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From a young age, feedback from authority figures shape our self-perception. Unfortunately, too many young people internalize the message that they should only pursue what comes easily to them. I know this firsthand. As a student, I was interested in STEM but found it challenging. After an educator told me to focus on what I was good at, I believed I could never succeed in science or technologyand I gave up.
What happened to me isnt unique. Too often, young people arent given the opportunity to fail safely, leading them to impose limits on their own potential. The consequences extend beyond the individualindustries suffer, too. Research shows that professionals with high confidence earn $8,000 more each year than their less self-confident peers, and 93% cite confidence as key to career success. Without a cultural shift that embraces safe failurethe opportunity to fail, learn, and try againinnovation will stagnate, and talent pipelines will weaken.
As the leader of FIRST, a global robotics community dedicated to igniting young peoples passion for STEM, Ive seen firsthand the impact that building confidence in kids as young as preschool age can have on students educational affinity and interpersonal skill development. The same principles we apply to students ages 4-18 are relevant for young adults entering the workforce. A thriving business environment depends on uplifting young talent and empowering them to navigate challenges.
Celebrate failure, dont fear it
FIRST founder and prolific inventor Dean Kamen, who holds more than 1,000 patents, believes that yesa project may failbut never a person. He says, A step backward is a failure, but what if, for every step backward, you take two steps ahead? Learning from failure is a critical step in progresssomething over 3.2 million FIRST participants and alumni understand well.
Business leaders must foster environments where failure is not only accepted, but expected. Controlled, low-risk failures offer young workers invaluable learning experiences that allow them to iterate and improve. Teams should see failure not as a sign of incapability but as a tool for growth. If we expect young professionals to push through challenges, we must provide them with the safety net to do so.
Use mentorship to model resiliency and offer guidance
Mentorship is a powerful way to help young professionals build resilience. Whether they are learning a new skill or questioning whether they have what it takes to go pro in STEM, it is not at all uncommon at FIRST to see young people stepping outside of their comfort zones, seeking guidance, and needing reassurance. Our role as leaders is not just to teach but to help young people find their places of belonging, and mentorship is a key piece of that puzzle. Strong mentorswho have faced setbacks and perseveredoffer support, model confidence, and help young people navigate obstacles.
Mentorship doesnt just benefit mentees; it strengthens the mentors leadership skills. Corporate leaders Ive spoken with who invest in mentorship often report improved communication, problem-solving, and long-term employee commitment. Business leaders should consider structured mentorship programs, to cultivate a culture of support and professional development for their employees.
Focus on flexibility and growth mindsets
Career paths are rarely linear. Many young professionals pivot as they discover their passions and adapt to changing industries. Organizations that encourage continuous learning and skill developmentnot just technical expertise but also communication, teamwork, and adaptabilitywill retain talent and drive innovation.
Looking back on my past experiences, I wish I had understood that I had a choice: I could either accept my teachers discouragement or cast her words aside and believe in my limitless potential. As business leaders, we must create spaces where young professionals are empowered to take risks, learn, and grow. Innovation requires risk taking and trial and error. And for innovation to flourish, we must give young professionals permission to jump, with the knowledge that they have a safety net beneath them.
If we reframe failure as an opportunity, provide mentorship, and encourage resilience, we can ensure young professionalsand the businesses they powerreach their full potential.
Chris Moore is CEO of FIRST.
A computerized system that calls balls and strikes is being tested during Major League Baseball spring training exhibition games starting Thursday after four years of experiments in the minor leagues.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is an advocate of the Automated Ball-Strike System, which potentially as early as 2026 could be used to aid MLB home plate umpires, but not replace them.
Starting in 2024, MLB focused testing on a challenge system in which the human umpire makes each original call. Data from the spring training test could cause MLB to make alterations to the system for Triple-A games this season.
How does the Automated Ball-Strike System work?
Stadiums are outfitted with cameras that track each pitch and judge whether it crossed home plate within the strike zone. In early testing, umpires wore ear buds and would hear ball or strike, then relay that to players and fans with traditional hand signals.
The challenge system adds a wrinkle. During spring training, human umps will call every pitch, but each team will have the ability to challenge two calls per game, with no additions for extra innings. A team retains its challenge if successful, similar to the regulations for big league teams with video reviews, which were first used for home run calls in August 2008 and widely expanded to many calls for the 2014 season.
Only a batter, pitcher or catcher may challenge a call, signaling with the tap of a helmet or cap; and assistance from the dugout is not allowed. A challenge must be made within 2 seconds, and the graphic of the pitch and strike zone will be shown on the scoreboard and broadcast feed. The umpire then announces the updated count.
MLB estimates the process averages 17 seconds.
Where will ABS be tested?
MLB has installed the system in 13 spring training ballparks that are home to 19 teams. The Florida stadiums, all in the Florida State League, are the stadiums of Detroit, Minnesota, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Toronto, plus the ballpark shared by Miami and St. Louis.
Five test sites in Arizona all are shared: the Diamondbacks/Colorado, Chicago White Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland/Cincinnati, Kansas City/Texas and Seattle/San Diego.
About 60% of spring training games are slated for trial, although teams could play vastly different numbers of games with ABS testing. The Diamondbacks are slated for 29 ABS games, while the Cubs have just seven.
What is the technology?
A Hawk-Eye pose-tracking system of cameras was installed and used to track pitches and whether they are within a strike zone based on the height of each batter, who is measured without shoes before a team’s first test game. MLB estimated the calibration process at less than one minute for each player.
There are eight cameras at most of the spring training ballparks in the test and 12 at the Diamondbacks/Rockies stadium.
While the strike zone actually called by big league umpires tends to be oval in shape, the ABS strike zone is a rectangle, as in the rule book.
Developing a consensus on what a computer strike zone should be has been an issue.
When did MLB first start using ABS?
MLB started experimenting with ball/strike technology at the independent Atlantic League in 2019.
A challenge system was tried in 2021 at eight of nine ballparks that make up the Florida State League. ABS was promoted to five Triple-A parks in 2022 and expanded to all Triple-A stadiums in 2023, the robot alone for the first three games of each series and a human with a challenge system in the final three. That system was in place at the start of 2024, but MLB switched to an all-challenge system last June 25.
How successful were teams with challenges last year?
Overall return rate over the full Triple-A season was 51%, with challenges by the defense winning 54% and by the offense winning 48%. Challenges with the two-challenge limit in place averaged 3.9 per game, including 2.2 by the offense.
The success percentage has been slightly better for video reviews in the major leagues. Teams increased their success rate on video reviews to 53.7% last season, led by the Boston Red Sox at 67.9%.
Just 1.6% of first pitches were challenges, but the figure increased to 3.9% for two-strike pitches, 5.2% for three-ball pitches and 8.2% for full counts.
Challenge percentages were more likely later in the game. While 1.9% of pitches were challenged in the first three innings, 2.5% were challenged from the fourth through the sixth, 2.8% in the seventh and eighth and 3.6% in the ninth.
How has the computer strike zone changed over time?
MLB has changed the shape of the ABS strike zone several times.
It started with a 19-inch width in 2022, then dropped it to 17 inches matching the width of home plate. Narrowing the strike zone led to an increase in walks and only small changes in strikeout rates.
The top of the striker zone was 51% of a batter’s height in 2022 and 2023, then raised to 53.5% in 2024 after pitchers’ complaints the top had been too low. The bottom of the strike zone has been 27% since 2022 after initially being set at 28%.
A batter’s stance is not taken into account.
ABS makes the ball/strike decision at the midpoint of the plate, 8 1/2 inches from the front and 8 1/2 inches from the back. The contrasts with the rule book zone called by umpires, which says the zone is a cube, and a strike is a pitch that crosses any part.
Strikeout rates increased 0.5% and walk rates rose 1% in full ABS games and 0.8% in challenge games.
How will ABS impact broadcasts?
Concerned the strike zone box on broadcasts could tip whether to challenge and cause fans to yell at players to challenge, MLB plans to experiment with several broadcast alternatives, among them: show the box but not the ball; show the ball but not the box; and to show only corners of the box.
How can players give feedback?
Dugout iPads available to all teams will have an application called ProTABS that allows players to check pitches against their individual strike zone. Information will update after every plate appearance and players can give MLB comment on single pitches and the overall system.
Ronald Blum, AP baseball writer
After watching videos of a Delta Air Lines jet catch fire upon landing and flip over on a Toronto runway, it’s fair to wonder how anyone could have survived.
But aviation experts said it was not surprising that all 76 passengers and four crew walked away from Monday’s disaster, with 21 people suffering minor injuries and only one still hospitalized on Wednesday. It’s a credit, they said, to advances in plane design as well as a crew that flawlessly executed an evacuation plan.
“When I first saw (footage of) that aircraft upside down at the airport, I was like: How can that happen? And how can anybody survive that? Michael McCormick, an assistant professor and program coordinator for air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, said. It was absolutely astounding to watch the people actually climbing out.
Passenger jet design a factor
McCormick and others said the fact that there were only minor injuries shows that passenger jet design and engineering have greatly improved over time.
Fuel tanks are stored in the wings, so the wings are designed to break off in a crash to remove a seriously explosive hazard, he said. The tail-like fin of a plane known as a vertical stabilizer is frangible or easily broken meaning an aircraft that has flipped over can stay flat on the ground and passengers and crew are able to evacuate, he said.
Aviation is and remains the safest form of transportation,” McCormick said, adding that it was no fluke 80 people were able to walk away from the Toronto crash. “That is because the safety of aviation is constantly improving.
Jeff Guzzetti, an airline safety consultant and a former investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, said the seats and seat belts also helped to prevent fatalities. He noted that passenger jet seats are designed to withstand impacts of up to 16 times the force of gravity and that the seat belts restrained the passengers who were suspended upside down as the plane slid to a halt on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The odds of getting injured or killed in an commercial airline accident is far less than driving in your car, Guzzetti said.
Crew executed the evacuation plan
Experts also credited the crew, who calmly and quickly shepherded many of the passengers off the plane before emergency crews even arrived on the scene. Deborah Flint, CEO of Greater Toronto Airports Authority, called the flight crew heroes, while their boss, Delta CEO Ed Bastian, praised their response as a “testament to the safety thats embedded in the systems.
Its horrifying. When you look at the video you can imagine when I received the text minutes after it happened, hearing that there was a regional jet upside down on an active runway with 80 people on board, how I felt without knowing it, what was transpiring,” Bastian said in an interview with CBS Mornings.
But the reality is that safety is embedded into our system, he said. “Air travel in the United States is the safest form of transportation and travel there is. Period. And its because we train for events like this.
What was it like inside the cabin?
Flight 4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto, operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, crashed on landing around 2:30 p.m. Monday. Videos show the plane hitting the runway hard, bursting into flames then skidding along the tarmac and flipping over.
It was very uncomfortable, a very just solid, uncomfortable experience forceful on the impact, sideways movement and suddenly just inverted,” Peter Carlson, a paramedic who was traveling to Toronto for a conference, told The Associated Press. The only mission was to get out.”
Carlson was awarded at the paramedics conference for his courageous and meritorious actions in helping other passengers. The certificate says his actions preserved life, reduced injury and provided calm.
I have a laceration, abrasion, some bruises on my legs, some bruises on my ribs, but alive,” Carlson said. “Everyone is alive. I don’t know if I am deserving of going into miracle territory but it’s amazing.
Other videos appear to show passengers scrambling out of an upside-down cabin as workers assist them off the plane onto the snowy tarmac and emergency crews hose the aircraft with water.
Passengers take action
Some passengers who have been harmed as a result of the crash retained the law firm Rochon Genova, according to Vincent Genova, head of the company’s Aviation Litigation Group.
Our clients, similar to many other passengers, suffered personal injuries of a serious nature that required hospital attention, Genova said in a statement. With our involvement, we expect to reach a timely and fair resolution for these clients and others who reach out to us.
A spokesperson for Delta confirmed it has offered each passenger $30,000 and is telling customers this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights.
A Canadian investigator refused to comment on preliminary theories, although aviation experts told The Associated Press they will likely consider weather conditions, as well as the possibility of human error or an aircraft malfunction.
At this point, its far too early to say what the cause of this accident might be, Ken Webster, a senior investigator for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said in a video statement Tuesday. He said investigators will examine the wreckage and runway, and that the cockpit voice and flight data recorders are being analyzed.
TSB announced Wednesday afternoon that crews were moving the wreckage from the runway to a hangar for further examination.
Michael Casey, Associated Press
The chief executive of streaming giant Netflix on Thursday announced a $1 billion investment to produce some 20 films and TV series in Mexico annually over the next four years.
Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum‘s morning press conference in Mexico City, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said he looked forward to entering more partnerships with producers in the Latin American nation.
Sheinbaum said the investments in the film industry should produce many jobs beyond immediate production needs, such as hospitality for actors and crew members, fashion designers and also spur tourism.
“It’s an industry that gives a lot of mileage to the economy,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s not only important for Mexico to be seen in the world, but also because of the economic development and jobs generated by a production.”
Netflix has invested in Mexican productions such as “Club de Cuervos,” a comedy-drama about the politics of a local soccer club, 2018’s “Roma,” the first Mexican entry to win the Oscar for best non-English language film, and last year’s “Pedro Paramo.”
“Pedro Paramo,” an adaptation of Juan Rulfo’s classic 1955 novel, required the support of hundreds of artists and musicians and the production of some 5,000 traditional textile items, Sarandos said, adding that the book’s sales later tripled.
Netflix has already agreed to collaborate with Mexico City’s Estudios Churubusco, one of Latin America’s longest-running film studios, Sarandos said.
He added that Netflix plans to fund programs to help talent behind the camera break into the industry, and that Mexico’s geographical variety makes it a good location for filming.
Last year, Netflix bought the rights to Oscar-nominated “Emilia Perez,” a French-made musical about a trans Mexican drug lord, which garnered much criticism in Mexico over cultural stereotypes, poor Spanish, lack of Mexican actors and a light treatment of the issue of forced disappearances – and spawned a Mexican-made parody in retaliation.
“Emilia Perez” began screening in Mexican cinemas nearly half a year after its European release date, and Mexico’s consumer watchdog had to order a top cinema chain to clarify its guarantee refund policy after many spectators walked out of the movie.
($1 = 20.3374 Mexican pesos)
Sarah Morland and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Reuters
The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump‘s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries.
I cannot imagine a worse choice,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts.
A Trump loyalist who has fiercely criticized the agency, Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Patel has spoken of his desire to implement major changes at the FBI, including a reduced footprint at headquarters in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau’s traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering and national security work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades. But he also echoed Trump’s desire for retribution. Patel raised alarm among Democrats for saying before he was nominated that he would come after anti-Trump conspirators in the federal government and the media.
Republicans angry over what they see as law enforcement bias against conservatives during the Democratic Biden administration, as well as criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the right person for the job.
Mr. Patel wants to make the FBI accountable once again - get back the reputation that the FBI has had historically for law enforcement, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Patel was confirmed. He wants to hold the FBI accountable to Congress, to the president and, most importantly, to the people they serve the American taxpayer.
Democrats complained about Patel’s lack of management experience compared with previous FBI directors and they highlighted incendiary past statements that they said called his judgment into question.
I am absolutely sure of this one thing: this vote will haunt anyone who votes for him. They will rue the day they did it, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.
He added: To my Republican colleagues, think about what you will tell your constituents and family about why you became voted for this person who will so completely and utterly disgrace this office and do such grave damage to our nations justice system.
About a half-dozen Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee gathered outside FBI headquarters earlier Thursday in a last-ditch plea to derail his confirmation.
This is someone we cannot trust, said Sen. Adam Schiff of California. This is someone who lacks the character to do this job, someone who lacks the integrity to do this job. We know that, our Republican colleagues know that.”
Patel’s eyebrow-raising remarks on hundreds of podcasts and in other interviews over the past four years include referring to law enforcement officials who investigated Trump as criminal gangsters,” saying some Jan. 6 rioters were political prisoners and proposing to shut down the FBI headquarters and turning it into a museum for the so-called deep state.
At his Senate hearing in January, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make. Patel has also denied the idea that a list in book he authored of government officials who he said were part of a deep state amounted to an enemies list, calling that a total mischaracterization.
FBI directors are given 10-year terms as a way to insulate them from political influence and keep them from becoming beholden to a particular president or administration. Patel was selected in November to replace Christopher Wray, who was picked by Trump in 2017 and served for more than seven years but who repeatedly angered the president and was seen by him as insufficiently loyal. He resigned before Trump took office.
Since Wray’s resignation, the FBI has been led by interim leaders, who have clashed with the Justice Department over its demands for details about the agents who investigated the Capitol riot a move seen as a possible prelude to broader firings. Patel denied having any knowledge of discussions about potential firings, but a letter from Durbin last week that cited information that he said had come from insiders suggested that Patel may have been covertly involved in that process.
Trump has said that he expects some of those agents will be fired.
Patel is a former federal defender and Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor. He attracted Trumps attention during the president’s first term when, as a staffer on the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee, Patel helped write a memo with pointed criticism of the FBIs investigation into ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign.
Patel later joined Trumps administration, both as a counterterrorism official at the National Security Council and as chief of staff to the defense secretary.
Eric Tucker, Associated Press
Private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Sycamore Partners are among the bidders who are competing to acquire Family Dollar, a discount retail chain operated by Dollar Tree, according to people familiar with the matter.
Investment firm Brigade Capital Management has also expressed interest in buying Family Dollar, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential.
A deal for Family Dollar, which could value the retailer at several billion dollars, is not imminent, the sources said, cautioning that Dollar Tree could choose not to sell the business. It is also possible that a different suitor for Family Dollar could emerge, the sources added.
Shares of Dollar Tree, which has a market value of about $16.5 billion, jumped more than 5% on the news on Thursday, before paring some gains.
Dollar Tree did not respond to a request for comment. Apollo, Brigade and Sycamore declined to comment.
Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree has been working with investment bankers at JPMorgan Chase to explore options, including a potential sale or spinoff, for Family Dollar since June last year. The move marked a reversal for Dollar Tree, which acquired Family Dollar in 2015 for about $9 billion after outbidding its biggest rival Dollar General.
Since the takeover, Family Dollar has struggled with its performance and its growth has stalled as the discount retailer has been unable to attract new customers. Its performance has lagged larger retailers such as Walmart and Target, as consumers cut back on discretionary spending due to high inflation.
As of November 2, Dollar Tree operated 16,590 stores across 48 states and five provinces in Canada under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada. Family Dollar generated roughly $13.7 billion of net revenue in the last 12 months, according to Reuters calculations.
Sycamore, which has raised about $10 billion in aggregate committed capital, is an experienced retail investor that owns retailers like Staples, Loft, Ann Taylor, Talbots and Belk. In recent months, Sycamore has also been attempting to pull off a takeover of pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Apollo Global Management, which had about $70 billion of assets under management under its private equity strategy as of December 31, has acquired and invested in retailers including Michaels and PetSmart.
Brigade Capital manages around $27 billion of assets and is primarily known as a credit investor. Last year, Brigade partnered with investment firm Arkhouse Management in its failed attempt to acquire department store Macy’s.
Abigail Summerville, Reuters
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he wont seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump.
McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision not to run for another term in Kentucky and to retire when his current term ends. He informed The Associated Press of his decision before he addressed colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor.
Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate, McConnell said, as aides lined the back chamber and senators listened from seats. Every day in between Ive been humbled by the trust theyve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.
His announcement begins the epilogue of a storied career as a master strategist, one in which he helped forge a conservative Supreme Court and steered the Senate through tax cuts, presidential impeachment trials and fierce political fights. Yet with his powerful perch atop committees, and nearly two years remaining in his term, McConnell vowed to complete his work on several remaining fronts.
I have some unfinished business to attend to, he said.
McConnell walked gingerly to the podium, sporting a walking boot. Senators from both sides of the political aisle seemed to listen most intently as he told them that while there are any number of reasons for pessimism, the strength of the Senate is not one of them.
The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence, he told them.
As he concluded, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., motioned for the audience of senators, staff and Capitol visitors be allowed to applaud, which is usually not allowed under Senate rules.
Republican senators then lined up to greet McConnell, beginning with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who hugged him, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who patted him on the back. He took out a tissue and made a joke, prompting the group to laugh. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota gave him a warm handshake, and a dozen others senators soon did so as well.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said McConnell reshaped the American judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. He has a lot to be proud of, and I am sure he will work hard to the very end of his term, Graham said.
McConnell, first elected in 1984, intends to serve until his term ends in January 2027. The Kentuckian has dealt with a series of medical episodes in recent years, including injuries sustained from falls and times when his face briefly froze while he was speaking.
The famously taciturn McConnell revered the Senate as a young intern long before joining its back benches as a freshman lawmaker in the mid-1980s. His dramatic announcement comes almost a year after his decision to relinquish his leadership post after the November 2024 election.
McConnell’s looming departure reflects the changing dynamics of the Trump-led GOP. He’s seen his power diminish on a parallel track with both his health and his relationship with Trump, who once praised him as an ally but has taken to criticizing him in caustic terms.
In Kentucky, McConnell’s departure will mark the loss of a powerful advocate and will set off a competitive GOP primary next year for what will now be an open Senate seat. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, seen as a rising star in his party for winning statewide office in Republican territory, has said he has no interest in the Senate. Beshear’s chief political strategist, Eric Hyers, reiterated that stance Thursday, posting on X: He is not running for the Senate. Beshear is widely seen as a potential candidate for the White House in 2028.
Kentucky Republicans considering the race for McConnell’s seat quickly weighed in with reaction. U.S. Rep. Andy Barr said he would make a decision soon about his future. Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron seemed to tip his hand, posting on X: Kentucky, its time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Lets do this. Another looming GOP candidate is businessman Nate Morris. One common denominator among them their professed loyalty to Trump and his agenda.
McConnell, a diehard adherent to Ronald Reagans brand of traditional conservatism and muscular foreign policy, increasingly found himself out of step with a GOP shifting toward the fiery, often isolationist populism espoused by Trump.
McConnell still champions providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid to fend off Russias invasion, even as Trump ratchets up criticism of the country and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The senator made it clear Thursday that national defense remains at the forefront of his agenda.
He and Trump were partners during Trump’s first term, but the relationship was severed after McConnell blamed Trump for disgraceful acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters. A momentary thaw in 2024 when McConnell endorsed Trump didn’t last.
Last week, Trump referred to McConnell as a “very bitter guy after McConnell, who battled polio as a child, opposed vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s confirmation as the nations top health official. McConnell referred to Trump as a despicable human being and a narcissist in a biography of the senator by The Associated Press’ deputy Washington bureau chief, Michael Tackett.
Before their falling out, Trump and McConnell pushed through a tax overhaul largely focused on reductions for businesses and higher-earning taxpayers. They joined forces to reshape the Supreme Court when Trump nominated three justices and McConnell guided them to Senate confirmation, tilting the high court to the right.
McConnell set a preceent for hardball partisan tactics in 2016 by refusing to even give a hearing to Democratic President Barack Obamas pick of Merrick Garland to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Putting the brakes on the Senate’s advise and consent role for judicial nominees, McConnell said the vacancy should be filled by the next president so voters could have their say. Trump filled the vacancy once he took office, and McConnell later called the stonewalling of Garland’s nomination his most consequential achievement.
Later, when liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died weeks before the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden, McConnell rushed Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation through the Senate, waving off allegations of hypocrisy.
McConnell also guided the Senate and Trump through two impeachment trials that ended in acquittals.
In the second impeachment, weeks after the deadly Capitol attack by a mob hoping to overturn Trumps 2020 reelection defeat, McConnell joined all but seven Republicans in voting to acquit. McConnell said he believed Trump couldnt be convicted because hed already left office, but the senator also condemned Trump as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection.
McConnell over the years swung back and forth from majority to minority leader, depending on which party held power. He defended President George W. Bushs handling of the Iraq war and failed to block Obamas health care overhaul.
McConnell, the longest-serving senator ever from Kentucky, ensured that the Bluegrass State received plenty of federal funding. Back home he was a key architect in his party’s rise to power in a state long dominated by Democrats.
He is married to Elaine Chao, and they have long been a power couple in Washington. The senator referred to her as his ultimate teammate and confidante. Chao was labor secretary for Bush and transportation secretary during Trump’s first term, though she resigned after the Capitol insurrection, saying it had deeply troubled her.
Bruce Schreiner and Kevin Freking, Associated Press
Another food recall is underway: “Berry Buddies, berries & pancakes” breakfast snack packs sold at Kroger and Meijer supermarkets in 13 states have been recalled after it was discovered that packaging failed to list wheat and eggs as ingredients on the label, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The item includes fresh blueberries and mini pancakes, and is generally found in the refrigerated section, produce aisle, or deli departments of the stores. Not including these ingredients on the label poses a risk of serious reactions to those allergic to either or both wheat and eggs.
Here’s what you need to know about the recall.
What’s happened?
Naturipe Value Added Fresh LLC is recalling 694 of its bento box snack packs and is coordinating with regulatory agencies. According to the recall, which was first published on the FDAs website on Wednesday, February 19, “people who have allergies to wheat and/or eggs run the risk of serious allergic reactions if they consume these products.”
The FDA announcement also stated that no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall.
Which Berry Buddies, Berries & Pancakes products are part of the recall?
The products included in the recall can be identified by the following details, which are printed on the back of the package, near the barcode:
Size: 2.1 oz (60 grams) packages
Lot Number: 1097901
Best By Date: 02/25/2025
Dates sold: Between early February 2025 and February 18, 2025
What states are affected by the recall?
The affected products were distributed in the following states:
Arkansas
Michigan
Ohio
Tennessee
Virginia
Minnesota
Kentucky
Indiana
Illinois
Missouri
Mississippi
West Virginia
Wisconsin
What should I do if I bought the recalled snack pack?
Consumers can return the products to their place of purchase for a full refund, according to Consumer Affairs. If it’s not possible to return the item, it is recommended to discard the snack pack.
What should I do if I ate the recalled snack pack?
Individuals who have wheat or egg allergies and have consumed the product should watch for signs of an allergic reaction, which may include difficulty breathing, hives, swelling, or gastrointestinal distress, according to the FDA recall notice. Seek medical attention if symptoms appear.
How can I get a refund or replacement?
Contact Naturipe by phone, 239-598-6045, or by email, info@naturipefarms.com. Customer service is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m ET.
When some 33,000 Boeing machinists walked out of their airplane assembly factories in Seattle in September 2024, it was one of the largest strikes of the year. But it was also just one labor action that contributed to more than 5 million strike days across the country. Though the labor movements wave of landmark strikes ebbed slightly compared to 2023, there was still a surge of action in 2024 that resulted in 359 work stoppages, involving more than 290,000 workers.
Thoe numbers come from the ILR-LER Labor Action Tracker, a joint project involving labor researchers at both Cornell University and the University of Illinois. That project began tracking strikes in late 2020 and into 2021, cataloging how the labor movement has gained traction since the pandemic. Last year, the trackers report on 2023 highlighted a significant boom: 539,000 workers who went on strike that yeara 141% increase compared to 2022and were involved in 470 work stoppages, totaling a whopping 24,874,522 days of strikes.
[Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois]
That high was buoyed by landmark actions like the United Auto Workers Stand up strikes, the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, and multiple strikes by Starbucks workers. The number of strikes, workers involved in strikes, and total strike days did drop in 2024 compared to 2023but are still higher than in 2021, the year that kicked off a resurgence in labor action.
The main reason for that decline, researchers say, is the drop in the number of strikes by Starbucks Workers United, which held multiple actions across hundreds of stores in both 2022 and 2023. There also werent as many large unions with contracts expiring in 2024 as in 2023, noted Johnnie Kallas, a labor professor who first launched the tracker. When a unions contract expires and it bargains its next contract, thats often when workers strike to win improvements like better pay and benefits.
[Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois]
But workers are still striking to improve their wages and working conditions, Kallas notes. In 2024, the top three demands from workers on strike were better pay, improved health and safety, and increased staffing. Thats held true over the last two years, per the report. But new in 2024 was the fact that the majority of striking workers, 32.7%, were from the education sectorthanks to large strikes by union members at California State University, University of California, and University of California Health. The manufacturing sector was responsible for the highest number of strike days, claiming 40%.
How the labor movement will keep up momentum under President Trump is unclear. The Trump administration has already threatened workers rights by gutting the National Labor Relations Boardhobbling its ability to decide any cases. (This move also makes it harder for unionized workers to get a first contract.) It also outlined how it plans to roll back Biden-era protections, like by reversing the NLRBs decision to ban captive audience meetings, which allow an employer to force workers to listen to arguments against joining a union.
[Image: courtesy Cornell University/University of Illinois]
Though Trumps pick to head the Labor Department, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has some union support, its not clear if shell be able to uphold her reputation in an administration that has fired thousands of federal workers, closely aligned itself with anti-union Elon Musk, and is already planning to roll back worker protections. But Kallas says workers may not give in so easily. It is certainly difficult to predict what the impact of the Trump administration will be with regards to strike rates, he says, but workers may increasingly resort to taking action into their own hands due to the further erosion of the NLRB and other legal institutions.
Walmart shares fell early trading on Thursday after it posted its fourth-quarter earnings results. Despite an increase in sales, the retail giant said it expected profit growth to slow during this fiscal year.
E-commerce sales increased 20% in the United States while revenue for the fourth quarter was up around 4%, according to Walmart’s earnings release. Growth in store pickups and speed of home deliveriesas well as share gains primarily from upper-income householdsdrove sales growth for the quarter, Walmart said.
But Walmart stock (NYSE: WMT) still decreased on Thursday after it reported 2026 fiscal-year revenue and profit targets that were below analysts expectations. The retailer projected adjusted earnings per share of $2.50 to $2.60, which is south of the $2.76 share analysts had predicted, according to a consensus estimate cited by CNBC.
Walmart noted that it expects net sales to increase in the range of 3% to 4%. Operating income is set to grow 3.5% to 5.5%, including headwinds of 150 basis points from its acquisition of smart-TV maker Vizio and an extra day in 2024 from Leap Year.
As of midday Thursday, Walmart stock was down over 6%.
Low Prices and Convenience
During an investors call on Thursday, John David Rainey, chief financial officer, said that faster, more frequent deliveries and low costs have helped Walmarts e-commerce business grow over the years.
Our prices are low and we are becoming more convenient, CEO Doug McMillon added on the call. Customers and members are going to be looking for value. Theyre going to be looking for convenience.
Uncertainty in the global environment, including shifting trade policies and tariffs, has led to concerns about rising costs for businesses and consumers alike. Walmart plans to navigate these challenges by finding ways to maintain affordability for their customers.
A Walmart spokesperson told Fast Company that the retailer has operated in a tariff environment for the past eight years and is well prepared to continue doing so. The spokesperson emphasized that Walmart will work hard to keep prices as low as they have been.
Walmart continues to remain confident in its ability to provide value to customers despite the economic uncertainties.
