Cracker Barrel changed its logo this week, a move that was quickly and widely disparaged by MAGA figures who decried the switch as a "woke" gesture.
The big picture: The response to the Cracker Barrel change expands the typical online-right backlash, which has contributed to companies like Target and Walmart backtracking on some diversity initiatives.
Why it matters: It shouldn't take a 4,000-pound car to deliver a 2-pound burrito, says Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO of the drone delivery company Zipline.
Anne Neuberger, a former senior cybersecurity official in the Biden White House, is joining Andreessen Horowitz as a senior advisor, the company announced today.
Why it matters: The role puts Neuberger in position to shape one of the most influential venture capital firms' D.C. agenda during the second Trump administration.
Political operatives working for the cryptocurrency industry will be on high alert now that Democrats appear to be all in on Sherrod Brown as the national party's candidate for Senate in Ohio.
Why it matters: With Brown as their pick, Democrats — already facing steep odds of retaking the Senate in 2026 — are directly squaring off against Fairshake, the crypto PAC that helped unseat the industry critic just a year ago.
The age of the public apology is over, as more brands, public figures and companies dig in their heels amid backlash or dodge accountability amid operational snafus.
Why it matters: This is a major shift in communication style and reflects the current zeitgeist.
CEOs are communicating more with employees and internal audiences than they were in 2020, according to a new report by Shallot Communications and Censuswide.
Why it matters: If business leaders must address hot-button issues, they are going to do it internally.
Walmart is feeling steady cost pressures from tariffs as it replenishes shelves with higher-priced goods — a squeeze that's beginning to shape customer behavior, CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday.
Why it matters: The impact of tariffs has been "gradual," McMillon said, but weekly costs are rising as inventory cycles through at post-tariff levels.
Google on Thursday unveiled measurements of energy, water use and emissions from text prompts using its Gemini Apps AI assistant — and it's calling for greater industry consistency in tallying AI's environmental effects.
Why it matters: The artificial intelligence boom is bringing a surge in power-thirsty data centers, but the energy needs and climate footprint remain a moving and often hazy target.
U.S. and European officials released a joint statement on Thursday that outlined some details of a trade deal — including reduced tariffs on autos that will take effect once Europe eliminates its own tariffs on U.S. goods.
Why it matters: It is the only official text of the agreement since President Trump announced the deal in Scotland late last month.
Palantir, CoreWeave, Robinhood and other AI and crypto stocks are under pressure, as investors take their feet off the gas. Is it signal to buy?
Why it matters: Dip buying was so strong over the summer that significant declines rarely occurred. Here's how to think about when to buy into a stock that's off its highs.
One of Wall Street's oft-repeated adages — the stock market is not the economy — is more true "than ever" as stocks are near records while the economic vibes are mixed at best, says Trevor Slaven, global head of asset allocation at Barings.
Why it matters: The biggest companies in this market are getting large portions of their revenue fromeach otherrather than from consumers.
The job market is cooler than average in states like Massachusetts, new data shows.
The big picture: Americans are feeling almost as gloomy about the job market as they did during the Great Recession — and entry-level workers are having an especially hard time getting their foot in the door.
From left: Bill Pulte, Ed Martin and Tulsi Gabbard. Photos: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP, Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP, and Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
A housing regulator, a prosecutor rejected by the Senate and a former Democrat have emerged as the unlikely faces of President Trump's "weaponization" crusade.
Why it matters: In a sea of Trump loyalists, these three officials — Bill Pulte, Ed Martin and Tulsi Gabbard — stand out for how aggressively they've shattered norms in pursuit of the president's enemies.
The U.S. Gulf Coast is facing billions of dollars in yearly property damage by 2050 due to extreme weather tied to climate change, per a new analysis.
Why it matters: Even as Gulf states are still reckoning with the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina two decades later, more pain and loss seems inevitable.
Google's new Pixel 10 lineup includes new AI-powered features that put significant pressure on Apple ahead of its expected iPhone launch next month.
Why it matters: The high-end smartphone market is largely saturated, meaning each sale comes from either convincing a loyal user to upgrade or wooing someone away from a competitor.
A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of espionage and five other charges related to selling military secrets while on active duty to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him via social media, the Department of Justice announced.
The big picture: The jury accepted prosecutors' allegations that Jinchao Wei, 25, was paid $12,000 over 18 months for selling "Navy secrets" while working as a machinist's mate on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, at Naval Base San Diego, California, in 2023, per a DOJ statement.
The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions on International Criminal Court officials on Wednesday and accused the ICC of being a "national security threat" and "instrument for lawfare" against the U.S. and Israel.
The big picture: The intergovernmental organization and international tribunal, in a statement, called the latest U.S. sanctions that affect two judges and two prosecutors "a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."
