Yahoo! News asks 'How does the 25th Amendment work?' A Veep Day special

Happy National Veep Day! Last year, I celebrated with A History of the US Vice Presidency for Veep Day. This year, I'm looking forward to something that hasn't happened, but definitely could, the Vice President invoking the 25th Amendment. Watch Yahoo! News ask and answer How does the 25th Amendment work?

In the wake of the violent raid on Congress by pro-Trump rioters on Wednesday, there's speculation that Vice President Pence, along with heads of executive departments, will invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to temporarily remove the president from power. Harold Hongju Koh, professor of international law at Yale Law School and co-author of a reader's guide to the 25th Amendment, explains how this unprecedented action might play out.

Inside Edition added another detail when it asked What Is the 25th Amendment?

Demands mounted Thursday from lawmakers, business leaders and former government officials for the immediate removal of President Trump after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attack that left four people dead. Many have called for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. So what is the 25th Amendment? Here's a synopsis of the constitutional provision that allows for the president's removal under certain circumstances.

I found Margaret Brennan saying "a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate would have to be on board with doing so" ambiguous — two-thirds to sustain the President's objection or two-thirds to keep him out of office? Here's the text of Section 4 from the National Constitution Center.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

It would be two-thirds to keep him out. That's a high hurdle for this to succeed. I don't think Congress can jump that high right now. I don't even think Vice President Vance can get eight members of the current Cabinet on board. A President Vance could get more competent Cabinet secretaries than Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump was able to, at least during his second term. Also, should an attempt fail, Hoover Cleveland would replace anyone who voted for him to be removed. It's bad for their careers either way.

Besides, Vance invoking the 25th Amendment might result in a cure worse than the disease, as Katie Phang pointed out in Trump, Vance and the 25th Amendment.

78-year-old Donald Trump, who has survived two alleged assassination attempts in the past three months, would end his second term as the oldest person ever to serve as President of the United States. Katie Phang explains the reality of what could happen in the event of an emergency where Trump becomes incapacitated or dies and JD Vance could become president of the United States.

True, Vance would be less erratic (mercurial would be a polite way of saying it) and not driven by Hoover Cleveland's obsessions with tariffs, grifts, and revenge, but he'd be more likely to implement the parts of Project 2025 that Hoover Cleveland hasn't yet. He'd also be more under the influence of Palantir founder Peter Thiel, his pet bad philosopher Curtis Yarvin, and Palantir CEO Alex Karp. They're the sources of what I called "cyberpunk villain ideas straight out of Snow Crash..." Vance can certainly learn new tricks, but I worry about the ones Thiel, Yarvin, and Karp could teach him. They might be worse.

Enough DOOM. Stay tuned for the winners of the Super Awards as the Sunday entertainment feature.

Hooters files for bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I left my usual "Stay tuned" message in the middle of 'SNL' laughs at Trump's tariffs and stock market crash: "Hooters' bankruptcy deserves more than a one-liner declaring the chain's business model a bust, so I plan on blogging about it tomorrow or Tuesday. Stay tuned." I begin with ABC News reporting Hooters restaurant chain files for bankruptcy on April 1st, no fooling.

Restaurant chain Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in Texas on Monday, seeking to address its $376 million debt by selling all of its company-owned restaurants.

I vaguely recall Stephen Colbert telling that joke, but I'm glad I saw it again to share it. Also, since I have been eating out very little since the pandemic, and when I do, it's at Hooters competitor Buffalo Wild Wings, the butt of Colbert's joke, I haven't noticed inflation much at casual restaurants. I had no idea inflation was that severe in that sector!

The bankruptcy didn't come as a complete surprise, as Inside Edition asked at the end of February Is Hooters on the Brink of Bankruptcy?

Bloomberg News reports Hooters may be on the brink of filing for bankruptcy. The restaurant chain once had 430 locations around the world. Now, 40 locations shuttered in the U.S. in the past year alone. There's another issue specific to Hooters. In the "Me Too" era, Hooters was seen as a throwback to another time when scantily clad waitresses seemed like a fun idea. Inside Edition's Alison Hall has more.

The answer to the headline question turned out to be yes. On the other hand, the answer to whether the chain as a whole will close its door will probably be no. I'll get to that later. First, I'll address Hooters' reputation that might have caught up with it in Company Man's Hooters - The Controversial History.

Hooters is a national restaurant chain with a controversial history. This video talks about some of their bigger controversies over the years.

Company Man Mike was right; Hooters has a controversial history! Now I'm wondering when he'll come out with "The Decline of Hooters...What Happened?"

Yahoo! Finance explains why the chain will almost certainly survive in Hooters files for bankruptcy: CEO talks about company’s future.

Hooters has filed for bankruptcy, but the chain isn't going away. Hooters of America CEO Sal Melilli explains what's next for the company in the video above.

I don't know if Sal Melilli's plan will address food and labor costs, but it does deal with the chain's checkered reputation. I hope it works.

I close by calling back to The first year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Part 1 of several, the first time I recall mentioning Hooters on this blog.

I'll leave you with my two favorite images of signs in Troy...The second proves that I can fail the Butt-Head half of the Beavis and Butt-Head test. What makes it even worse is that is the exit sign for the Hooters in Troy. Think about it.

Unfortunately, the Troy Hooters location closed seven years ago. On the one hand, this is the last time I can tell that joke. On the other, it was time my readers and I found out.

A couple of the videos mentioned the bankruptcies of Red Lobster and TGI Fridays. Those were the subjects of two of the most read entries of last year. Expect me to cover them on Wayback Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Trump supporter Nelson Peltz sells his stake in Disney

I'm returning to Yahoo! Finance for this week's Sunday entertainment feature with Activist investor Nelson Peltz sells entire stake at Disney following proxy battle loss.

Activist investor Nelson Peltz has sold off his entire stake in Disney (DIS) after the entertainment giant successfully fended off his proxy battle. Morningstar Senior Equity Analyst Matthew Dolgin joins Catalysts to discuss what this move means for the company and its future.
Dolgin notes that while current Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company is on the right track to develop from the linear media landscape to the streaming world, it will continue to remain a challenge industry-wide. He adds, "We weren't sure if Peltz had the answer either," saying the company's transition is a still "a work in progress."
"He identified several missed steps in the past, but those are easier to identify in retrospect. He didn't necessarily have solutions," Dolgin says of Peltz. He adds, "He thought that the company should do something with its non-sports entertainment linear network, so ABC, Disney Channel, FX, those types of stations. And we don't think that would have been the right move. They still make up about a third of the company's operating profit, so to get rid of that cash now, we don't think was the answer."
Dolgin says that bundling is key in the streaming era: "It actually ends up being the most cost-effective way for consumers." He explains that bundling delivers consumers more streamlined and efficient user experiences while providing great value.
He believes that Bob Iger is the right CEO to transform the business in the streaming era, saying, "The most important thing is that someone with the entertainment background... is critical to Disney's future."

"He didn't necessarily have solutions" as Morningstar Senior Equity Analyst Matthew Dolgin said of Peltz. Disney CEO Bob Iger said something similar when CNBC Television interviewed him in Disney CEO Bob Iger: Nelson Peltz didn't bring any new ideas after the proxy fight concluded.

Disney CEO Bob Iger joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the company's proxy fight win against activist investor Nelson Peltz, takeaways from his engagement with shareholders, the company's top priorities, succession plans, state of the streaming landscape, new sports streaming alliance, future of ESPN, navigating America's culture wars, and more.

Mentioning Ike Perlmutter, who "spent 'years' reportedly frustrating Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige before the lucrative film business was moved out from under his purview in 2015, and more recently wielded influence behind the scenes as his friend, activist investor Nelson Peltz, made a play to join the Disney board" makes me think that Peltz was more interested in reinstating "old" ideas than promoting new ones. It also reminds me that Peltz was a Trump supporter, as he himself stated in CNBC Television's interview on election night 2020, saying A Donald Trump win is good for America: Trian Partners CEO.

Nelson Peltz, Trian Partners CEO, joins CNBC's presidential election coverage to discuss why his support is behind President Trump as election results roll in.

Peltz reversed himself after January 6th, saying "I'm sorry I voted for Donald Trump in November." He reverted back to his original position recently, as MSNBC reported in Billionaires reverse their decision on voting for Donald Trump.


Disney doesn't need someone like Peltz trying to influence the company. He can take his money and run. Good riddance!

DOJ sues Live Nation/Ticketmaster

Yesterday, I promised that the Sunday entertainment feature would be about Ticketmaster, so without any further ado I'm sharing Yahoo! Finance reporting DOJ files lawsuit seeking to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

US Department of Justice (DOJ) officials filed an antitrust lawsuit against concert promoter and ticket seller Live Nation (LYV) on Thursday, making the case that Live Nation created a monopoly through its ownership of Ticketmaster that ultimately resulted in inflated ticket prices. Live Nation has refuted these claims in a statement, saying Ticketmaster's service fees are no higher — if not lower — than on competing ticketing websites.
Citi Managing Director Jason Bazinet focuses on the DOJ's antitrust crackdown in recent years and whether a breakup outcome would ultimately affect concert and event ticket prices.
"This administration is trying to go back to structuralism, that's what's underpinning a lot of the antitrust actions that they're pursuing," Bazinet outlines. "And so that that's difficult, I think, for the judges to understand because they now have 40-plus years of case law that says this is really all about price. And that's why you see Live Nation in their response, focusing on price."

On the one hand, Citi Managing Director Jason Bazinet expressed a pro-business and government skeptical perspective on this case. He attributes the DOJ bringing this case to a change in legal philosophy, if not outright ideology. On the other, he thinks this case will succeed, despite Live Nation/Ticketmaster's arguments about price. On the gripping hand (hey, the conceit of this blog is that humans are acting like Moties), Bazinet is missing a purely political motive, which I'll get to at the end.

PBS NewsHour hosted a guest with a contrasting opinion in Ticketmaster, Live Nation a monopoly that should be broken up, Justice Department alleges.

The Department of Justice wants the courts to break up Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation, the biggest concert promoter in the U.S. The company has faced intense scrutiny over prices and tickets selling out and reappearing on resale sites. More than two dozen states and the District of Columbia joined the lawsuit. California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta advocated for the role of government in maintaining free markets. Unregulated markets don't remain free for long. As I wrote last year, "Ticketmaster is a monopoly, which are bad for consumers since there is no competition to drive down prices, so monopolies require regulation. Where's the regulation in this picture? Maybe that's why there were hearings..." Speaking of hearings, MSNBC interviewed one of the Senators who held those hearings in ‘A long time coming’: Sen. Klobuchar on DOJ's Ticketmaster lawsuit before DOJ's press conference.

The Justice Department is set to announce a new lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s owner. NBC News’ Christine Romans has the latest details. Also, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., joins Ana Cabrera to share her thoughts on what needs to be done and discusses the growing calls for Justice Alito to recuse himself from January 6th cases.

For my response, I'm going to repeat what I wrote last year.

Both the Ticketmaster hearings and the closing of Splash Mountain at Disney World qualify this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature. Both news items tie into what I first wrote in 2011, "America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent." Both Ticketmaster and Disney messed with (some) Americans' entertainment, although I'm more sympathetic [to] the Swifties than those complaining about Splash Mountain. The former are reacting to a monopoly, while the latter strike me as a bit selfish and insensitive.

That leads me back to the hearings themselves.

The discussion bypassed regulation entirely and went directly to using anti-trust action to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Wow! That would be radical action that would create competition, which the market needs.

And that's what DOJ is doing, suing to break up the monopoly.

The federal lawsuit shows that messing with Americans' entertainment is getting the U.S. government to act. Politically involved people may think that there are more important things the DOJ can do, but this is a priority for more Americans. I expect it will be very popular, especially among young people, since Taylor Swift was Time's 2023 Person of the Year and the most searched on Google last year, and it was the problems with getting tickets for her concerts that brought this issue to a head.

That's a wrap for this week's entertainment update. Stay tuned for Memorial Day.

Tesla recalls 2 million cars because of autopilot issues, a driving update

I told my readers yesterday "I might post a driving update" today. Do I ever have a driving update for you! Watch as Yahoo Finance reports Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles on Autopilot defect.

Tesla (TSLA) is recalling over 2 million of its EVs to correct a defect in its self-driving Autopilot system and address overall safety concerns. An over-the-air software update will be deployed.
Yahoo Finance's Brad Smith and Seana Smith monitor Tesla's stock in pre-market trading, outlining previous crashes tied to Tesla's Autopilot feature and how these events may weigh on the electric vehicle maker's US strategy.

That was informative and had a great preview image, but the purely in-studio report was a bit bloodless, in more ways than one. For a livelier but more gruesome take, watch MSNBC's Tesla recalls more than 2 million cars over autopilot safety concerns.

Tesla has issued a recall for more than 2 million of its vehicles after an investigation into autopilot safety system concerns. NBC News' Tom Costello has details on the vehicles recalled and the necessary update Tesla is pushing for the software.

That had more "if it bleeds, it leads" energy, but it was light on analysis. PBS NewsHour included that in The self-driving safety concerns that led to Tesla's recall of 2 million cars while still showing the graphic results of crashes.

Tesla has recalled 2 million cars, nearly all of its vehicles sold in the U.S. since 2012, because of issues with its self-driving features. Safety regulators have investigated nearly a thousand crashes involving Tesla's autopilot system, which can fully take over steering, braking and acceleration. William Brangham discussed the recall with Faiz Siddiqui of The Washington Post.

I hope that the software update improves the issue, but this looks like a case of being unable to make something foolproof because people can always be bigger fools. Sigh. At least the stat at the end of Americans buying a record one million EVs is both good news and an answer to the question I asked last summer: "Are High Gas Prices Pushing People To Electric Vehicles?" Looks like yes to me!

Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.

Be Smart claims 'Fixing Daylight Saving Time Is THIS Easy'

Daylight Saving Time ends tonight (technically at 2:00 A.M. tomorrow), so it's time for my biannual observance of the changing of our clocks as well as a call to end the practice. Watch Be Smart explain the history and effects of Daylight Saving Time and claim Fixing Daylight Saving Time Is THIS Easy.

Every year, hundreds of millions of people voluntarily turn their lives upside down by setting their clocks forward one hour in the spring and back one hour in the autumn on a particular date mandated by the government wherever they happen to live. Daylight saving time is a perfect example of how a few people with the best of intentions can end up annoying millions of the rest of us for the better part of a century. And it’s time we take an honest look at how we got to this place where half the world comes unstuck in time twice a year, and ask if the supposed advantages for springing forward and falling back still hold up!

Joe Hanson uploaded this video on March 10, 2020, the day that the pandemic arrived in Michigan and the day before the WHO declared a global pandemic, which makes it feel a bit quaint. In addition to making every day feel like Groundhog Day, the pandemic delayed the European Union ending Daylight Saving Time. I don't know if I can blame the response to COVID-19 for delaying the U.S. allowing permanent Daylight Saving Time, but I do know that most Americans want to "lock the clock." Just see the preview image for Yahoo! News asking Tired of changing your clock every 6 months? You're not alone — here's how to cope.

This Sunday at 2 a.m. local time, daylight saving time will end in the United States, forcing millions of Americans to begrudgingly set their clocks back one hour and bringing suddenly shorter days as we head into winter. Polling shows 64% of Americans support getting rid of seasonal time changes — and health experts agree the practice is an unnecessary strain. Yahoo Life explains simple steps you can take to make the time change more manageable.

As I wrote last March, "I just want the twice a year time changing to stop. I'll go with whatever the rest of you decide. Just make a decision!"

That's my biannual rant. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature.

Rite Aid declares bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and opioid crisis

I closed UAW strike enters second month, a driving update by telling my readers "stay tuned for a retail apocalypse update tomorrow, as Rite Aid has declared bankruptcy." Time to follow through with Yahoo Finance reporting Rite Aid bankruptcy complicated by opioid lawsuits, debt.

Rite Aid (RAD) has officially filed for bankruptcy while struggling with piling debt and ongoing opioid lawsuits. Yahoo Finance’s Josh Schafer reports on this story and deep dives into the unique nature of this particular Chapter 11 filing for the chain pharmacy.

The Retail Apocalypse and the opioid crisis finally cross paths. After all the years I've written about both, it was time I saw it happen. ABC News has more on that intersection in Rite Aid files for bankruptcy.

The company, which reportedly has billions of dollars in debt and is facing more than 1,000 lawsuits claiming it filled illegal prescriptions for painkillers, will close hundreds of stores.

It's not just individuals suing Rite Aid, but the Department of Justice pursuing legal action over filling illegal prescriptions. Ouch.

KDKA/CBS Pittsburgh emphasized the effect of the bankruptcy on workers and customers in Several local Rite Aid stores to close after company files for bankruptcy.

Rite Aid, a Philadelphia-based pharmacy company, has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.

I expect to be writing about store closures in the near future. This probably won't affect me. I haven't been in a Rite Aid for years and stopped shopping there regularly when I moved out of Ann Arbor at the end of the last century. I couldn't even say where the nearest Rite Aid is to me, but I can tell you where the nearest Walgreens and CVS are. I shop there now.

Finally, CNBC looked at the responses of drug stores to new competitors in Rite Aid files for bankruptcy.

CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss Rite Aid filing for bankruptcy and what went wrong.

CVS and Walgreens have decided to become healthcare providers as much as retailers. My wife, who alerted me to this story, and I just got our flu, COVID-19, and RSV shots at Walgreens last month and we weren't alone.

That's it for today's installment of the continuing saga of the Retail Apocalypse. I plan on returning to Jim Jordan running for Speaker, which is turning into another Groundhog Day. Stay tuned.

WGA strike ends, actors still on strike, talk shows to return

I'm in the mood for some good news, so I'm following up on Writers Guild reaches tentative agreement with studios with two videos beginning with Yahoo Finance reporting WGA strike ends with tentative deal while actors' strike continues.

The Hollywood writers' strike has come to an end after over 140 days. The tentative deal between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has still yet to be ratified with a vote, but writers have been given the green light to return to production. Despite this monumental deal, major productions are still halted by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors strike. Yahoo Finance's Akiko Fujita joins the Live show to break down the details of the new contract between the writers and studio executives, as well as the current status of the actors' strike.

I'm recycling my reaction from Monday: "As I wrote, this is good news, but I'm not posting Professor Farnsworth until both the writers and actors have ratified their contracts and the studios and actors still aren't talking." Speaking of which, The Hollywood Reporter uploaded SAG-AFTRA Strike Continues After WGA and AMPTP Reach Tentative Deal | THR News on Tuesday.

While the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike. WGA members returned to the picket lines today in support of striking SAG-AFTRA members on Tuesday and spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how they're feeling following the news that the more than 140-day writers' strike could be coming to an end.

The actors are feeling optimistic, which echoes what I wrote on Monday.

I'm sure they will resume talking once the WGA gets back to work, but that won't be until October at the earliest. While that means that scripted series for the new fall network TV season will be delayed until January, which is one of the reasons why the Primetime Emmy Awards have been postponed until MLK Day, I'm hoping that talk shows will return as soon as the WGA strike is over. I've missed Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and especially John Oliver. Randy Rainbow just doesn't put out enough videos to fill that void. I'm hoping to welcome their return in time for National TV Talk Show Host Day on October 23rd.

I'm getting my wish granted earlier than I expected, as USA Today reported in WGA strike ends, late night shows resume as actors continue picketing | Entertain This!

The Writers Guild of America reached a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Here's what's next for Hollywood.
...
The Hollywood screenwriters' strike, one of two strikes that have stalled movie and TV productions for nearly five months, will officially end Wednesday.

The Writers Guild of America board unanimously voted Tuesday to affirm the strike-ending deal, announced Sunday, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations.

That's right, Bill Maher returns Friday, John Oliver resumes on Sunday, and everyone else follows on Monday. I can hardly wait!

Biden to walk picket line and Trump to address auto workers, a UAW strike update

I told my readers to "Stay tuned" at the end of Writers Guild reaches tentative agreement with studios, as "the UAW strike has expanded and both President Biden and the former guy are planning on getting involved, if only for photo opportunities." Fox 2 Detroit expanded on that in yesterday's Biden, Trump expected to visit striking UAW members this week.

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are planning to visit Michigan this week to talk with UAW members who are on strike.

Susan Tompor at the Detroit Free Press adds more as it explains https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2023/09/26/biden-and-trump-visits-to-michigan-prove-uaw-strike-matters-to-economy/70960549007/.

Biden's trip Tuesday is expected to be the historic appearance by a president on a picket line, according to historians.

On Wednesday, Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime-time evening speech in Clinton Township to an audience of autoworkers and other union members. Trump has repeatedly said on social media that autoworkers should reject electric vehicles, arguing that they will be made outside the U.S. and UAW members will lose jobs.

Both the GOP and Democratic front-runners are seeking the support of rank-and-file UAW members in the upcoming presidential race.

While Democratic presidents and union members have a long history of mutual support, Biden walking a picket line is unprecedented.

[Cornell University's Art] Wheaton said U.S. presidents have typically avoided all picket lines. The U.S. Secret Service, he said, most likely doesn't want a president to be walking a picket line because the action there can be so unpredictable and notoriously difficult to control.

And a president, Wheaton said, wants to be neutral and not appear to be picking sides in a labor dispute, favoring the union over the corporation.

"But President Biden has been very open that he stands with the UAW," Wheaton said, "so that's a refreshing change and should not be unexpected by anyone in politics."

"He claims to be the most union president at least in our generation so we should not be shocked that he wants to support the union in the way he can."

Tompor packed a lot of political and economic analysis in her commentary, including the increasing popularity of unions and a history of presidents working with the UAW. Read it before it goes behind a paywall.

Returning to video, MSNBC updated the story this morning when it uploaded Biden set to join UAW picket line in Michigan.

President Biden is set to join striking auto workers on the picket lines Tuesday in Michigan.

It may be the first time a sitting president has walked a picket line, but it won't be the first time for Biden, who did so before he was president.

The White House reporter for the Associated Press mentioned electric vehicles (EVs) as an issue between the UAW and automakers, something Tompor also explored in her article. She mentioned that it's become a campaign issue as well. Yahoo Finance explored Why EVs are becoming politicized amid UAW strikes.

President Biden is set to join the United Auto Workers' strikes this week to show support for union workers, shortly before Former President Donald Trump joins picket lines in Detroit, skipping out on the second GOP debate. One of the issues at the center of the strike is EV production and what it means for the future of auto workers. Biden's policy to have electric vehicles account for 50% of all new auto sales by 2030 has been lauded by Trump, among other Republicans, over automation fears that could eliminate jobs and the auto parts needed for assembly. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Rick Newman joins to discuss what is factual and what is political strategy from both sides of the aisle.

I'm recycling my comments from UAW goes on strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers as my reaction.

[T]he transition to EVs...is going more slowly than hoped, and...the strike is likely to impede that technological change even more. I'm not happy about that, as I'm in favor of EVs. However, sustainability is a balancing act, which is why I wrote "May people not suffer so that the planet and profit thrive" on Labor Day. Here's to maintaining that balance.

I'll have more on the strike, maybe later this week, in between the News &Documentary Emmy Awards, a possible government shutdown, and maybe the second Republican debate. I'm just not feeling that last one this cycle, so I might skip it. In any event, stay tuned.

The state of UAW negotiations for Labor Day 2023

Happy Labor Day! Today's big labor news isn't about either the SAG-AFTRA or WGA strikes. Instead, it's about the possibility of a UAW strike. This is a blog based in metro Detroit, the Motor City, and the threat of an auto workers strike is a local story with national implications.

I begin with Fox 2 Detroit reporting UAW rejects offer by Ford, files unfair labor charges against GM, Stellantis on Friday.

The United Auto Workers are holding firm with existing Big 3 deals set to expire in two weeks. The UAW also filed unfair labor practice charges against General Motors and Stellantis.

Five billion in losses from a ten-day strike? Yikes! That rivals what the actors and writers striking most of the summer did to the southern California economy.

Fox 2 Detroit did a good job of presenting the union viewpoint with some balance from management. The next day, WTOL 11 uploaded The clock is ticking for UAW negotiations with Big Three, which offered different labor perspectives and added more from management.

The United Auto Workers' contract with the Big Three is set to expire Sept. 14.

I shouldn't be surprised that these negotiations are a reaction to the concessions made during GM's bankruptcy, which also affected Chrysler, now Stellantis. All those profits since then have made the UAW want to take those concessions back.

Both Fox 2 and WTOL 11 brought up the transition to electric vehicles as an issue in the contract talks. Yahoo Finance explored that in United Auto Workers negotiations: Why the shift to EVs is such a big deal to workers.

United Auto Workers' members have authorized a strike in case negotiations with the Big Three U.S. automakers (GM, F, STLA) fail. Autolist Editor-in-Chief David Undercoffler spoke with Yahoo Finance Live anchor Akiko Fujita about the significant pay differences between a union and non-union job in a comparable role. "EVs are much simpler to manufacture by several orders of magnitude," Undercoffler says, adding that the UAW is likely looking to the future in a bid to help protect their members' jobs. Also, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris joined the conversation saying the "critical issue" in the transition to EV manufacturing will be wages, with workers wanting to ensure they will still get the "same, quality wages in an electric vehicle battery plant that they were earning when they were helping to build internal combustion engine vehicles."

Anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows I'm in favor of electric vehicles. I drive a Prius, for starters. While I enjoyed hearing that assembling electric vehicles is simpler than putting together internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles — there are fewer moving parts in electric power plants and transmissions — I hadn't considered that would mean less labor in building cars and light trucks. On the one hand, it's always a good day when I learn something new, especially a point in favor of something I support already. On the other, it serves as an example of two of Commoner's Laws, everything is connected to everything else and there is no free lunch. May people not suffer so that the planet and profit thrive.

I plan on updating the strikes in Hollywood tomorrow, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the holiday while remembering the reason it exists.

WGA returns to the bargaining table, a strike update

I decided to post a strike update for today's Sunday entertainment feature. Awards shows can wait, just like they are in real life. In fact, "the 75th Emmy Awards will now air on Monday, January 15, 2024." That's a four-month delay.

To make up for that information, I have some encouraging news today, as Yahoo Finance reported Hollywood strikes continue as writers, studios agree to restart negotiations on Friday.

The writers union is returning to the bargaining table, agreeing to restart talks with Hollywood studios. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Alexandra Canal joins the Live show to provide an update on the state of the Hollywood strikes and the effect that these strikes are having on major studios like Paramount (PARA) and Disney (DIS).

Yahoo Finance featured a lot more management perspectives than I usually include in these posts. I shouldn't be surprised because they cater to investors. DW News presented more of the writers' side when the service asked Writers return to negotiations: Has their strike been successful?

Writers in Hollywood are resuming negotiations with the studios today. So far, both sides have been far apart with revenue-sharing playing a central role. The head of the Writer's Guild previously said the union wouldn't return to negotiations unless the studios were willing to discuss residual payments on streaming services -- something the studios had said was off the table.

As Dan Garza and his puppet Jeff said, these strikes are affecting everyone in Hollywood, not just the actors and writers, to the tune of $3 billion so far. Not all consequences are bad, at least in the short run, as CNBC explained in Why the WGA strike is helping studios combat financial pressure.

James Stewart, columnist at The New York Times, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss how the ongoing writers' strike is helping studios with cost-cutting measures, the content supply pressures created by the WGA strike, and WGA's return to the negotiating table.

In the long run, the studios will need to settle with the actors and writers so that they can produce more content. Until that content runs out, the strikes are saving them money in the short run. It's going to be quite the balancing act for all parties involved.

Until then, new entertainment content will come from sports. The pros are not on strike and college sports will go on as long as there is no return of the pandemic. I might even resume watching sports in the fall. Until then, my wife and I have lots of shows to watch and video games to play when I'm not working.

I conclude with KCAL reporting WGA: Hollywood studios offer counterproposal, but details withheld.

The Writers Guild of America and representatives of Hollywood studios held their first negotiating session Friday since the union went on strike May 2, and while no specifics were released, the WGA told its members that studios offered a "counterproposal" to union demands.

While I still think these strikes are not ending any time soon, there is at least some progress. Stay tuned.

Examinations of Disney v. DeSantis from CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance

I told my readers to "stay tuned" yesterday, "as I plan on updating the Disney-DeSantis feud as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature." It's tomorrow, so I'm following through on my program note with the financial channels' examination of the conflict, beginning with CNBC's Disney V. DeSantis: Why Florida’s Governor Took On America’s Media Giant.

The political feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney has been heating up for the last few months. In April 2023, Disney filed a First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis, accusing the governor of waging a ‘targeted campaign of government retaliation.” DeSantis, who’s preparing for a 2024 presidential campaign on the GOP ticket, says he isn’t backing down. So how did this all begin? And who will come out on top, once it’s all done?

I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling my reaction from last week.

[DeSantis is] "making himself look even worse while getting liberals to side with a big corporation. Nice trick, but not the one he's trying to pull."

Another trick he's pulling is continuing the trend that I saw developing more than a decade ago and summarized in DeSantis to sign replacement for Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government.

Aren't Republicans supposed to be the business-friendly party? Well, they were, but this split has been building for a decade since I wrote about how Newt Gingrich threw big business under the bus while campaigning against Mitt Romney. Ten years later, the rift between Republicans and big business has opened up wide enough for everyone to see. Who knows? Maybe the Republican Party or at least DeSantis will fall into it. Break out the popcorn.

At the time, I thought DeSantis and the Florida Republican Party hadn't fallen into the rift between them and big business. Now, I think they haven't just fallen, but jumped into the widening and deepening chasm. That calls for more popcorn.
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[The] observation that Republican primary voters are more interested in cultural issues than economic issues fits the shift in “the Republican Party’s base moving from country club to country” as CNN quoted Tom Davis, a former Republican representative from northern Virginia, in 2017. That's what I've been seeing since 2012.

[M]ajor U.S. political parties don't have consistent ideologies. They do, however, have consistent core interest groups and Gingrich is throwing one of them, the northeastern business interests, which have been with the GOP since it formed out of the remains of the Whigs in the 1850s, under the bus. That ended up being smart in the short run, given that he was angling for the votes of Southern populists, who don't care much for the northeastern business interests and haven't since before the founding of the republic.

DeSantis is hoping that will work in his favor.

Based on the polling data CNBC showed and the interviews with DeSantis supporters in Florida, it has so far. It remains to be seen how well it will continue to work now that Ron DeSantis is officially running for President against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, and, should he actually get the nomination, in the general election.

Follow over the jump for videos by The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance on the subject.

Two Twitter announcements — Tucker Carlson's Twitter show and Elon Musk hiring a new CEO for Twitter

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for a retrospective of the blog's year on Twitter tomorrow for Flashback Friday" yesterday, so I looked for news about Twitter and, wow, did I find some! First, an update to the continuing saga of Tucker Carlson and leaving Fox News from NBC News, Former FOX host Tucker Carlson to launch a new show on Twitter.

Former FOX News host Tucker Carlson is relaunching his show on Twitter, which he announced in a three minute video posted to his account.

I should have figured that Fox News was still paying Carlson as long as he complied with the non-compete clause in his contract. I should have also figured out that Carlson, who is not only the son of a former head of the Voice of America, but also the stepson of Patricia Swanson, an heiress to the Swanson TV dinner company her grandfather Carl Swanson founded, might not be motivated enough by the money to stay "off the air." Technically speaking, neither cable nor the Internet are "on the air" the way broadcast radio and television are, but there isn't a better expression. Instead, he wants to be heard and seen by his audience and affect current events. Some things are more important than money.

The other news I found was Elon Musk announcing that he's hiring a CEO to replace him at Twitter. Yahoo! News has that story in NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino reportedly in talks to be named new Twitter CEO.

Yahoo Finance Live's Julie Hyman and Brad Smith report on NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino in talks to be named Twitter's new CEO, Elon Musk transitioning to CTO, and how this will impact Twitter.

Close listening to Brad Smith sounded like news of Linda Yaccarino's resignation broke as they were recording this segment. CNBC Television confirmed that news in NBCUniversal ad chief Linda Yaccarino resigns amid talks for Twitter CEO.

CNBC's Julia Boorstin joins 'Squawk on the Street' to report on the latest news.

At least Musk found someone who has the skills to reverse Twitter's weakness among advertisers. Just the same, the jury's out, as it was when I last commented on his ownership in 'SNL' shares scary news for Halloween 2022.

'SNL' shares Easter wishes in its cold open included a Weekend Update clip about Elon Musk buying Twitter, but I haven't said anything about since because I wasn't sure it would happen and I wanted to see how would work out if it did. It has and so far I'm not positively impressed. I'm not surprised about that, either.

My opinion hasn't changed in the six months since.

As for Carlson's announced show on Twitter, I hope it will have the same result as Donald Trump returning to Facebook and Twitter, a reversal of his 2021 bans: "I think it will work out as well as reopening Jurassic Park, a spectacular and entertaining disaster."

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the blog's year on Twitter.

Disney sues DeSantis

It's time to follow through on a footnote.

I need to follow up on DeSantis's reaction to Disney subverting DeSantis's replacement for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government; he's making himself look even worse while getting liberals to side with a big corporation. Nice trick, but not the one he's trying to pull.

The situation developed into a legal case yesterday, as 10 Tampa Bay reported Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis yesterday.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected presidential bid in the coming months.

DeSantis, who has framed himself as a Republican firebrand able to deftly implement his conservative agenda without drama, has dived headlong into the fray with the beloved company and major tourism driver, as business leaders and White House rivals bash his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” said DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske. “This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law.”

10 Tampa Bay followed up this morning in Disney vs DeSantis: The latest with the lawsuit.

The suit was filed minutes after a Disney World oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that placed theme park decisions in the company's hands.

10 Tampa Bay reported on Disney's claims as well as DeSantis's response. Yahoo Finance emphasized the relief that Disney asked for in Disney files lawsuit against Florida Governor DeSantis.

Yahoo Finance legal reporter Alexis Keenan joins Yahoo Finance Live anchors to discuss the ongoing feud between Disney and Governor DeSantis, with the latest details surrounding Disney's lawsuit filing.

I hope that Disney gets its relief, but be patient, because the wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.

Follow over the jump for reactions that put the conflict in context.

Party City files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

While Bed Bath & Beyond is facing bankruptcy, Party City has actually filed. Erik of Retail Archaeology shared a ground-level view of the story in Party City: The Party Is Over!

In this episode we take a look at Party city and discuss their recent bankruptcy filing and the challenges they are facing.

Erik thought that, if Party City survived the pandemic, it would have gotten through the worst and be likely to survive. My experience is that this is not always the case. The first Retail Apocalypse story I covered, Borders Books, happened two years after the Great Recession officially ended, so I'm not surprised that Party City declared bankruptcy now.

Yahoo Finance showed an aerial view of the story in Party City files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, stock bounces.

Yahoo Finance Live’s Brad Smith reports that Party City has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

They seem even less optimistic than Erik, which is saying something.

Speaking of Erik, here is his video from November 2018, asking Party City: A Decrease In Partying?

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at Party City and talk about the recent drop in the shares of their stock.

Party City has been in trouble for a while, which fits one of the patterns for chains that fail during the Retail 'Apocalypse. All of them had issues that brought them down when a crisis hit.

All three videos mentioned the helium shortage increasing the prices of balloons and decreasing their sales. That's something I haven't blogged about but should. In the meantime, stay tuned for this year's Razzie nominations. It's Morbin' time!

Bed Bath & Beyond facing bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Friday the 13th

It's Friday the 13th! This year, instead of exploring the psychology and history of the day or spooky theme park attractions, I'm examining a real-life tale of woe, Bed Bath & Beyond’s Potential Bankruptcy, Explained, uploaded by the Wall Street Journal today.

Bed Bath & Beyond recently warned it may be filing for bankruptcy in just a few weeks. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner explains the roller coaster of events over the past six months that led to this low point for the company.

The Wall Street Journal examined the longer-term history of the chain in July, when it asked Bed Bath & Beyond Is in Crisis Mode. What Went Wrong?

After years of declining sales, Bed Bath & Beyond is facing an existential crisis. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner explains why the company has fallen on hard times and looks forward to what’s next for the veteran retailer.

None of this comes as a surprise to me, as I posted CNBC warns that Bed Bath & Beyond is 'facing extinction,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse nearly four years ago. I was fairly sanguine then, writing "the chain is facing a crisis, but it's not in imminent danger of going out of business," but became more concerned in 2020, when I wrote "I'm not as calm about the fate of the chain now, if only because 100,000 dead and 40 million unemployed in the U.S. has made the economic environment much more precarious for retailers other than daily essentials such as food and medicine, which I shopped for yesterday and picked up without ever entering the store." I'm only surprised it took me this long to return to the topic.

Follow over the jump for more on Bed Bath & Beyond from CNBC and Yahoo Finance.

Shop small and local on Small Business Saturday from National Day Calendar, Yahoo Finance, and WDIV

Happy Small Business Saturday! I begin today's celebration of shopping small and local with National Day Calendar's Small Business Saturday | Saturday After Thanksgiving.

Small Business Saturday reminds us of the prime shopping opportunities right in our own communities. Not only do the small businesses where we work, live, and play offer numerous gift-giving possibilities, they are hands-on and ready to complete your shopping list with quality, thoughtful gifts.

National Day Calendar is nearly always a good place to start with a holiday and seeing the first 2018 post on Small Business Saturday lead off with the site inspired me to see if Marlo Anderson had a video for today. He did.

Next, Yahoo Finance examined the day in more detail as it reported Small Business Saturday goes a long way in 'spurring local economies': SBA Administrator.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the expectations for Small Business Saturday, inflation, and the outlook for small businesses this holiday season.

Despite all the talk the pandemic, inflation, and the next recession, the economy is supporting a lot of retail activity and job growth and I'm glad to hear someone in power discuss that.

Since I live in Metro Detroit and today is all about empowering local businesses, I'm closing with Click on Detroit/WDIV's Survey: Nearly 60% of Americans plan to shop small on Small Business Saturday.

A recent study finds that 60% of Americans say they will shop small this Small Business Saturday. Shoppers appear to be considering more and more just where they spend their money, especially younger shoppers.

That's good news, even including the role of TikTok getting young people to show local. It's another area besides dance where TikTok's influence has been positive. I'm still not sold on the service.

I might return to shopping on Cyber Monday. In the meantime, stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature. More awards shows!

Retail Archaeology asks 'Kohl's: Who Would Want To Buy This?'

I closed Company Man asks 'The Decline of Forever 21...What Happened?' — a tale of the Retail Apocalypse by telling my readers "I have another video about the Retail Apocalypse to share from Erik of Retail Archaeology. Stay tuned." Here is Erik asking Kohl's: Who Would Want To Buy This?

In this episode we take a look at Kohl's. They're for sale, but why would anyone want to buy them?

Before I watched this video, I did not know that Kohl's currently has the most locations of any department store chain, passing JCPenney, which survived bankruptcy after closing more than 150 stores. It's a good day when I learn something new.

Kohl's has been having problems since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly two years ago, CNBC asked Can Kohl's Survive?

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kohl's closed all of its stores nationwide on March 19, and wasn't able to reopen until early May. Like many other retailers, Kohl's has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing its stock plummet more than 65% in 2020. Coupled with being a primarily brick-and-mortar business in an era where online retail remains enormously popular, Kohl's fight to stay alive is a tough one.

Once again, companies that were in trouble before the Retail Apocalypse, or in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic, are the ones that are failing now. Kohl's may not have been an obvious example, given that Company Man uploaded Kohl's - Why They're Successful before the pandemic hit, but in retrospect, the chain turned out to be no exception.

Follow over the jump for the latest in the acquisition contest Erik mentioned in his video.

Delete Spotify trends after music streaming service chooses Joe Rogan over Neil Young

Man plans and G-d laughs: "Now I'm done posting about the pandemic this week, simply because the week is over, and for the month, as tomorrow is Sunday, when I usually write the weekly entertainment feature..." Hahahaha! I failed to account for an entertainment story about the pandemic that I found worth blogging about despite my declaration yesterday.* Watch MSNBC reporting Spotify agrees to take Neil Young's music off the platform on Wednesday.

Spotify said Wednesday that it has agreed to remove Neil Young's music after the singer-songwriter said he wouldn't share the platform with podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been criticized for spreading vaccine misinformation. The panel discusses.

I agree with Dr. Katrine Wallace; Joe Rogan is spreading misinformation that reinforces vaccine resistance, leading to the unvaccinated dying. Unfortunately, I also agree with Rolling Stone writer Andy Green and Ari Melber that Spotify chose Rogan over Neil Young because of the money. That may have turned out to be short-sighted, as CNN reported Friday '#DeleteSpotify' goes viral after Joe Rogan's podcast draws criticism.

Joe Rogan's podcast is under fire for peddling misinformation, as guest Jordan Peterson's comments on race, climate, gender, and Covid-19 drew controversy...CNN's Paula Newton has the story.

My wife and I were among those who canceled our Spotify subscriptions Friday. After listening to Peterson's comments about climate, I'm doubly glad that we did. We don't want our money supporting that.

The Hollywood Reporter uploaded Joni Mitchell Says She Will Stand With Neil Young & Remove Her Music From Spotify yesterday, showing Young is getting support from other artists.

Joni Mitchell said she will remove her music catalogue from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young, according to a message posted to her official website on Friday evening.“I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue,” Mitchell wrote in the brief note on her website.

I conclude by noting that Nils Lofgren has also had his music removed from Spotify and Spotify stocks have lost $2 billion, about 6% of their market capitalization since this controversy started. As I wrote, choosing Rogan over Young for the money may have been short-sighted.

*The other choices were awards show nominations, a bunch of which came out last week, and school districts banning books. I decided the first was too much work — this blog is a hobby after all — and the second too depressing. I'd rather blog about something that catches my interest. Here's to it not being the pandemic again tomorrow.

CNBC asks 'Is Marijuana Legalization Inevitable in the U.S.?' plus New York and Virginia legalizing marijuana

As I told my readers yesterday, "stay tuned for marijuana legalization for 4/20." I have just the video for the today's subject, CNBC asking Is Marijuana Legalization Inevitable In The US?.

Every ballot initiative involving the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana passed in the 2020 election. The Democratic-controlled House also passed the MORE Act in early December, which would legalize marijuana at the federal level and implement sweeping regulations surrounding the drug. These developments reveal something important about the shift in the marijuana debate: Marijuana may be one of the truly bipartisan issues in the U.S. right now.
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CORRECTION (January 4, 2021): At 0:55 and 6:31, the map mislabels the legality of recreational marijuana in Illinois. The state has legalized marijuana for both recreational and medical use. At 12:20, a graphic used an incorrect photo to identify Alaska Rep. Don Young

That was a very good history and summary of the state of the issue as of January 2021. Since then, New York and Virginia have legalized recreational use of marijuana. Follow over the jump for video news reports about them.