Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Business

Trump’s nominee for small business chief primed for final vote after clearing procedural hurdle

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration, former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for her final confirmation vote.

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on the Georgia Republican’s nomination, as she now moves on to the confirmation stage.

The final cloture vote was 51-43 in favor of invoking cloture.

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News on Jan. 28.

TRUMP’S COMMERCE NOMINEE PASSES KEY HURDLE

“Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.”

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief.

Loeffler previously worked at several top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, whom she met at ICE, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

Loeffler also previously bought a minority stake in the WNBA Atlanta Dream, but is reportedly no longer associated with the team.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants.

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

After Trump fired SBA inspector general Hannibal Ware in January, Markey — the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee – expressed anger and called for a pause on Loeffler’s confirmation consideration.

Markey said the process should be halted “either until Inspector General Ware is reinstated or until a qualified and impartial nominee to replace him is confirmed by the Senate.”

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairwoman, called Loeffler the “perfect person for the job” in an Osceola Sentinel-Tribune column.

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Then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb County Republican Party Headquarters in Marietta, Georgia on Nov. 11, 2020. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage)

“Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur,” said Ernst.

“Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive.”

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Deidre Heavey contributed to this report

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 13, 2025
Uncertainty grows among still-optimistic small business owners, survey finds

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., weighs in on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda and its anticipated effect on ‘The Big Money Show.’

Uncertainty grew among American small business owners in January while optimism remained high, according to a new survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

The group’s uncertainty index rose 14 points to 100 last month, the third-highest recorded reading.

The Small Business Optimism Index also took a slight dip. It stood at 102.8 as of January, according to the NFIB survey.

People with face masks walk past restaurants on Main Street in Patchogue, N.Y., July 11, 2020. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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While that represented a 2.3-point decline in optimism on a monthly basis, it was still higher than the 51-year average of 98. The Small Business Optimism Index hit a six-year high in December.

In January, a seasonally adjusted net 47% of small business owners harbored expectations for the economy improving, according to the survey. That dropped five points.

Meanwhile, 17% indicated they were bullish about expansion, saying now was a “good time” to do so “substantially,” according to the NFIB.

“Overall, small business owners remain optimistic regarding future business conditions, but uncertainty is on the rise,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “Hiring challenges continue to frustrate Main Street owners as they struggle to find qualified workers to fill their many open positions. Meanwhile, fewer plan capital investments as they prepare for the months ahead.”

Over one-third of small business owners said they were experiencing difficulties filling openings at their companies in January, the survey showed.

TRUMPONOMICS WILL TAME INFLATION – NOT MAKE IT WORSE

More than half of owners surveyed were looking to bring new workers on board at their small businesses in January. Many of those – 90% – were finding “few or no qualified applicants,” the NFIB said.

A “Now Hiring” sign posted on the window of a business looking to hire workers May 5, 2023, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Labor quality and inflation were tied in January as the “single most important problem for business,” according to the NFIB. Eighteen percent of small business owners cited either of those as their main issue, with the share pointing to labor quality posting a one-point drop from the prior month.

Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index increased 0.4% month over month and 2.9% year over year in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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When it came to capital outlays, a seasonally adjusted 22% of small business owners are looking to make investments in the coming six months, the NFIB also found. That share fell seven points.

About 58% reported capital outlays over the past half year, according to the survey.

February 11, 2025
Costco CEO, execs members of Washington business group dedicated to “racial equity”

‘The Big Money Show’ explores companies turning against DEI policies while Costco bucks the trend.

Costco’s CEO and several executives are affiliated with a Washington business group dedicated to advancing “racial equity for Black Washingtonians,” showcasing just how deeply committed the grocery wholesaler is to diversity, equity and inclusion as it faces mounting pressure from investors to drop the controversial programs.

Washington Employers for Racial Equity is a group that brings together local business leaders, ranging from Costco CEO Ron Vachris to Microsoft President Brad Smith in order to support “Black Washingtonians” and build “a future rooted in equity for all,” according to its website.

WERE members have pledged to achieve a series of equity-related goals by the year 2030. Among those goals are racial quotas for their workforce, vowing to have the percentage of Black employees mirror the percentage of working-age Black people living in the communities the WERE members are doing business in, investing a combined $2 billion in programs to support “racial equity,” increasing investment in Black-owned business and providing anti-bias training.

COSTCO AWARDED EXECUTIVES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN DEI-RELATED BONUSES

Several Costco execs are members of a “racial equity” business group.

“Equity will increase prosperity for our entire state. Our communities will be stronger, healthier, and more vibrant. Our economy and our companies will benefit from a greater diversity of ideas, a more robust talent pipeline, and increased opportunity for all Washingtonians. We will start by owning our part of this problem, actively working to contribute to solutions, and using our voices to advocate for governmental action that supports transformational and lasting change,” WERE’s report “The Commitment to Progress: An Equitable Future for Washington,” said.

In addition to Vachris, several other Costco execs are members of WERE’s “Supplier Diversity Task Force.” Costco Director, Journeys, Diversity & Inclusion Claude Green, Senior Vice President, Corporate Foods & Sundries Nancy Griese and Food & Sundries Assistant General Merchandise Manager Leanne Bender are all listed as being part of the taskforce.

“This task force focuses on removing barriers and identifying opportunities to improve supplier diversity and support investment in Black-owned businesses,” the website stated.

The grocery wholesaler has been under pressure to drop their DEI policies. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

WASHINGTON AG STANDS BY COSTCO, BLASTS REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL THREATENING DEI CRACKDOWN

Costco’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has made the grocery wholesaler the focus of a broader national conversation around DEI. In January Costco’s board shot down an investors’ proposal to investigate the risks associated with their DEI policies, which led to backlash as well as support from the Rev. Al Sharpton, who staged a “buy in” at wholesaler’s Harlem location.

In response, 19 states’ attorneys general wrote a letter to CEO Vachris ordering the grocery chain to drop their DEI policies to get in line with President Trump’s executive orders combating the controversial programs.

A former Costco executive Roger Campbell told Fox News Digital that DEI is part of the company’s culture, and a key ingredient in the secret sauce that made the grocery chain so successful.

President Trump has signed several executive orders combating DEI. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“The term DEI didn’t even exist to us, it was the way we ran our business… it’s who we are,” former Costco International Division Senior Vice President Roger Campbell told Fox News Digital.

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Several members of Costco’s board donated heavily to Democratic party aligned groups, with Chairman of the Board Hamilton E. James having given $100,000 to the Harris Action Fund in May 2023, FEC data revealed.

Neither WERE nor Costco responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

February 11, 2025
Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves, Super Bowl LIX parade king, proving New Orleans can be great business hub

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Todd Graves, the billionaire entrepreneur who founded Raising Cane’s, the fastest-growing chicken chain in the country, couldn’t believe what he had been asked before Super Bowl LIX.

The city of New Orleans, where he was born, asked him to be parade king on the day before the Super Bowl at Caesars Superdome.

“I thought it was a great honor, but when they asked me to do it, at first, I was like, ‘Get one of the Mannings. Get somebody famous,’” he told Fox Business Digital at the Louisiana Legacy Gala Wednesday night.

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Todd Graves speaks onstage during Raising Cane’s Louisiana Legacy at Louisiana Now Pavilion Feb. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s / Getty Images)

Graves’ entrepreneurial journey was rooted in Louisiana. “The Mothership,” his first Raising Cane’s storefront, was opened in August 1996 near the LSU campus. Years later, Raising Cane’s employs over 50,000 and operates in 33 states.

And if you ask Graves, he’ll tell you Cane’s is just getting started.

But seeing the commitment to his community in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and the entire state of Louisiana led to him being named parade king.

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

Graves may not have gotten why they wanted him to be up on that king float, but then it clicked.

“They said, ‘We really want to hit on the side of business. You’ve been a business success story here.’ Then, it made sense to me, right? It was like, ‘OK, [New Orleans] is a great place to do business,’” Graves said.

“I grew my business here. I grew my family here, and we have a multibillion-dollar enterprise, and we’re just getting warmed up. We’re worldwide now and growing everywhere. It’s some of that, the business component of it. I want people to watch that parade and just watch it on TV and say, ‘You know what? I haven’t been back to New Orleans with my company conferences in 10 years.’ We need that to come back up. So, representing that, I think, is an honor.”

The Super Bowl is a hub not just for entertainment and football every year, but for business as well. Every big name brand is represented in some capacity, whether it’s having athletes showcasing their products and name on Radio Row or throwing parties throughout the city.

And New Orleans is the perfect place to have a party.

Todd Graves and Eli Manning speak onstage during Raising Cane’s Louisiana Legacy at Louisiana NOW Pavilion Feb. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s / Getty Images)

But helping the community, especially one with such a rich history, is what Graves was a part of on Wednesday night at the Louisiana Legacy Gala, which honored one of football’s greatest, the Mannings.

It was announced that Children’s Hospital New Orleans would be renamed Manning Family Children’s in tribute to the family’s longstanding commitment to serving children in the community.

And it was announced that Graves donated $1 million to Walker’s Imaginarium, which will be a first-of-its-kind interactive children’s museum within the hospital named after Walker Beery, who fought terminal brain cancer before his death.

Graves called Archie Manning his idol and someone he always wanted to emulate in the community and spoke about the hospital’s mission.

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“They gave great care for 600,000 kids this year, and they don’t stop at that,” Graves said. “They keep building every year, taking care of more and more children regardless of whether you can afford it or not. For us, and for me living here in the states and one day, God willing, I’m going to have grandkids and great-grandkids, having this world-class care in our backyard is invaluable.”

Graves and former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister, who is on the hospital’s board, discussed how the $1 million donation originated.

It was at an arm wrestling competition with Eli Manning, the two-time Super Bowl MVP with the New York Giants, at Rao’s in New York City. Manning eventually beat Graves, and as a man of his word, the donation came in.

Lou Fragoso, president and CEO of Manning Family Children’s, explained how people like Graves represent what is so important about New Orleans.

“We can’t do the work that we do without the support of the community and support of people like Todd and Raising Cane’s. For seven years, we’ve served every child, every time [saying] yes to a child regardless of their ability to afford pay.

“That is our mission, but we can’t do it without the support of the community and the things that we’re doing there and what we’ve built over the last 70 years – the medical and surgical side – and then the things we’re doing out in the community. That’s a game changer.

Todd Graves speaks during Raising Cane’s Louisiana Legacy at Louisiana Now Pavilion Feb. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s / Getty Images)

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“It makes me feel privileged to do it,” Graves said. “I work hard at what we do, and the great people in serving great chicken finger meals every day. With that, we’ve done well, and we make income. It’s a privilege to take some of the money that you make and give back to great organizations like Lou leads here. It’s so prideful.”

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February 9, 2025
Mortgage rates edge down | Fox Business

Cushman & Wakefield Chairman of Global Brokerage Bruce Mosler discusses President Donald Trumps impact on commercial real estate and how Americans are handling 7 percent mortgage rates.

Mortgage rates moved slightly lower this week, but long-term rates remain elevated in the upper-6% range.

Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage edged down to 6.89% from last week’s reading of 6.95%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.64% a year ago.

Elevated mortgage rates are dragging down demand in the housing market. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Mortgage rates have been stable over the last month and incoming data suggest the economy remains on firm footing,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Even though rates are higher compared to last year, the last two weeks of purchase applications are modestly above what we saw a year ago, indicating some latent demand in the market.”

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The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.05% from 6.12% last week. One year ago, the rate on the 15-year fixed note averaged 5.9%.

February 6, 2025
Fanatics teams up with Kevin Durant’s sports media brand to help athletes’ post-retirement business careers

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Fanatics and Boardroom announced a partnership with one another on Thursday that will aim to help athletes in their business careers after their playing days are over.

Boardroom, the sports media and entertainment platform co-founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, will collaborate with Fanatics to offer a three-day program of professional development initiatives designed specifically for athletes and their management teams.

The first program, dubbed “Boardroom University,” will take place at the second annual Fanatics Fest, which will be at Javits Center in New York from June 20-22.

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Michael Rubin attends Michael Rubin’s 2022 Fanatics Super Bowl Party on Feb. 12, 2022 in Culver City, California. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Fanatics / Getty Images)

The program will incorporate a wide range of experiences, including one-on-one mentorship, dinners with CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, curated panel discussions, hands-on sessions with Fanatics executives, a Mitchell & Ness design challenge and Boardroom Meeting House at Fanatics Fest.

“The spirit of Boardroom has always been to bring people into the rooms we’re lucky enough to be in and curate spaces to share knowledge,” said Kleiman, who also serves as Durant’s agent. “I’m excited to partner with [Fanatics founder and CEO] Michael Rubin and the team at Fanatics to expand the work they’ve already done in this space and bring some incredible programming to athletes and their teams.”

Kevin Durant, #35 of the Phoenix Suns, reacts after scoring in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on March 3, 2023 in Chicago. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Rubin added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Rich, KD and the entire team at Boardroom to reimagine and elevate Fanatics’ athlete development efforts. Fanatics exists because of the incredible athletes across all sports and the connections they have to fans around the world, and we have a commitment to create opportunities for them to thrive beyond their playing careers. That’s exactly what this program is built to do.”

Another three-day program will take place in December, the offseason for MLB, the WNBA and the National Women’s Soccer League.

Fanatics logo embroidered on a Buffalo Sabres jersey. (Fanatics / Fox News)

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Last year’s Fanatics Fest featured some of the biggest names in sports, including the aforementioned Durant, Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Peyton and Eli Manning, Triple H, David Ortiz and Logan and Jake Paul. This year’s event is already set to have Brady, Jayden Daniels, Ja’Marr Chase, and Micah Parsons, with plenty to be announced.

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February 6, 2025
Trump’s Small Business Administration nominee advances to Senate floor

The Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee voted Wednesday by a 12–7 margin to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump’s pick for the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator to the Senate floor.

Kelly Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, appeared before the committee on Jan. 28 and pledged to donate her annual $207,500 salary to charity.

Loeffler and her husband, Jeff, created a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company together.

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News Jan. 28. “Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.”

TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGED TO DONATE SALARY IF CONFIRMED

Kelly Loeffler is a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants.

On Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo ordering a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency.

LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./The Associated Press)

The White House pulled the memo on Jan. 29, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.”

Markey asked Loeffler whether she believed the move was lawful or not, amid concerns from members of Congress that the Trump administration attempted to circumvent Congress and withhold funds.

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“I fully agree with President Trump’s decision to stop wasteful spending,” Loeffler told Markey. “It resulted in a landslide victory that many Americans were waiting for relief against excessive government spending.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 5, 2025
Daniel Penny lands role at firm to ‘learn the business of investing’: report

Former NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher sizes up jurors’ decision in the subway chokehold case and the latest in the investigation of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Daniel Penny, who in December was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide for a chokehold in response to a man’s violent outburst of death threats against other riders on a New York City subway car, has reportedly landed a role with an investment firm in Silicon Valley to “learn the business of investing.”

The Free Press reported that Penny was hired by Andreessen Horowitz, after seeing an internal statement in which David Ulevitch, a partner at the firm, confirmed the news.

“He will learn the business of investing, and he will work to support our portfolio companies,” Ulevitch wrote in a memo to all employees on Tuesday afternoon.

Andreessen Horowitz did not respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the matter.

DANIEL PENNY DEMANDS DISMISSAL OF CIVIL LAWSUIT FROM JORDAN NEELY’S FATHER

Daniel Penny leaves the 5th Precinct of the NYPD on May 12, 2023. Penny is charged in connection with the death of subway rider Jordan Neely. (Julia Bonavita / Fox News Digital / Fox News)

The news comes less than two months after Penny’s acquittal in a high-profile and controversial manslaughter trial. Prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the top charge of manslaughter to avoid a hung jury, and jurors ultimately found Penny not guilty of the lesser charge.

Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran and architecture student, was charged for the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia who barged onto the train shouting death threats while high on a type of synthetic marijuana known as K2. It happened on May 1, 2023.

Neely had a lengthy criminal record, an active arrest warrant, a history of psychosis and was high. He also had sickle cell trait genetic disorder.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER COMES AMID INSURANCE COVERAGE CONTROVERSIES

This screenshot from bystander video shows Jordan Neely being held in a chokehold on the New York City subway. (Luces de Nueva York / Juan Alberto Vazquez via Storyful)

The Free Press reported that Ulevitch spoke about the May 2023 incident in a memo to staff.

“I believe, as I know many of you do, that Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation,” Ulevitch said. “He was acquitted of all charges. Beyond that, it has always been our policy to evaluate the entire person and not judge them for the worst moment in their entire life.”

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He also wrote about his vision for the former Marine, noting that he could help strengthen the firm’s relationships with the public safety sector and the Department of Defense.

Specifically, Penny will reportedly work in Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism practice, which “invests in founders and companies that support the national interest.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

February 5, 2025
JD Vance weighs in on deadly airliner accident during Fox Business interview

Vice President JD Vance sets the record straight with President Donald Trump’s approach to DEI and more during an appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

Vice President J.D. Vance spoke about what he and President Trump believe contributed to the deadly mid-air collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this week in an exclusive interview on Fox Business’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” February 2nd.

In one of his first TV interviews since becoming the 50th Vice President of the United States last month, Vance spoke to host Maria Bartiromo about Trump’s second-term agenda as well as the major crises the administration has had to tackle only days into the presidency – including the deadly plane crash that claimed 67 lives earlier this week.

“There is a very direct connection between the policies of the last administration and short-staffed air traffic controllers. That has to stop,” Vance told the Fox Business host.

CHILLING AUDIO REVEALS FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE PHILADELPHIA PLANE CRASH

Vice President J.D. Vance speaks to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview that appears on “Sunday Morning Futures” tomorrow. (Fox Business / FOXBusiness)

Bartiromo asked Vance about Trump mentioning progressive DEI policies in relation to the crash between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that crossed its flight path on Wednesday night.

In a Thursday press conference concerning the crash, Trump targeted DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration as contributing the crash, stating, “We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word ‘talent.’ They have to be talented geniuses. We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.”

Bartiromo gave Vance a chance to elaborate on Trump’s statements.

“So the president’s been very clear about this. This is not saying that the person who was at the controls is a DEI hire. But let’s just say, first of all, we should investigate everything, but let’s just say the person at the controls didn’t have enough staffing around him or her because we were turning people away because of DEI reasons,” he told the host.

DC PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATORS RECOVER AMERICAN AIRLINES BLACK BOXES AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

A screenshot from an EarthCam appears to show the moment an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines jet at Reagan Washington National Airport. ((Credit: EarthCam) (EarthCam))

The vice president also slammed the media for grilling Trump over his suggestion. “And by the way, it’s so funny to me the media has picked up on this. Not you, of course, Maria, but others have picked up on this. The president made very clear that he wasn’t blaming anybody, but he was being very explicit about the fact that DEI policies have led our air traffic controllers to be short-staffed.”

“That is a scandal. Thankfully, it’s a scandal that the president has stopped,” Vance added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Bartiromo asked Vance what his political ambitions are after the vice presidency. “You’re one of the youngest vice presidents that we’ve ever seen in the history of our country. Are you expecting to run for president in three and a half years?”

“Maria, you’re the first person who’s asked me that,” Vance replied. Viewers can catch Vance’s full answer when it premieres on “Sunday Morning Futures” tomorrow.

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February 1, 2025
O’Leary rips Costco for bucking DEI trend: ‘Bad for business’

‘The Big Money Show’ explores companies turning against DEI policies while Costco bucks the trend.

As more companies turn their backs and rescind DEI policies, Costco’s move to stand firm puzzled O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary.

The “Shark Tank” investor declared Costco is “nuts” during Wednesday’s “The Big Money Show” for doubling down on DEI.

During his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the termination of discriminatory practices in the federal government and encouraged termination in the private sector. Following the order, attorneys general from 19 states urged Costco to turn away from its DEI policies.

STATE AGS WARN RETAIL GIANT COSTCO FOR DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘DISCRIMINATORY’ DEI

While big companies like Target, McDonald’s and Walmart backed off from their DEI policies, Costco shareholders voted last week to reject an anti-DEI proposal brought by activist shareholder group National Center for Public Policy Research. The measure would have required the wholesale grocery chain to issue a report on the risks associated with their DEI policies.

O’Leary, who is also a Costco shareholder, weighed in on the wholesaler’s resistance.

“They’re nuts if they think I want them fighting the federal government on policy.”

“I don’t care who took that poll when there’s no way you’d get that result today,” he continued. “You don’t fight the attorney general in multiple states, you got to be out of your mind.”

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary remarked how Costco fighting the government over DEI is “bad for business.” (Getty Images)

He also believes that it is “bad for business” and urged the retail company to find a resolution.

“Chop chop, guys. Figure this out,” O’Leary instructed. “You’re breaking the law. Get compliant. I mean, hire for merit and advance people that deserve it.”

“You will find every race, color, gender, everybody will come to the fore,” he added.

The businessman also commented on hiring practices, arguing that diversity can be achieved through a merit-based approach.

“[If] you just hire on merit as we do, you get tremendous diversity.”

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O’Leary expanded, arguing that it comes down to how capable a person is at doing their job.

“We don’t care if you’re gay or transvestite, or you have tattoos or fishhooks in your eyelids. We couldn’t give a damn. ‘Can you do the job, can you execute on the mandate?’ Those are the people we advance,” he stressed.

“If you can do it, I don’t care what planet you came from, you got a job, and that actually solves this whole problem.”

“We should have never got ourselves in this place,” O’Leary concluded.

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RNC youth advisory council co-chair CJ Pearson reacts to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion on ‘The Evening Edit.’

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

February 1, 2025