAPPY’

Customers fill cups with PepsiCo. Inc. brand beverages in the food court of a Costco store. Costco reportedly has had Pespi products at its food courts for decades. (Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg / Getty Images)

FOX Business reached out to Costco for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

The new change will reportedly undo a previous 2013 decision that swapped out the store’s Coca-Cola products for Pepsi.

COSTCO MUFFINS APPEAR TO BE CHANGING, RANKLING SOME CUSTOMERS ON REDDIT

Customers wait in line at Costco’s food courts. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty Images)

According to Costco Insider, the 2013 switch was “a cost-saving measure to keep their famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.”

Costco’s hot dog prices, often praised for remaining so affordable over the years, reportedly haven’t changed since the 1980s.

COSTCO GIVES UPDATE ON $1.50 HOT DOG, SODA COMBO STAPLE

Costco switched from Coca-Cola to Pepsi products in 2013 as part of a cost-saving move, according to the website Costco Insider. (iStock / iStock)

Last year, CFO Gary Millerchip also reassured that Costco’s hot dog prices are expected to remain the same, Fox Business reported at the time.

“I also want to confirm the $1.50 hot dog price is safe,” Millerchip said during a quarterly earnings call last May.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %

COST COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. 939.68 -2.48 -0.26%

While some Pepsi fans expressed their disappointment in the new swap, many customers shared their excitement about the prospect of Coke returning to the food courts.

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Matt West, editor of Costco Insider, told Fox News Digital last month that the publication took a poll among their followers, and “87% preferred Coke over Pepsi,“ suggesting that the wholesale’s customers were in favor of the change.

“This better not be a December fools prank so help me god,” one user wrote on a Reddit thread last month.

“I don’t even take the cup when I get the hot dog! I’ll be super happy if they go to Coca-Cola,” another Redditor posted.

January 26, 2025
Philadelphia sports fan proves acting out can cost you your job

Finlete co-founder and CEO Rob Connolly explains how the company lets fans acquire stake in the potential future earnings of promising athletes on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

In today’s digital world, it’s increasingly difficult to for employees get away unscathed if they act out in public, even if it’s not considered to be egregious.

Trial attorney and co-managing partner at New-York based Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP, Misty Marris told FOX Business that employee conduct outside the work place can easily follow you right back into the office, and it can even cost someone their job.

It’s nothing new and yet, time and time again, there are occurrences when someone, including sports fans, go too far and subsequently, loses from their job.

5 MOST INFAMOUS FAN MOMENTS IN SPORTS

One of the latest examples happened this week when a Philadelphia Eagles fan at the center of a vile incident during the NFC wild-card game in Philadelphia lost his job at a New Jersey-based DEI-focused consulting firm this week.

The fan, identified as Ryan Caldwell, was seen in the viral video getting into the face of a female Green Bay Packers fan and calling her a “dumb c—” while her fiancé recorded the situation. He also taunted the man with other disgusting gestures.

Offices, in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, US, on Friday, May 31, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Camera phones and social media have really blurred the line between what is work related when it comes to off the clock activities,” Marris said.

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However, “whether an employee can get fired for actions taken outside the workplace is pretty fact specific”, according to Marris.

It depends on several factors including the nature of the conduct as well as what state the employee and employer are located in. Additionally, private companies are not bound by first amendment protections, which means an employee’s public statements or actions can be taken into consideration by the employer, according to Marris.

But “something does not need to be egregious to result in a termination, although with everything in the law there are exceptions,” Marris said.

Employees at tech startup company Fast work at their desks in the office on March 24, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Jam Press)

According to Marris, most states follow “at-will” employment, which means an employee can be fired for any reason or no reason, except for protected class status, which is a legal status that protects people from discrimination.

But this doesn’t apply to government employees, union members, or those with employment contracts, where termination rules are based on the terms of their agreements.

Many contracts or union agreements include “for cause” clauses, which define acceptable reasons for termination. Additionally, some companies have policies protecting employees for lawful activities outside the workplace, even for at-will employees.

Some companies might also have policies about lawful activities outside the workplace that could provide protection even when an employee is “at will,” according to Marris.

Manhattan psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert told FOX Business that employees should “develop an ability to keep strong emotions in check and overall good mental health.”

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“This starts with understanding the situations that are likely to provoke you. Instead of reacting impulsively, take a moment to pause and consider the potential consequences of your actions,” Alpert said, adding that “techniques such as deep breathing, stepping away from the situation, or redirecting your energy toward something constructive can make a significant difference.”

A usinessman sitting in front of computer in office (iStock / iStock)

If people turn to therapy, it’s vital that therapists equip them with practical tools to make meaningful changes, according to Alpert, who is the author of, “Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days.”

“True progress comes from learning to take responsibility and ownership of your behavior, and implementing strategies that help you maintain composure in challenging situations. By doing so, you not only safeguard your personal and professional reputation, but also demonstrate the kind of composure and maturity that others respect and admire,” he said.

January 26, 2025
SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, will release more Starlink satellites

EntrepreneurShares LLC COO Eva Ados explains why President Trump and Elon Musk could achieve their Mars goal on ‘Making Money.’

SpaceX is preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday with Starlink internet-beaming satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The four-hour launch window opens at 2:21 p.m. ET, according to the Kennedy Space Center.

The launch site in Brevard County, which is about an hour east of Orlando theme parks, allows people from near and far to see, as long as cloud cover, weather and visibility cooperate.

“SpaceX’s Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe,” Kennedy Space Center says on the launch details website.

SPACEX’S STARSHIP GROUNDS AFTER TEST FLIGHT EXPLOSION

SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer, successfully launches a Falcon 9 rocket with multiple Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 24, 2025, in Lompoc, California. (George Rose / Getty Images)

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the other side of the country on Friday, when 23 Starlink satellites were delivered “to the constellation” after launching from California, SpaceX said on X.

Falcon 9 is dubbed the “world’s first orbital class reusable rocket,” SpaceX says. It has completed 426 missions, 382 total landings and 355 total reflights, according to the aerospace company’s website.

BILLIONAIRE ON SPACEX POLARIS DAWN MISSION CONDUCTS FIRST PRIVATE SPACEWALK

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 6, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Just 10 days ago, a SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk’s flagship rocket program.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is seen in August 2024. (Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto / Getty Images)

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SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship, carrying its first test payload of mock satellites but no crew, eight minutes after liftoff from its South Texas rocket facilities at 5:38 p.m. ET.

Reuters contributed to this report.

January 26, 2025
A look at the Trump family’s business empire

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on President Trump’s priorities and plans to tackle the Washington bureaucracy.

President Donald Trump and his business background have long been talked about before his foray into politics.

The twice-elected president and members of his family have ties to businesses in sectors ranging from cryptocurrency and real estate to beverages and apparel.

Here are some businesses tied to Trump or members of his family.

Trump Organization

The “Trump World Tower” located on 845 United Nations Plaza, in New York City on Feb. 17, 2024. ( CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The Trump Organization is the company for which Trump and his family are best known. Sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., both executive vice presidents, have managed it since 2017, according to the Trump Organization website.

The company boasts numerous highly valuable hotels, golf courses, commercial buildings and other pieces of real estate. It also deals in licensing Trump’s name.

The Trump Organization and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust will “continue to hold all of its (and President Trump’s) investments and business assets in a trust managed by his children” while the president sits in the White House, according to an ethics plan obtained and published by USA Today.

The document also said Trump will “have no role in any of the day-to-day decision making concerning or involving the company.” His investments will be “independently managed by outside financial institutions.”

Other measures the company plans to take during Trump’s term were also detailed in the document, according to USA Today.

$Trump meme coin

President Donald Trump’s X account promoting his new meme coin $TRUMP is seen on a mobile phone screen. (Hakan Nural/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump’s meme coin, $TRUMP, debuted on Jan. 17. They are “fungible crypto assets created and tracked on the Solana blockchain,” according to the meme coin’s website.

Over three years, 1 billion of $TRUMP is expected to become available, the website said. Initially, 200 million of the meme coins were up for grabs.

$Melania meme coin

The Melania Trump Token meme logo is displayed on a smartphone. (Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Following the release of $TRUMP, the president’s wife, Melania Trump, released the crypto token $MELANIA.

Her meme coin is “intended for collecting and entertainment purposes only,” according to its website.

MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES CRYPTOCURRENCY MEME COIN AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP LAUNCHES HIS OWN

Trump Media & Technology Group

The Truth social network logo is seen on a smartphone. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration / Reuters Photos)

Trump’s social media network, Truth Social, falls under Trump Media & Technology Group Corp.’s umbrella.

Filings submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in December showed he put his 114.75 million shares of the company into the “Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.”

Ticker Security Last Change Change %

DJT TRUMP MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUP CORP 32.71 -0.84 -2.50%

The trustee of the trust is Trump Jr. He holds “sole voting and investment power over all securities owned by the Trust,” according to an SEC filing.

TRUMP TRANSFERS ALMOST $4 BILLION OF HIS TRUTH SOCIAL PARENT COMPANY SHARES TO A TRUST IN SURPRISE MOVE

Trump Media went public under the ticker “DJT” in the spring of last year. The company has a market capitalization north of $7 billion.

Lara Trump’s athletic clothing brand

Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, rolled out her LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection activewear line in November of last year. (Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, rolled out her LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection activewear line in November of last year. It includes leggings, sports bras, shirts and other clothing.

“As a triathlete, former track runner, wife, mother, and entrepreneur, I wanted to create something that reflects my passions, beliefs, and lifestyle,” she said on Instagram. “LT Brand combines style, comfort, and performance, all while supporting American workers and factories.”

World Liberty Financial

Donald Trump gestures at the Bitcoin 2024 event in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 27, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Wurm/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

World Liberty Financial serves as a decentralized finance platform.

The platform says on its website that DT Marks DEFI LLC “own approximately 60% of the equity interests in WLF Holdco LLC, which holds the only membership interest in World Liberty Financial.” That entity has ties to Trump and “certain of his family members,” according to the site.

“None of Donald J. Trump, his family members or any director, officer or employee of Trump Organization or of DT Marks LLC is an officer, director or employee of, WLF Holdco LLC or World Liberty Financial, Inc., except that Eric Trump serves as one of the managers on the board of managers of WLF Holdco LLC. DT Marks DEFI LLC along with certain family members of Donald J. Trump also holds 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens, and DT Marks DEFI LLC is entitled to receive fees from World Liberty Financial, Inc. pursuant to a service agreement, equal to 75% of $WLFI token sale proceeds after deduction of agreed reserves, expense and other amounts,” the website also said.

Trump and his two oldest sons posted about the project on social media in the lead up to its roll-out, FOX Business previously reported.

Trump Winery

Eric Trump serves as the president of Trump Winery, a winery that spans 1,300 acres in Charlottesville, Virginia. ( Dylan Rives/Getty Images for SOBEWFF / Getty Images)

Eric Trump serves as the president of Trump Winery, a winery that spans 1,300 acres in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to its website.

The winery says on its website that it is a “registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed, or affiliated with Donald J. Trump or any of his affiliates.” It produces a variety of wines, including red, white, sparkling and rose.

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In addition to wine, Trump Winery began a foray into ciders last year, according to an Instagram post from the president’s second-oldest son.

The winery unveiled a sparkling “Presidential Reserve” wine on Inauguration Day. It only made 4,547 cases of the $245 wine.

January 26, 2025
‘Yellowstone’ and ‘1923’ spark cowboy core travel trend, ‘people are flocking to the great outdoors’

Fort Worth, Texas, mayor Mattie Parker joins ‘The Big Money Show’ to discuss the ‘quintessential Texas city’ whose economy was boosted by the show and its spinoff, ‘1883.’

With the “Yellowstone” finale being the most-watched episode in the show’s history, and “1923” releasing its second season in February, the hit Western franchise has sparked a new interest in cowboy core travel, according to experts.

Fans of the show have flocked to Montana and Wyoming since its release in 2018, but travel trends seemed to have picked up after “Yellowstone” concluded its fifth season after a two-year hiatus.

“We always see an increase in interest to Wyoming and Montana when the show, or any of the spin-offs, drop new episodes,” Matt Appleby of Travelmation told Fox Business.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ CREATOR AND STAR KELLY REILLY DISAGREED ON BETH DUTTON’S STORYLINE FOR HIT SHOW

The Kevin Costner-led “Yellowstone” has lured fans to Montana and Wyoming. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Fans want to become a part of what they are seeing on their screens, and they book vacations seeking adventure and solitude. When you watch ‘Yellowstone’, you can’t help but dream about immersing yourself in nature and riding a horse on a ranch in the wilderness,” he continued.

“These shows have been so wonderful for our national parks. People are flocking to the great outdoors, and many travel companies are taking notice,” Appleby said. “There are places that will curate a unique experience involving adventure and even high-class dining for the cowboy foodies.”

In 2023, Lucy Beighle, director of communications for Glacier Country Tourism, told the Washington Post that the Western Montana region, where seasons four and five of “Yellowstone” were filmed, has seen an increase in travel.

“We always see an increase in interest to Wyoming and Montana when the show, or any of the spin-offs, drop new episodes.”

– Matt Appleyby, Travelmation advisor

“We definitely have seen an uptick in interest because of ‘Yellowstone,’” Beighle said. “If Montana wasn’t already on the map, and if people have seen ‘Yellowstone,’ it certainly is now.”

The Washington Post reported that the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana issued a study that found “Yellowstone” fans spent $730 million on tourism in 2021.

According to the study, two million people credited the Taylor Sheridan series as their reason for visiting Montana.

Kevin Costner and Luke Grimes starred as members of the Dutton family on “Yellowstone.” (Paramount+ / Fox News)

The outlet spoke to locals, including Hillary Folkvord, who explained that “Yellowstone” has “been good” for Montana and Wyoming.

“It shows how beautiful Montana is. And we hope to preserve that as stewards. That’s really important to us,” she noted.

“My friends from back East watch it religiously. And they tell me, ‘It looks so magical and majestic. It’s just wide-open spaces,’” she told the outlet. “I think that’s what people are craving right now. Montana gives you that.”

Carole Amos, a travel advisor for Travelmation, told Fox Business that “dude ranches” are drawing visitors to Montana and Wyoming so they can receive the “American frontier” experience.

Kevin Costner played John Dutton on the hit show “Yellowstone” since its premiere in 2018. (Paramount Network / Fox News)

“The best way to unleash your inner cowboy is on a dude ranch. I have done multiple trips with my family around Colorado and Wyoming, and everyone loves it,” Amos said.

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“A dude ranch is one of the few places where you go completely off the grid and immerse yourself in America’s frontier. You can go horseback riding, fishing or square dancing, compete in a rodeo, herd cows and even learn how to shoot a gun if that interests you.

“I especially love a breakfast or lunch ride where you hop on a horse and head to the top of a mountain for a meal with an unforgettable view. You can also just sit on your cabin porch and take in the stunning scenery, which you can’t experience anywhere else,” she continued.

An aerial shot of Yellowstone National Park taken on June 19, 2022, in Gardiner, Montana. (Photo by Samuel Wilson-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Amos emphasized that “you truly transform into a cowboy on a dude ranch.”

“Everyone has their boots, their hat, their flannel shirts and they show up ready for adventure,” she concluded.

“Yellowstone” starred John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and the Dutton family in their attempts to preserve their way of life and their family ranch in Montana. The show also starred Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Wes Bentley.

Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford star in Taylor Sheridan’s “1923.” (Getty Images / Getty Images)

The final episode of the Western series aired on Dec. 15.

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“1923” followed the Dutton family’s adventure, leading them to Montana. The series stars Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Brandon Skelnar. The show returns to the small screen for season two on Feb. 23.

January 26, 2025
Faith-based investing seeing surge in growth as alternative to ESG

Guidestone head of investments distribution Will Lofland explains how he helps investors align their finances with their faith on ‘The Big Money Show.’

People are aligning their values with their finances through faith-based investing, and, according to one expert, that strategy is rivaling ESG.

One Christian financial services company spokesperson explained why investors are flocking to that strategy on “The Big Money Show,” Wednesday.

“With the growth of ESG, we’ve seen similar growth in investors taking account of their values as it relates to their faith,” GuideStone’s Will Lofland pointed out. “Within the last three years, it’s where we’ve seen the most critical growth.”

The GuideStone Head of Investments Distribution explained that there’s been a counter to the growth of ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] — and, though his firm has been around since the 1970s, he’s noticed a recent spike in faith-based investments.

FAITH-BASED MARKETING CAN TAP INTO POWERFUL CONSUMER BASE

“Honestly, during the COVID period of time, people, I think, started living their life more intentionally and discovered that things like this exist that are more in line with what they’re thinking about, than something that was maybe the product du jour like ESG.”

He remarked how, through GuideStone, faith-based investing is being brought to people who want to invest through their Christian values.

As far as countering ESG policies, Lofland laid out how the capital management company strives to encourage other companies to focus on their core business areas.

“There are Christian principles that we want to adhere to,” he said. “But we want to try to bring those to businesses that are secular entities and help them understand those to be business principles, whether it’s how they treat their employees, the products and goods that they bring to the marketplace, and honestly, that they are enacting policies that don’t run as an affront to their consumers or to the employees.”

Lofland also highlighted observations about investor ages when it came to faith-based strategy.

“Statistically speaking, the people that were the early adopters of this, the people that are beginning to adopt it more now, tend to be a younger generation,” he remarked. “But we’re now seeing more emergence within the baby boomers, the people that do historically hold more wealth in embracing concepts like this.”

He explained that the strategies “depend on areas of spectrum,” noting that the older demographics trend to restricting companies versus that of the younger generations who have been more accepting of companies whose products benefit society.

The GuideStone head also weighed in on concerns that many companies don’t pursue policies that resonate with consumers and investors.

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“That really is honestly what we’re trying to advance to companies is help them understand that there might be a voice on the other side of the issue,” Lofland said. “It’s a very material voice, and it’s a large voice and get them to come back to just understanding that.”

He reiterated how businesses should approach policies and focus on principles.

“If you want to be a retailer, be the best retailer that you can possibly be, bring goods and services to your customers at a reasonable price, and the types of goods they want to purchase.” Lofland continued, suggesting that companies should “not enact social change” but focus on its purpose.

“That’s what we want companies to get back to,” he concluded.

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Crossmark Global CEO Bob Doll provides his outlooks for the economy and faith-based investing on ‘Making Money.’

January 26, 2025