"Results Were Tempered": Pepsi Blames US Snack Slump On Cash-Strapped Consumers

Is Uber Weaponizing Labor Unions To Slow Robotaxi Rivals Ride-hailing giant Uber is reportedly aligning with drivers' unions in several cities to slow robotaxi deployments and promote regulations requiring "hybrid networks" that combine autonomous vehicles with human drivers, according to the Financial Times. The unholy alliance is taking shape in states and cities including New Jersey and Washington, DC, where Uber and organized labor are pushing back against the rapid expansion of autonomous taxi services. In New Jersey, Uber lobbyists proposed requiring any platform offering robotaxi services to ensure that human drivers...

Conference Board Consumer Expectations Hit YTD Highs, Inflation Fears Dip In May With war (and rising gas prices) now fully embedded in respondents' minds (along with record high stock prices), it is perhaps not entirely surprising that The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence dipped in May (but was better than expected). The headline index dipped 0.7 points to 93.1 in May, down from an upwardly revised 93.8 in April. The Present Situation Index - based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions - retreated by 3.2 points to 121.2. The Expectations Index -...

EU Imposes Drastic Tariffs on Chinese Goods: Is A Trade War Looming? Submitted by Thomas Kolbe Tensions in international trade policy are escalating on multiple fronts. After the U.S. Supreme Court initially declared the tariff regime implemented by President Donald Trump since April of last year unlawful, it appears the administration has explored new ways to stabilize its tariff policy going forward. The signs on the international trade front continue to point toward turmoil. Not least, it is the ramped-up Chinese export machine that is increasingly in the crosshairs of U.S. protectionism...