Business

During a Day of Rancor, Senators Find Common Ground: No One Likes Surveillance Pricing

Republicans and Democrats are not in agreement on many things. A U.S. Senate Hearing on Tuesday was a rare instance of bipartisan consensus. Surveillance Pricing, where companies use personal data to change the price of products, is a bad practice. The question is: will Congress do anything about it?
Hearing was conducted by Senate Judiciary Committee, entitled “Your data, their profit: the consumer cost of AI surveillance pricing.” Josh Hawley (a Republican from Missouri) opened the hearing with a scathing attack on a variety of companies including Staples Target Lyft and Amazon. He claimed that all these firms engaged in surveillance prices using AI tools.
Hawley said that this marriage of AI and mega-corporations is “one of the largest scams” in American history. “They’re trying it against all American consumers.”
Hawley said that “AI pricing for surveillance is the holy trinity” of what Americans detest: spying, taking their jobs, and ripping people off.
Hawley was particularly upset about Kroger’s massive profits from selling data to other businesses. The senator explained that Kroger made half a million dollars from tracking customers both in-store and online, and selling the data to others.
Dick Durbin was so taken by Hawley, that he had nothing to say for his opening remarks. The tone was set for the remainder of the hearing. Both Republicans and Democrats asked questions to the experts about the pricing and the best way forward.
Lindsay Owens was the clear expert at the hearing. She is the President of Groundwork Collaborative. She is the author of a forthcoming book, Gouged: the End of a fair Price and What that Means for Your Wallet. It’s about how companies try to extract money from consumers by using dynamic pricing models.
Owens said, “Companies are now able to purchase, track and analyze personal data on a scale previously inconceivable.”
They catalog your location and purchase history. Even your cursor movement is used to predict the exact amount they will charge. It is possible to collect information from even seemingly beneficial programs like loyalty rewards. Customers are turned into “guinea-pigs” for sophisticated price experiments.
Owens received respect from both Democrats and Republicans, which is in sharp contrast to how Republicans treat other witnesses, such as Anthony Fauci who was the public health leader during the covid-19 epidemic. Last week, Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio asked Fauci “who the hell” he thought he was.
There was no abrasive language at the hearing Tuesday on pricing for surveillance. It was perhaps the slight pushback that occurred against “Dr. John Zhang is a marketing professor at Wharton School of Business. Zhang stated that it was important to collect information about individuals to “really know the customers in the market.”
Why is surveillance pricing important? First of all, companies and retail associations do not like the phrase surveillance pricing. The term “surveillance pricing” is not liked by the companies and retailers’ associations. They prefer to use personalized pricing. They defend this practice, claiming that it is more important to them to reduce prices in order to remain competitive and help the consumer than to increase the price.
Also, they say, loyalty programs, discounts for students, seniors or military members are forms of customized pricing. In some respects, they are correct. These discounts all give people a price that is different from others depending on their personal characteristics.
The activists who are against surveillance pricing generally support loyalty programs, discounts for senior citizens or similar. They insist you only need to make exceptions to any legislation that could be passed to exclude these specific cases. Maryland took this approach when, earlier in the year, it passed its first law on surveillance pricing to prohibit the practice at grocery stores. Many activists, however, find that the law contains many loopholes.
Connecticut, New Jersey and New York all have laws that ban the pricing of surveillance in a limited way, although New York’s governor is yet to sign it into law. Colorado’s state legislature passed a law on surveillance pricing this year, but the governor, Jared Polis vetoed it. Polis is a centrist Democrat, who some believe may run for President.
Americans don’t like surveillance pricing. According to a survey conducted by GBAO Strategies and distributed by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, 68 percent of Americans are concerned that surveillance pricing will increase the price of products. Only 5% of Americans think it’ll be used to reduce prices.
The House and Senate both have legislation that regulates surveillance pricing. However, neither chamber has taken the bill up and it is very narrowly focused. Politicians were seen at the hearing in Tuesday expressing their seriousness about this issue. However, it is one thing to speak and quite another to actually act. Let’s say Congress hasn’t done much at all, particularly when it comes affordability.
When will Congress act? It seems unlikely. Theoretically, regulating surveillance prices would benefit consumers. However, large corporations are opposed to it. The current political climate makes it impossible for these laws to be passed, regardless of how establishment politicians pose in front of the camera.

Business

Walmart tomato bisque soup recalled over possible Listeria contamination

Kettle Cuisine LLC has recalled more than 3,300 Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits exclusively sold at Walmart because they may contain Listeria, says a U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcement.
The recall is for 3,240 Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits of 14 ounces, with UPC 194346474004 & a Use-By Date August 22, 2026. These products were sold in select Walmarts across 29 different states between June 30 and July 7.
Kettle Cuisine announced the recall following routine testing that produced a presumed positive result of Listeria monocytogenes. According to the company, it will continue its investigation in conjunction with FDA.
The company confirmed that no illnesses have been linked to the soup.
Amazon recalls 250,000 minifridges sold following reports of fires
FOX Business contacted Kettle Cuisine to get more information on the test, whether the positive presumptive result was confirmed or if additional lots of products are currently being tested.
FOX Business reached out to Walmart as well for comment. We asked if all the affected products had been taken off the shelves, and how Walmart is informing customers that may have bought the soup.
Select Walmart stores located in Arkansas, California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Georgia Iowa Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Missouri Mississippi North Carolina New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Virginia Vermont Wisconsin West Virginia and West Virginia distributed the affected products.
According to the recall announcement, consumers should not consume, serve, distribute or sell the soup. The product should be disposed of or returned to its place of purchase.
A POPULAR HAIR PRODUCT IS RECALLED NATIONALLY OVER A POTENTIAL HAZARD OF EXPLOSION
Listeria monocytogenes is a serious pathogen that can lead to fatal infections, especially in children and older adults with compromised immune systems. People with healthy immune systems may have short-term symptoms such as fever, headaches, stiffness and nausea. They can also experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, or stomach cramps. According to the recall, infection can cause stillbirth and miscarriage in pregnant women.
The announcement warned consumers not to rely solely on the smell or appearance of the product when determining whether the food is safe. The announcement said that people who handled the soup should clean their hands, and disinfect refrigerators and freezers as well as containers, utensils and countertops.
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According to the recall announcement, anyone who consumes the recalled products and experiences symptoms of Listeriosis is advised to contact their healthcare provider.
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Kettle Cuisine’s hotline can be reached at 617 409 1104.

Business

Massive egg recall in US south and south-west due to salmonella outbreak

The US Food and Drug Administration has raised the warning level for a massive egg recall that affects nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs. This is because officials are investigating a salmonella epidemic which has affected nearly 100 people.
On 12 August, the FDA reclassified a recall on nearly 1.6 million dozen cage-free white and brown eggs due to concerns that they could be contaminated by salmonella.
This recall has been classified as class I by the FDA, meaning that there’s a “reasonable probability” of serious health effects or even death if the product is used or exposed to.
As of 24th July, 98 individuals in 17 states were hospitalized as a result of the recall. Between 21 November 2025 to 30 June 2026, illnesses were reported.
No deaths were reported, although the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are aware of 26 cases hospitalized in connection with this outbreak.
According to an FDA report, Midwest Poultry Services discovered the problem through “proactive monitoring of environmental conditions and root-cause analysis”. The company stopped distributing eggs fresh from Texas farms as of the 22nd July.
The recalled eggs are still a problem because the best before and sell by dates continue through August 17.
Eggs were produced and distributed in Texas to various locations in the US South and Southwest, such as food retail outlets located in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
According to an initial recall notice, the affected eggs are available in Texas and Louisiana Kroger and Brookshire Grocery stores, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas Brookshire Grocery, Louisiana New Mexico, and Mississippi, as well as in “other smaller retailers.”
In the report, the specific products affected by the recall will be listed. Midwest Poultry Services had previously advised consumers to not eat the eggs that were recalled and to return them back to their place of purchase to receive a refund.
Reclassifying the recall comes at a time when the Trump Administration is dealing with a series of food-related health crises in the US.
In the US, a foodborne disease outbreak has reached a record high. The number of confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis associated with lettuce is now over 13,000! Taylor Farms has been forced to recall products in 26 states due to a salmonella outbreak linked with jalapenos.

Business

Berkshire pads Delta, Alphabet stakes as Abel taps cash pile

Berkshire, which has been led by Abel since he succeeded Warren Buffett in the role of chief executive, added 17.5 millions Delta shares during Abel’s first full quarter. This increased the stake value to $5.37bn at the end June. Alphabet, the third largest holding of Berkshire, was worth $37.8billion at midyear after Abel’s addition of 48.1m shares.
Berkshire spent $4.5 billion repurchasing its stock during the quarter, while acquiring a total of $20 billion in other equity. The company announced these results last week. The company had $365 billion in cash by mid-year. This is down from the record amount of $397 billion it held at the end March.
Abel was able to oversee back-to-back transactions worth billions of dollars in the same period, after Buffett had a relatively quiet deal-making record. Buffett often complained about high market values.
The purchase of Taylor Morrison Home Corp. for $6.8 Billion was a value bet. He also gave $10 Billion to Alphabet as a contribution to its artificial intelligence investments, which is a brand new field to the conglomerate. Taylor Morrison’s transaction was finalized last month.
Berkshire makes a big bet on housing with the Taylor Morrison deal
Berkshire bought additional shares in homebuilder Lennar Corp. during the second quarter. This brings its total holdings to approximately $1.21 billion.
Bank of America Corp. shares now account for 6.8% of total holdings.
According to an independent filing on Friday, Gates Foundation also sold nearly 2.4 million Berkshire class B shares to reduce its stake in the company to $7.35bn at the end the third quarter. Buffett said last month that he did not plan on making any more donations to the charity as Bill Gates’ ties with late sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein have increased scrutiny.

Business

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro Reports Parks Division Was a ‘Big Surprise’ Last Quarter

Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s CEO since almost six months now, recently discussed his views on the Walt Disney Company.
Josh D’Amaro shares his thoughts about Disney
Josh D’Amaro replaced Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, almost six months back. D’Amaro spoke with CNBC about the Walt Disney Company’s success during D23, this past weekend.
I’m really happy about our earnings call. It’s amazing, you know. Great revenue growth. Earnings growth of 28%. It was a pleasant surprise for people to see the parks. D’Amaro added that the parks continue to generate returns for their company.
Then he continued, “We are delivering everything we promised we would deliver.” I think that there is clarity within the organization as to where we should go. There is a lot of team stability. “I feel pretty good, considering we’ve been here for almost six months.”
His immediate focus since becoming CEO was to maintain momentum in Disney’s key growth areas. This included its theme parks, and streaming divisions. Investors have focused on these areas, with Disney receiving mixed reviews from Wall Street in recent months.
D’Amaro stated yesterday that he was not satisfied with the current stock price. D’Amaro said yesterday that “our investors weren’t pleased with this, but I believe we are in a great position relative to the entertainment sector.”
D’Amaro has also confirmed that he is not interested in spinning off ESPN as a separate company.
Watch for D23 coverage throughout the weekend.

Business

Anthropic revenue jumps to over $11.5 billion in Q2: report

Bloomberg News announced Friday that Anthropic grew its revenue by more than 14 times in the second-quarter compared to a year ago. This highlights the company’s rapid growth as it prepares to launch a potentially blockbuster initial stock offering.
Bloomberg News viewed documents that showed the AI company had reported a preliminary revenue for the latest quarter completed of over $11.5 billion. This is up from $787 millions in the previous quarter and $4.73 in the first three months of 2026.
Documents show that Anthropic had a positive operating profit adjusted in the second quarter. Bloomberg said that the figures were preliminary and may still be revised.
An Anthropic representative did not respond immediately to CNBC’s request for comments.
Anthropic is competing with OpenAI to win corporate clients, and its software has been gaining traction in the professional world.
Anthropic announced in May its revenue run rate had surpassed $47 billion. This is up from the estimated $10 billion revenue for 2025.
Sources told CNBC’s David Faber that Anthropic’s initial meetings with potential investors before its possible IPO were high-level, and did not include discussions of specific financials or a value. The sources claim that Anthropic’s CFO Krishna Rao leads the meetings.
An IPO this autumn could be the start of Anthropic becoming one of major AI private companies that taps public markets. This debut could unlock billions in new capital to help fund the escalating costs of compute infrastructure, build advanced hardware and build data centers.