New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed legislation that will ban discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, sex and religion. Exemptions under the ordinance include cases in which an individual’s height or weight could prevent them from performing essential functions of the job. Some business leaders have said they are concerned that that compliance with the new ordinance could become an onerous burden. Several other U.S. cities have banned discrimination based on weight or on physical appearance, including San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wisconsin.
As inflation on necessities like groceries remains stubbornly high, the well-heeled consumer appears to still be spending, while the lower-income shopper continues to cut back their purchases, according to the latest batch of earnings reports. Ralph Lauren Corp. reported a surprise increase in revenue in the latest fiscal quarter, while Dollar Tree cut its annual profit outlook on shoppers’ increased focus on groceries and other necessities. Groceries carry a lower profit margin compared with general merchandise like clothing. Meanwhile, Best Buy turned in a first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations, even as it wrestled with a sales slump. But Best Buy sees the gadget spending slump bottom out by year-end.
The unofficial start of the summer travel season is here, with airlines hoping to avoid the chaos of last year and travelers scrounging for ways to save a few bucks on pricey airfares and hotel rooms. Some travelers say they will settle for fewer trips than they hoped to take, or they will drive instead of fly. Others are finding different money-saving sacrifices. AAA predicts that 37 million Americans will drive at least 50 miles from home this weekend, an increase of more than 2 million from Memorial Day last year but still below pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 10 million travelers between Friday and Monday, a 14% increase over the holiday in 2022 and slightly more than in 2019.
NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $32.3 million.
GETZVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — GETZVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Columbus McKinnon Corp. (CMCO) on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $13.9 million.
A federal judge says he won't block JPMorgan's legal efforts to accuse a former executive of hiding Jeffrey Epstein's decades-long sex abuse in order to keep the financier as a client. Judge Jed Rakoff on Wednesday denied requests by lawyers for the executive, Jes Staley, to toss out claims the bank made against Staley after it was sued by the U.S. Virgin Islands and a woman who identified herself as one of Epstein's victims. The judge said he'll explain his reasoning later in a written decision. Staley's lawyers had argued that the bank was using Staley as a “public relations shield” by asserting claims with no legal basis.
NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — UiPath Inc. (PATH) on Wednesday reported a loss of $31.9 million in its fiscal first quarter.
Citigroup plans to spin off its Banamex banking franchise, the company said Wednesday, a deal that would bring an end to Citi’s two-decade push into Latin America. Citi had announced last year that it planned to explore options for the Banamex business, which included a possible sale of the company to a rival bank or a major investor. Since announcing its plans for Banamex last year, any deal has come with significant political complications. Mexican politicians had pushed for job guarantees and there were fears that Citi would move Banamex’s substantial Mexican art collection out of the country. In a statement, Citi said all Banamex art and historic buildings will remain part of the new company.
The head of the Russian private army Wagner says his force lost more than 20,000 men in the drawn-out battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. About half that number were Russian convicts recruited to fight in the 15-month-old war. The figure was in stark contrast with claims from Moscow that just over 6,000 troops were killed in the war as of January. It is also higher than the official estimate of the Soviet losses in the Afghanistan war of 15,000 troops between 1979-89. Ukraine hasn’t said how many of its soldiers have died since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Analysts believe the nine-month fight for Bakhmut alone has cost the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers.
Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers. Target declined to confirm which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck friendly” adult women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Designs by Abprallen, a London-based company which designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories, have also sparked a backlash.