Business
Happy Joe’s Pizza launches patriotic menu, sweepstakes for America 250

Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream is turning America’s 250th birthday into a summer-long celebration.
The Davenport, Iowa-based restaurant chain — which has three company-owned restaurants, 35 domestic franchised locations and nine international locations in Egypt — is rolling out patriotic menu items, family block parties and sweepstakes tied to the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Tom Sacco, Happy Joe’s CEO, president and “chief happiness officer,” said the campaign fits the brand’s roots.
“Who’s better in this country to throw a birthday party for just regular old American folks than Happy Joe’s?” Sacco told FOX Business. “Because that’s who we are.”
From May 15 through Aug. 15, guests who buy a specialty pizza and a Mountain Dew at participating locations can enter the “Freedom Flyaway Sweepstakes” for a chance to win one of three $3,000 trips to Washington, D.C.
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The sweepstakes was initially solely tied to a Washington, D.C., trip, but Sacco said winners can also take the cash and use it however it best helps their families.
“If celebrating to them is giving… them freedom financially to not be burdened by some of the expensive things that have happened in the last four or five years … If that’s what makes you happy, because mom doesn’t have to stress about how to pay for daycare during the summer or something like that, then that’s a huge win,” Sacco said.
The promotion also includes weekly Mountain Dew prize packs with pickleball paddles, lawn chairs, blankets, Happy Joe’s apparel and gift cards.
Happy Joe’s is also hosting AMERICA250 Block Party events on June 29 from 4 to 8 p.m. with games, trivia, music, giveaways and free slices of its red, white and blue birthday cake pizza.
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Sacco said some locations will have activities such as bounce houses, face painting, balloon makers and patriotic trivia tied to both U.S. history and Happy Joe’s history.
“We’re going to just do some fun stuff like that,” Sacco said. “… We can play the game and make it patriotic, but make it tied to Happy Joe’s kind of stuff.”
The limited-time menu includes a BBQ Brisket Pizza with Texas-smoked brisket, pickles, onions and barbecue sauce, a BBQ Chicken Pizza and an AMERICA250 Birthday Cake topped with red, white and blue frosting and sprinkles.
Sacco said Happy Joe’s is leaning into what it has long been known for: birthdays, families and memorable dining experiences.
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“We don’t compete on price. We don’t compete on discounting. We compete on experience,” Sacco said. “Pizza gets you in the door. When you leave, we’ve created a memory. And that’s how we go about the business.”
He added that the campaign gives the brand a chance to celebrate the country’s milestone birthday with families across its markets.
“The 250, for me, is like the biggest national celebration I can ever be a part in,” Sacco said. “I have the opportunity, because of Happy Joe’s, to share it with hundreds of thousands of our guests and their families around the country.”
Business
Costco adds new yogurt cups praised as ‘top tier’ treat
Costco has added a new frozen treat to its shelves from a brand customers have praised as “top tier.”
Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Cups have been offered at select warehouse locations, according to the brand.
The product was introduced late last month, the company announced, just in time as summer temperatures begin to spike.
The 12-pack includes mini cups split between two flavors: Vanilla Caramel and Fudge Chip.
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Marketed as a lighter alternative to traditional ice cream, each 3-ounce cup contains less than 100 calories and 4 grams of protein.
The Vanilla Caramel flavor has 80 calories per serving, while the Fudge Chip comes in at 90 calories.
The pack reportedly retails for $11.89, equivalent to roughly $1 per cup, according to Instagram page Costcobffs.
The new release has sparked significant attention across social media.
One Reddit user praised the decision, saying Yasso items are not overly sweet and lack the artificial taste often found in other low-calorie desserts.
“Yasso products have always been top tier,” the user said.
Another Reddit user added, “These are absolutely amazing and the right portion for that sweet treat.”
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Ticker Security Last Change Change % COST COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. 951.45 -14.14 -1.46%
Social media page CostcoHotFinds, which said it has partnered with the brand, noted the item is available for a limited time.
“Availability depends on the region and retailer,” Yasso said. “We’d suggest checking with your local store manager about ordering it in.”
Shoppers eager to try the mini cups may also find the product at BJ’s Wholesale Club locations, the brand added.
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It is typical for Costco to roll out limited-time products as part of a testing period before wider or recurring availability.
The Yasso brand has, however, shown staying power, as Costco has previously carried its frozen Greek yogurt bars, including Cookies ‘n Cream and Mint Chocolate Chip flavors.
The 15-count packs feature similar nutrition profiles, with each serving typically ranging between 90 and 100 calories and containing about 5 grams of protein.
FOX Business reached out to Yasso for more information.
Business
Purse Strings Aren’t Quite Snipped for Gen X, Millennials
The older members of Gen X may be hovering around 60, but a significant chunk are still on the family payroll. New survey data from Northwestern Mutual finds that a third of Gen Xers and more than half of millennials say they remain financially reliant on their parents; across all ages, 42% of adults report some dependence, per USA Today. That includes 72% of Gen Z. The dynamic comes as boomers hold roughly half of US household wealth—about $90 trillion—and as an estimated $124 trillion is expected to be passed down from older generations to younger ones by 2048, a shift often dubbed the “Great Wealth Transfer.”
That transfer, however, is neither guaranteed nor imminent. Americans are living longer and spending more on long-term care, and most people who do inherit don’t see that money until their late 50s or early 60s—and fewer than 40% inherit at all, per a past analysis by the Washington Post. Meanwhile, younger adults are contending with steeper obstacles: higher mortgage balances, larger student loans, and rising living costs. Pew Research reports that 44% of young adults had received help from parents in the past year, most commonly for groceries, utilities, and phone bills. More than a third of those parents say the support hurts their own finances, even as close to the same number worry their kids won’t become fully independent.
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Business
Chevy Silverado gets V8 power boost, high-tech overhaul for 2027
Chevrolet is giving its Silverado pickup a major update with new V8 engines, a redesigned exterior and more technology inside the cabin.
The automaker on Tuesday introduced the next-generation 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, calling it the “most powerful Silverado ever” and marking one of the pickup’s biggest updates in years.
The truck is expected to go on sale at the end of the year, with pricing to be announced later, according to the company.
“Silverado has earned truck customers’ trust over decades of hard work in the real world,” Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet, said in a statement. “With the next-generation 2027 Silverado 1500, we’re taking that legacy forward by building the most capable, refined and advanced Silverado lineup we’ve ever offered.”
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The 2027 Silverado will offer four powertrain options, including new 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter V8 engines. Chevrolet said the truck will have the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine in its class.
The lineup will also include an updated 2.7-liter TurboMax engine paired with a 10-speed transmission, along with the Duramax 3.0-liter Turbo-Diesel.
“From tough towing scenarios to the daily demands our customers put on their trucks, these next-generation V8s were engineered and proven to perform in the real world,” Mark Dickens, executive chief engineer at Chevrolet, said in a statement.
The 2027 Silverado will come in seven trims, including Work Truck, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, Silverado, Trail Boss, ZR2 and High Country.
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Chevrolet said the new lineup is designed to give buyers more choice, from work-focused trucks to off-road models and more premium versions.
The ZR2 will be the most off-road-capable version, while the High Country will serve as the top luxury trim.
Inside, every 2027 Silverado will come with a new digital cockpit, including a standard 16.3-inch center display and a 12.2-inch driver information screen.
Chevrolet said the Silverado will offer Super Cruise driver-assistance technology with trailering capability, allowing hands-free driving while towing on compatible roads.
The truck also gets a new exterior design, including a stronger front end, new LED headlights and taillights and updated wheel openings.
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“The goal with the new Silverado was to create a truck that looks stronger, more modern with demanding presence at first glance, while staying true to the authentic truck character customers expect from Chevrolet,” Chevrolet Global Executive Design Director Phil Zak said in a statement.
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Additional details, including availability and MSRP, will be released later this year.
Chevrolet last introduced an all-new Silverado in December 2017, when it unveiled the fourth-generation 2019 Silverado, according to the company’s website.
Business
Workers flock to Nevada from California amid lithium discovery
A desert state known for its casinos and scorching temperatures is seeing a jobs boom as workers and businesses increasingly flock from neighboring California.
Nevada’s game-changing lithium reserves are fueling the surge, with the mineral becoming increasingly valuable as demand for artificial intelligence technology grows.
“Economically, Nevada is a relatively small state being mentioned in the same breath as California, Texas, Florida,” David Schmidt, chief economist for Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, told CNBC.
The jobs market is posting “really remarkable numbers that we’re seeing,” he added.
Nevada’s workforce grew 1.9% between April 2025 and April 2026, the fastest rate in the nation and well ahead of the 0.2% increase recorded nationally, the outlet reported, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The growth was so strong that roughly 12% of all new jobs created in the United States during that period were added in Nevada, despite the state accounting for only about 1% of the country’s population.
Economic leaders say the gains are the result of years of efforts to diversify Nevada’s economy beyond gambling and entertainment.
Professional and business services jobs led Nevada’s growth over the past year, followed by education and health services positions. Schmidt attributed some of that growth to Nevada’s favorable tax policies.
Nevada has also become increasingly attractive to companies pursuing new or expanded mining projects because of its bountiful lithium supplies, he said.
Lithium is a key component in batteries used to help run AI models, while Nevada’s roughly 110,000 square miles of open land have made it an attractive location for AI-related infrastructure, including data centers.
The hiring boom comes as the state’s gaming industry has softened — Nevada’s economy is becoming less dependent on gambling and tourism.
An analysis of federal data found that about 60% of new jobs added in the Las Vegas region between 2016 and 2025 came from industries outside hospitality, construction and government.
LV Petroleum CEO Kris Roach told CNBC he has hired hundreds of workers over the past year to staff the company’s restaurants and travel centers.
Roach said recruiting has been “very easy,” with some management openings drawing more than 100 applications.
He also pointed to a strong pool of white-collar workers, including former casino employees, for positions in finance and human resources.
“It’s a great state to operate in,” Roach said. “There’s so much untapped talent.”
Nevada’s population growth has also helped fuel the hiring boom.
Economists have linked part of that growth to the state’s proximity to California, with federal data showing Nevada’s population increased more than 62% between 2000 and 2025, compared with roughly 21% nationwide.
The state also remains less expensive than neighboring California, Idaho and Arizona.
Emma Keserich, who moved to Las Vegas from the Washington, DC area last year said many newcomers are surprised by what they find.
“People think Las Vegas is just the Strip,” Keserich told CNBC. “There’s just more than what meets the eye.”
Business
GM replaces more than 1,000 workers with 50 robots at flagship Detroit plant
General Motors has gutted its electric-vehicle ambitions and killed more than 1,000 jobs at its flagship Detroit assembly plant — replacing those workers with 50 robots and sparking outrage from labor unions.
The replacement “collaborative robots,” or “cobots,” have been installed on the assembly line at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Michigan amid a sharply reduced demand for its EV models and the ensuing push to cut costs, reports said.
The machines are now working alongside the remaining humans there who attach the body panels to vehicles as they move down the track, according to AutoBlog.
The automaker insists the cobots are necessary at the Detroit-Hamtramck electric-truck plant to stay competitive while improving “safety and ergonomics” for the workers, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
“We’ve been installing cobots across our manufacturing footprint as part of a broader push to bring more advanced technology into our operations,” spokesman Kevin Kelly said.
“At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team — helping improve safety and ergonomics, while keeping our operations flexible and competitive.”
But United Auto Workers Local 22 President James Cotton isn’t buying it, saying the machines are simply a cost-cutting measure that is taking jobs from his union members.
“Our manpower is being taken away from us,” Cotton said, according to Crains.
“From top to bottom, we’re disgusted that they have cobots in our plants,” he said.
The number of labor hours required to produce a car has declined 50% to 70% since the 1980s, Crains reported.
But that hasn’t stopped UAW wages from going up. The union was able to make historic wage gains in 2023, and the union will likely seek stronger protections in its upcoming 2028 contract negotiations, the outlet said.
Cotton said that despite the company’s claim of the technology making conditions safer, he has safety concerns with robots working next to humans and that the union has since filed grievances against GM over the cobots.
The cobots arrived as GM is getting hammered by slowing EV demand — largely because of the costs, according to AAA — with the automaker pausing production at Factory Zero multiple times over the past year.
In response to GM’s heavy automation push and cobot installation, UAW President Shawn Fain said workers are “in a fight for humanity,” reported the News Tribune.
“The fruits of our labor have multiplied like never before, but workers aren’t reaping the harvest,” he said, according to the outlet.
“And if AI continues to be used as an accessory to that crime, it has to be stopped — it doesn’t have to be this way — in a just society, when workers create more value, they see more of the benefit.”
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