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- Judges Strike Down Trump Rule on Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants
Two federal courts have blocked a new Trump administration rule that could have narrowed eligibility for a student loan forgiveness program for public servants. [TheTopNews] Read More.24 mins ago - Sephora joins Walmart, Target with new ‘quiet hours’ shopping experi...
Sephora is bringing "quiet hours" to all of its U.S. stores, the latest sign that major retailers are investing in sensory-friendly shopping experiences aimed at making stores more accessible for neurodivergent customers.The beauty retailer announced that during designated quiet hours, stores will lower music volume, adjust in-store digital screens and minimize strong scents to create a calmer shopping environment. Sephora has not announced a nationwide schedule for the quieter shopping periods.The nationwide rollout follows a pilot program at 32 Sephora stores across eight markets. The company said it developed the initiative alongside disability advocacy organization Open Inclusion and consultancy Purposeful Futures after gathering feedback from neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive beauty shoppers."Quiet Hours at Sephora is one meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to building more welcoming environments for our employees, consumers, and communities," Deborah Yeh, Sephora's global chief marketing officer, said in a statement.SEPHORA'S BEAUTY INSIDER PROGRAM: HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BENEFITSThe move comes as retailers increasingly view accessibility initiatives as both a customer service effort and a way to reach a broader customer base.Walmart became the first major U.S. retailer to permanently introduce daily sensory-friendly shopping hours nationwide in 2023 after testing the concept during the back-to-school season. The retailer now offers the quieter shopping experience from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time each day, turning off overhead music, dimming lights where possible and displaying static images on television screens.At the time, Walmart said the decision to make the program permanent followed overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees, including associates with autism and ADHD."From face-to-face conversations, emails, listening sessions, social media and our personal experiences in the stores, we have seen what these changes mean for our customers and associates," Walmart executives Denise Malloy Deaderick, Cedric Clark and Alvis Washington wrote when announcing the nationwide expansion.DC RESTAURANT OFFERING 'QUIET HOURS' FOR PATRONS LOOKING TO ESCAPE BRUNCH 'PARTY AMBIANCE'Other retailers have also experimented with sensory-friendly shopping. Target has tested quieter shopping hours at select stores by dimming lights, limiting overhead announcements and reducing music, while Toys "R" Us has offered "Quiet Hour" events at some locations.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREOutside traditional retail, Chuck E. Cheese has operated its monthly "Sensory Sensitive Sundays" program at participating locations since 2016, opening early with dimmed lights, reduced sound and a calmer environment for families.The programs are designed to reduce sensory triggers such as loud music, bright lighting and… [TheTopNews] Read More.52 mins ago - Trump financial disclosure reveals more than $1B in crypto income during first y...President Donald Trump reported more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency-related income in his latest annual financial disclosure, underscoring how digital assets have become a major part of his business portfolio.The 2025 filing, released Tuesday by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, spans more than 900 pages and covers the first year of Trump’s second non-consecutive term in the White House.Trump reported more than $500 million from sales by World Liberty Financial, a crypto company co-founded by members of his family. The president also reported $635 million in royalties tied to what the disclosure described as "Celebration Coins," which were reportedly connected to CIC Digital LLC, Trump’s meme coin business, according to Bloomberg.TRUMP PUSH TO MAKE US ‘CRYPTO CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’ GAINS STEAM AS CRYPTO BILL NEARS SENATE MARKUPThe filing showed Trump’s real estate, golf and club holdings continued to generate substantial revenue. Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, brought in more than $77 million, according to the disclosure.Trump also earned millions from branded merchandise, including sneakers, Bibles and watches. The watch deal alone brought in $4.7 million, according to the filing.The disclosure also listed more than $86 million in legal settlements involving ABC, CBS, Meta, YouTube and X.TRUMP ADMIN PROPOSES OPENING 401(K)S TO PRIVATE EQUITY, CRYPTOTrump’s net worth has climbed to $6 billion, up from $2.3 billion in 2024, according to Forbes.White House spokesperson Anna Kelly dismissed conflict-of-interest concerns in a statement to FOX Business and said that the administration’s crypto policies are aimed at promoting U.S. innovation and economic growth."Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest," Kelly said. "President Trump proudly made the United States the crypto capital of the world through executive actions, supporting legislation like the GENIUS Act, and other commonsense policies to drive innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans."ANDREW CUOMO WARNS CONGRESS IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME ON BLOCKCHAIN REGULATION, SAYS FAMILIES COULD SAVE ON FEESShe also argued that criticism of the president’s business interests amounts to a "false narrative."GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE"All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people – and any so-called ‘reporters’ pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade," Kelly added. [TheTopNews] Read More.58 mins ago
- Judge lets states pursue claims that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to add...A federal judge refused to let Meta avoid trial on key claims in a lawsuit brought by state attorneys general alleging it designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children while allegedly withholding information about harms to minors from the public.U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Monday denied Meta’s bid for summary judgment on key claims based on deception, unfair practices and violations of the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.The judge also found that the tech giant failed to comply with that law's notice and parental consent requirements. Rogers granted summary judgment to the states on that issue.Rogers determined there were material factual disputes over whether Meta's social media platforms are addictive, whether the company falsely denied allegations that it designed them that way and whether it "partially" marketed the platforms towards children. The ruling does not decide whether Facebook or Instagram are addictive or caused the alleged harms; it means those issues may be considered by a jury.GOOGLE'S YOUTUBE REACHES SETTLEMENT IN LAWSUIT ALLEGING CHILD SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION"The AGs present a reasonable interpretation of [Meta's] statements that Facebook and Instagram are not designed in ways that cause teens to compulsively use the platforms to their detriment," Rogers wrote."To the extent plaintiffs' evidence shows that the platforms are in fact designed to do just that, a jury could reasonably find the statements were untrue to a reasonable person," the judge added.Meta said that it disagrees with the judge's ruling."We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to Fox Business."For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better," the spokesperson continued.California Attorney General Rob Bonta hailed the judge's decision as a "critical win" in holding Meta accountable for contributing to a mental health crisis among children."Now we'll continue our case and keep fighting to protect our kids online," New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote on social media.The states said research has shown that children's use of Facebook and Instagram could lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life and self-harm such as suicide.Meta had argued that the attorneys general lacked evidence showing it misled the public about… [TheTopNews] Read More.1 hour ago
- Anthropic says US lifts export ban on its advanced AI tools
Fable and Mythos were abruptly suspended in June over concerns that they could be used by hackers. [TheTopNews] Read More.1 hour ago - Trump administration lifts Claude Mythos 5, Fable 5 export restrictions after An...The Trump administration has lifted export restrictions on two of Anthropic's latest artificial intelligence models after the company worked with the Commerce Department on a national security review, according to statements released Tuesday.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) had withdrawn export controls that had previously applied to Anthropic's Claude Mythos 5 and Claude Fable 5 models."Bureau of Industry and Security's evaluation of the diversion risks now presented by Claude Mythos 5 and Claude Fable 5, the controls in the June 12 letter are withdrawn," Lutnick said in a post on X. "A license is no longer required for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer, including deemed export or deemed reexport, of the Mythos or Fable models."Anthropic confirmed it had received notice that the Commerce Department was lifting the restrictions.NEWSOM'S OFFICE TOUTS ANTHROPIC 'PARTNERSHIP,' 50% DISCOUNT ON CLAUDE AI FOR CALIFORNIA AGENCIES, LOCALITIES"We've received notice that the Department of Commerce has lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5," the company said in a post on X. "We'll begin restoring access tomorrow, and will share an update soon."The AI company thanked users for their patience during the restrictions and expressed appreciation to those involved in redeploying the models."We're grateful to our users for their patience, and to everyone who worked with us on redeploying the models," Anthropic said.Lutnick said the decision followed close coordination between the federal government and Anthropic.TRUMP ADMIN SAYS ANTHROPIC'S 'RECKLESSNESS' TRIGGERED EXPORT CONTROLS ON LATEST AI MODELS"Over the past two weeks, we have worked closely with Anthropic to analyze and approve Fable 5 to ensure alignment across the U.S. Government and strengthen America's leadership in AI," the Commerce secretary wrote on X.Anthropic is one of the leading artificial intelligence companies in the United States, and its Claude family of AI models competes with offerings from OpenAI, Google and other major developers.The Commerce Department's decision removes licensing requirements that had previously applied to exports, reexports and certain transfers of the affected AI models.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREIt was not immediately clear what specific changes or additional assurances led federal officials to withdraw the restrictions after the earlier June 12 determination.The Commerce Department and Anthropic did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment. [TheTopNews] Read More.2 hours ago
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