TikTok just updated its desktop viewing experience to offer a smoother UX, expanded features, and more ways to watch. I wish it would go back to how it was before.
Its no secret that TikTok has a mobile-first design. Its beloved hyper-specific algorithm and For You page, as well as its wholehearted embrace of short-form video, has inspired copycats the likes of which include everyone from Instagram to LinkedIn and Substack. TikTok has even changed the fabric of culture itself, shortening attention spans and shaping the music industry as we know it. While TikTok shines on mobile, its desktop experience has historically been significantly less intuitive.
The new desktop browser is, by all counts, a marked improvement. But, for those of us who turn to the clunky desktop TikTok to cut down on screen time, its not necessarily a good thing.
[Photo: TikTok]
Ugh, TikToks new desktop browser is better
The biggest change to TikToks desktop browser is the noticeably smoother UX. Previously, scrolling through videos on the homepage could feel delayed and glitchy, which quickly becomes frustrating given that its the platforms main function. Now, each clip transitions smoothly into the nextan element of TikToks new optimized modular layout that offers a more immersive viewing experience and seamless feed exploration, according to a press release. The look of the platform has also been cleaned up and simplified, including via a minimized navigation bar, to reduce distractions during doomscrolling.
Beyond the improved UX, updated desktop TikTok also comes with a few new features. Its poached the Explore tab straight from the app, giving users another, less tailored feed to explore. Theres now also full-screen live streaming modes for gamers, a web-exclusive floating player on Google Chrome so users can watch brainrot Subway Surfers TikToks while they shop online, and a collections tool that can organize saved videos into subcategories.
And, yeah, on the surface, all of these changes are reasonable responses to TikToks lackluster web browser experience. They make it more frictionless, intuitive, and enjoyable. But did the developers ever consider that maybe some of us liked it when it was bad?
Can we just not?
When TikTok entered the mainstream around the early pandemic, I downloaded it on my phone for a total of about two days. The reason it didnt make the cut in my app library was not because it was bad, but because it was actually too funso much so that reading my AP Lit homework started to feel like an insurmountable task when those little videos were, like, right there.
For me, the ideal screen time solution has been to delete social media apps from my phone and only check them when Im on my computer, where their desktop counterparts tend to be more outdated and, sometimes, downright annoying. My one exception to this rule is YouTube Shorts, but only because its algorithm is leagues behind TikToks and therefore tends to drive me away by recommending one too many English hobby horsing videos. Am I still addicted to these apps? Most definitely. But do I feel like I have to check them every 30 seconds? Thankfully, no.
TikToks desktop experience used to similarly serve as a refuge from the mobile app itself. It was a safe place to get a quick taste of whats happening online without getting sucked into a three-hour rabbit hole about giving butter to babies. Its irritating quirks were precisely the pointand, I would argue, plenty of other desktop users likely turned to this version for the same reason.
Now, though, as the desktop experience creeps ever-closer to the actual mobile app, were all going to have to figure out where to relegate TikTok so that we can hack our brains out of craving it.
A recent Society for Human Resources Management study found that 47% of employees with invisible chronic conditionsillnesses or disabilities that limit activities and functions but lack visible symptomshave not disclosed their conditions to their employers. When I first read this statistic, I wasnt surprised. In a world where the majority of people with invisible disabilities fear discrimination and stigma should they disclose, where is the incentive to do so?
I am part of the 53% who has disclosed her invisible illness to her employer, and fortunately received support, empathy, and understanding as a result. Without a doubt, privilege is at play here. Im a white, college-educated woman with five years in my career under my belt. This affords me access to opportunities and healthcare as well as social and cultural latitudes that, unfortunately, many do not share.
I wish my experience could be the norm. As I reflect on the experiences that led me to this point, Im considering how organizations and their leaders can rethink these disclosures to better support employees.
Who can afford the risk of disclosing
For the majority of my career, Ive grappled with an acceleration in symptoms from my chronic illness, later found to be a likely result of the Lyme disease I contracted while in utero (something that impacts only a very small population of fetuses globally). My body could not sustain the consistent schedule and output needed to succeed in a traditional workplace, so I turned to self-employment, which allowed me to earn a living while managing decades of health challenges.
With my health stabilized, I began seeking traditional employment in 2023. Inevitably, the question of why I was interested in working for someone else after so long working for myself would come up. I decided to be honest and candid, letting employers form their own opinions.
While my health challenges were far less acute than they once had been, I knew that my chronic illness would always be a part of my professional storyso sharing that early on in the process would help me gauge reactions and understand whether an organization would be the right fit for me. Plus, I was largely targeting healthcare companies in my search, and I knew that my experiences on the patient-facing side could be an immense asset to leverage during the interview process.
Still, each time I shared the reasons behind my unconventional résumé history with a recruiter, I felt a twist of nerves in my stomach, born of the instinctive thought that such an admission would be an overall detriment to the way I am perceived in the workplace.
Im sure you can imagine how delighted I was at the number of recruiters and hiring managers who responded with empathy, kindness, and appreciation for my honesty. One recruiter thanked me for my bravery and shared that she also lives with an autoimmune disorder. Another commiserated with me about how challenging it is to live with Lyme disease, as his mother-in-law had just been diagnosed.
These conversations typically segued neatly into discussions about my ability to adapt to and around my chronic illness, underscoring that I am the kind of employee (and person) who looks to leverage her lived experience toward positive outcomes for othersand am committed to using all the effort possible to do so.
Ultimately, my approach paid off. Since the start of 2024, Ive been able to leverage my experience as a professional patient (a phrase I coined as a half-joking nod to my lifetime spent in and out of doctors offices) to better serve patients and providers through my work as a content marketing specialist for a healthcare startup.
Advocating for truly accessible approaches
When I joined the organization for which I now work, I once again chose to share my experience living with lifelong chronic illnessthis time, with colleagues and my manager.
Thats because the internal culture is one that I knew would be accepting and accommodating. During an initial call with a new coworker welcoming me to the team, I learned that they also live with a chronic illness. The ease with which they disclosed, and the way they spoke about the organizations responsethat their disclosure had been met with reminders that their health is the most important thing, and encouragements to arrange elements of their work to be as accommodating as possibletold me that my disclosure would likely be met similarly.
As it turns out, I was right. My disclosures sounded different depending on who I was talking to; I often deployed the professional patient joke when in conversation with clinicians or researchers, while I got a bit more granular with the people I collaborate with often, such as my team and my manager. Regardless of how the conversation started, it always ended the same way: They were gracious and thankful for my candor, and I was likewise thankful for their understanding and willingness to hear me.
Unfortunately, researchers have consistently found that my experience is a rare one. A 2021 academic analysis found that most chronically ill and disabled office workers spend a disproportionate amount of energy concealing all visible symptoms of their condition for fear of discrimination or retaliation.
That means their time spent away from work isnt spent preparing to return refreshed and renewed but rather managing their symptoms so they can continue to conceal them at work. This could include, but certainly isnt limited to, sleeping 10 to 12 or more hours on the weekends, fitting in all-day IV infusions between errand-running on Saturdays, or staying in their home and not speaking to any friends or family members to manage emotional and cognitive burnout. Is it any wonder that people with disabilities are part of the subgroup found to experience 26% higher work-related burnout?
Like millions of other workers across the United States, the choices I make about my career and ways of working are driven primarily by the chronic condition with which I live. Employers, founders, and managers can help alleviate this mental burden for their employees with invisible disabilities by doing these three things:
Rethink ending remote work. For many disabled or chronically ill employees, remote, hybrid, and/or flexible work isnt a nice-to-haveits an accommodation and an equalizer. In a remote-first workplace, chronically ill or disabled employees can have equal visibility on their work as their able-bodied and healthy counterparts without having to worry about being judged for their invisible condition.
Prioritize curiosity and empathy. Two people ith the same invisible condition may have very different symptoms. Encourage managers and leaders to respond to disclosures with empathy and gratituderesponses that lead to massive increases in both employee engagement and well-being.
Open the floor. While no one owes anyone a candid disclosure of their health status, consider offering opportunities to impact and shape diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, such as employee resource groups (ERGs), to employees like me who have elected to do so. Their expertise in their own experience is uniquely valuable, and should be seen as such. To that end, ensure these opportunities are genuinely and thoughtfully offered, not just put together as a way to tick a box on a list of inclusive options.
As some organizations choose to downsize DEI initiatives, and even stop using words like equity altogether, its never been more vital to ensure employeesregardless of health, ability, gender, race, and moreare supported so they can do their best work. Im living proof that these approaches work, and I hope that more organizations choose to follow suit.
Many things are considered distinctly millennial: a man bun, avocado toast, axe-throwing bars. Now you can apparently add millennial burger joints to that list.
On February 11, TikToker fairylights2007 shared a clip using Kyle Gordons 2011 Millennial parody song, along with a caption that read: This song is so truffle fries overpriced burger brick walls metal tin of ketchup.
@fairylights2007 #overpricedburgerplace #millenial #trufflefries #help We Will Never Die (feat. Kody Redwing and The Broken Hearts) (Cut 1) – Kyle Gordon
You know the type. As the video points out, the burgers are typically overpriced$19 to be exactalways with a brioche bun. Fries are extra and come served in a fryer basket with a special house sauce (i.e., ketchup mixed with mayo). Somewhere in the restaurant, a chalkboard lists local IPA beers. The menu includes sections like “handhelds” and “sweet treats.” The decor? Exposed piping, string lights, and Edison bulbs.
Commenters on the video were quick to point out other telltale signs of millennial burger joints. A pbj burger on the menu, one wrote. Games no one has ever played but every bar has, suggested another. Chances are, youve frequented one of these places at least oncewhether you wanted to or not.
Gordons song has since become the soundtrack to a number of TikTok videos jumping on the trend. YES were a millennial burger joint; YES we overprice everything; YES our truffle fries are mediocre at best; YES were two guys with a crazy idea; NO we dont offer comfortable seating; YES we serve water in mason jars, one post read. It was about time all these burger places with the same aesthetic get called out, another creator added.
@quietwhitegirl #xyzbca #fyp #burger #fry #millenial We Will Never Die (feat. Kody Redwing and The Broken Hearts) (Cut 1) – Kyle Gordon
These burger joints became popular in the mid-to-late 2010s, right around the time millennials were launching their first businesses. But now theyve become prime targets for the online generation, who love to poke fun at millennials for everything from their cringe humor to their love of Harry Potter.
And yet, for all the mockery, these places arent going anywhere. The millennial burger joint may now be shorthand for a style-over-substance hipster eatery, but I, for one, will be enjoying my basket of mediocre truffle fries with garlic aioli. So sue me.
OpenAI released a new base model on Thursday called GPT-4.5, which the company said is its best and smartest model for chat yet. Its not a reasoning model like OpenAIs o1 and o3 models, but it can be used to train other models to be reasoning models. Notably, GPT-4.5 was trained using 10 times the computing power (scores of GPUs in data centers) than its predecessor, GPT-4o.
The result is a model whose outputs feel more natural and human, OpenAI said in its press release, and demonstrate a better general understanding of the world. Its writing and programming skills are better, and it hallucinates less. It also displays a higher level of emotional intelligence about the user and what theyre trying to do. For example, when prompted with Im going through a tough time after failing a test, the model responded:
Aw, I’m really sorry to hear that. Failing a test can feel pretty tough and discouraging, but remember, it’s just one momentnot a reflection of who you are or your capabilities.
OpenAI cofounder and former researcher Andrej Karpathy, who got early access to the model, posted on X that the improvements are subtle but meaningful. Everything is a little bit better and it’s awesome, but also not exactly in ways that are trivial to point to, Karpathy continued; also, the model appears to have improved by 20% in everything it does rather than improving by several times over in certain domains or skills.
OpenAI said GPT-4.5s performance proves that supersizing models, training data, and computing power can still produce significant performance gains. However, a debate has been raging over this assertion on X.
Karpathy saw evidence of this in his tests: [I]t is incredibly interesting and exciting as another qualitative measurement of a certain slope of capability that comes for free from just pretraining a bigger model. Of course, free is stretching it: Training costs for a model as big as GPT-4.5 could approach $1 billion.
OpenAI is releasing GPT-4.5 as a research preview to ChatGPT Pro users and to developers who pay to access OpenAI models through an API. It will become available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users next week, the company says.
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Ageism in Hollywood is a tale as old as time. Its well-documented that older women have been less represented in mainstream media and female actors over 40 are less likely to get work compared to their male counterparts.
The stigma surrounding aging women in entertainment has been so pervasive that many actresses have felt forced to hide the natural realities of aging. Actress Naomi Watts recently revealed, I was told I would never work again if I admitted to being menopausal. Her experience is not uniquemany women in the industry have echoed similar sentiments, facing a shrinking pool of opportunities as they age.
This years award show season has shown that the tides are turning. Weve started to see a shift with actresses in Hollywood experiencing success later in life. One of the most discussed films of the past year, The Substance, tackles ageism head-on. And in a historic moment, Demi Moore44 years into her careerwon her first Golden Globe at 62 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. During the Golden Globes, we saw seven of the Best Actress nominations go to women over the age of 40. These nominations signal a growing recognition that talent doesnt have to have an expiration date.
For decades Hollywood has created the perception that women in their 40s and beyond, often when they are perimenopausal or menopausal, are past their primes and reaching the end of their careers. Moore previously shared that she almost quit acting because of ageism and how difficult it can be, particularly for women over 50. However, this cultural shift in Hollywood’s acceptance and celebration of aging women could change how this demographic is represented. Now the question is, will we see other industries shift their perceptions of midlife women? Heres why they should.
Outdated research has failed menopausal women
Before looking ahead, we have to understand how we got here. The societal stigma around aging has often overlapped with menopause, and unfortunately, thats led to a negative perception of this transitional period of a womans life.
Menopause has been widely understudied. For example, a study in Nature Aging has shown that researchers havent properly considered menopause in 99% of studies of the biology of aging.
Furthering the stigma, outdated research has led to a lack of treatment options for women experiencing menopause symptoms. The use of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms stopped nearly overnight due to a study showing that hormone therapy increased the risks of cancer. However, recent studies have debunked that theory and shown the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks.
The lack of research and controversial history around hormone therapy has hurt menopause care and prevented aging women from getting the adequate support they need. That all is changing.
What the entertainment industry can teach
Companies can take a page from Hollywoods playbook by supporting and empowering its female senior talent. Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are some of the most experienced managers, leaders, and mentors in the workplace. As they age, they are also often at the height of their careers. McKinsey and Lean In found that female leaders contribute more to employee engagementincluding creating an inclusive workplace and mentorshipthan their male counterparts, and another McKinsey report found that organizations with gender diversity of executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability compared to those who didnt.
Senior female leaders are an essential part of the workforce. Yet according to our 2022 Menopause in the Workplace report, 46% of working women experiencing menopause said their 50s have been the most difficult time in their careers. Our latest data also showed that 50% of Gen X women have experienced ageism at work. Now is a critical time for companies to step up and support.
Organizations must invest in meeting the evolving needs of their midlife female workforce. Investing in menopause support for senior women leaderssuch as access to specialized providers, educational resources, and coverage for hormone therapyenables these women to manage their symptoms effectively, remain at peak productivity, and pave the way for the next generation of female leaders.
What happens in Hollywood strongly influences culture, including workplaces. On March 2, Moore is up for her first Oscar for her critically acclaimed role. No matter who wins, its a victory for Moore and all aging women at work.
Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, FACOG is cofounder and Chief Medical Officer of Carrot Fertility.
From the rising cost of eggs and the staggering cost of housing, the constant chaos from mass government firings to the tariff threats against Canada and Mexico, Americans are struggling to cope with rampant economic uncertainty the best way they can: doom spending.
One in 5 Americans say they are buying more than usual, “purchasing items excessively or impulsively in response to fears or anxiety about future events,” according to a recent report by CreditCards.com. The act of buying things as a way to self-soothe and cope with discomfort can be particularly problematic, especially when you’re worried about your personal finances and the economy at large in the first place.
The survey, published in February 2025, examines consumer spending habits since President Donald Trump took office and focuses on the role economic factors and uncertainty play.
Here are some key findings.
Americans are buying more, driven by Trump tariffs
President Trump’s proposed tariffs are weighing heavily on many people’s minds. In fact, more than one in 4, or 29%, of respondents say fear of Trumps tariffs greatly impacts their desire to make additional purchases.
Trump has said, starting March 4 (next week!), he will slap a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and may in the future even broaden the scope to include automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductorsall of which means higher prices for American consumers already dealing with cost of living concerns and inflation.
Digging a little further, the report shows 19% of respondents say they are buying significantly (5%) or slightly more (14%) items than usual, and of this group, 29% say fear of Trumps tariffs greatly impacts their desire to make additional purchases, while 37% say its having some impact.
Another pandemic also prompts spending
The report found that 3 in 10 respondents are purchasing items to prepare for another pandemic. Meanwhile, 42% say they are, or will start, stockpiling items, mainly food and toilet paper.
Also, since November 2024, 28% of respondents say they have made one large purchase (over $500) and 21% say they soon plan to. The most common of those large purchases were electronics (39%), home appliances (31%), and home improvement materials (25%). People also bought furniture (22%) and cars (17%).
Finally, and perhaps the most worrisome finding of the report, is that 34% of respondents say they are likely to worsen or go into credit card debt this year to secure purchases.
WASHINGTON (AP) The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Biden’s climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming super pollutant.” The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars.
The Senate on Thursday voted along party lines 52-47 to repeal the fee, following a similar House vote on Wednesday. The measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.
Methane is a much stronger global warming gas than carbon dioxide, especially in the short term, and is to blame for about one-third of the worlds warming so far. Oil and gas producers are among the biggest U.S. methane emitters and controlling it is critical to address climate change.
Most major oil and gas companies do not release enough methane to trigger the fee, which is $900 per ton, an amount that would increase to $1,500 by 2026. The measure was part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but the Environmental Protection Agency didnt formally set rules until late last year.
That timing made it vulnerable to the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to pass a resolution to undo rules that are finalized toward the end of a president’s term. If those resolutions pass and the president signs them, the rule is terminated and agencies cant issue a similar one again.
Its a sorry testament to the influence of Big Oil on Capitol Hill that one of the top priorities of Congress is a blatant handout to the worst actors in the fossil fuel industry,” said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizens energy program.
The American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry, applauded the move, calling the fee a duplicative, punitive tax on American energy production that stifles innovation.”
Thanks to industry action, methane emissions continue to decline as production increases, and we support building on this progress through smart and effective regulation, said Amanda Eversole, the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer at API.
Globally, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have been steadily climbing.
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who chairs the Senate’s Environment and Public Works committee, spoke in favor of repeal on the Senate floor.
We should be expanding natural gas production, not restricting it. Instead, the natural gas tax will constrain American natural gas production, leading to increased energy prices and providing a boost to the production of natural gas in Russia, she said.
Repeal of the methane fee is the latest of several pro-oil and gas moves Republicans have taken since the start of Trump’s term. On his first day, he declared a national energy emergency, calling for more oil and gas production, and fewer environmental reviews. Democrats failed to overturn that declaration yesterday. Trump has also lifted a pause on new applications for liquified natural gas export terminals, removed the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, and moved to open up more areas of public lands and waters for oil and gas drilling.
The fee on methane releases was aimed at pushing companies to adopt better practices to curb emissions and make their operations more efficient. Technology exists to prevent leaks and to fix them. The EPA had said the fee was expected to reduce 1.2 million metric tons of methane emissions by 2035thats about the same as removing 8 million cars from the road for a year.
The Biden administration had also implemented methane regulations on existing oil and gas wells, after addressing methane escaping from new wells. The EPA at the time meant for the fee to complement that rule and focus on the worst polluters.
About half of all methane emissions from wells are from just 6% that are smaller producers, according to a recent study.
Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Associated Press
A grassroots organization is encouraging U.S. residents not to spend any money Friday as an act of economic resistance to protest what the group’s founder sees as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.
The People’s Union USA calls the 24 hours of spending abstinence set to start at midnight an economic blackout, a term that has since been shared and debated on social media. The activist movement said it also plans to promote weeklong consumer boycotts of particular companies, including Walmart and Amazon.
Other activists, faith-based leaders and consumers already are organizing boycotts to protest companies that have scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to oppose President Donald Trump’s moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies. Some faith leaders are encouraging their congregations to refrain from shopping at Target, one of the companies backing off DEI efforts, during the 40 days of Lent that begin Wednesday.
Here are some details about the various events and experts’ thoughts on whether having consumers keep their wallets closed is an effective tool for influencing the positions corporations take.
Who’s behind the 24-hour Economic Blackout?
The People’s Union USA, which takes credit for initiating the no-spend day, was founded by John Schwarz, a meditation teacher who lives near the Chicago area, according to his social media accounts.
The organization’s website said it’s not tied to a political party but stands for all people. Requests for comment sent to the group’s email address this week did not receive a reply.
The planned blackout is scheduled to run from 12 a.m. EST through 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday. The activist group advised customers to abstain from making any purchases, whether in store or online, but particularly not from big retailers or chains. It wants participants to avoid fast food and filling their car gas tanks, and says shoppers with emergencies or in need of essentials should support a local small business and try not to use a credit or debit card.
People’s Union plans another broad-based economic blackout on March 28, but it’s also organizing boycotts targeting specific retailers Walmart and Amazon as well as global food giants Nestle and General Mills. For the boycott against Amazon, the organization is encouraging people to refrain from buying anything from Whole Foods, which the e-commerce company owns.
What other boycotts are being planned?
There are a number of boycotts being planned, particularly aimed at Target. The discounter, which has backed diversity and inclusion efforts aimed at uplifting Black and LGBTQ+ people in the past, announced in January it was rolling back its DEI initiatives.
A labor advocacy group called We Are Somebody, led by Nina Turner, launched a boycott of Target on February 1 to coincide with Black History Month.
Meanwhile, an Atlanta-area pastor, the Rev. Jamal Bryant, organized a website called targetfast.org to recruit Christians for a a 40-day Target boycott starting March 5, which marks Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Other faith leaders have endorsed the protest.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization, announced in late January it would identify two companies in the next 90 days that will be boycotted for abandoning their diversity, equity and inclusion pledges. The organization formed a commission to identify potential candidates.
“Donald Trump can cut federal DEI programs to the bone, he can claw back federal money to expand diversity, but he cannot tell us what grocery store we shop at, Sharpton said in a statement posted on the National Action Network’s website.
Will the events have any impact?
Some retailers may feel a slight pinch from Friday’s broad blackout, which is taking place in a tough economic environment, experts said. Renewed inflation worries and Trump’s threat of tariffs on imported goods already have had an effect on consumer sentiment.
The (market share) pie is just so big, Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at market research firm Circana, said. You cant afford to have your slices get smaller. Consumers are spending more money on food. And that means theres more pressure on general merchandise or discretionary products.
Still, Cohen thinks the overall impact may be limited, with any meaningful sales declines more likely to surface in liberal-leaning coastal regions and big cities.
Anna Tuchman, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said she thinks the economic blackout will likely make a dent in daily retail sales but won’t be sustainable.
I think this is an opportunity for consumers to show that they have a voice on a single day,” she said. I think its unlikely that we would see long-run sustained decreases in economic activity supported by this boycott.
Other boycotts have produced different results.
Target saw a drop in sales in the spring and summer quarter of 2023 that the discounter attributed in part to customer backlash over a collection honoring LGBTQ+ communities for Pride Month. As a result, Target didnt carry Pride merchandise in all of its stores the following year.
Tuchman studied the impact of a boycott against Goya Foods during the summer of 2020 after the company’s CEO praised Trump. But her study, based on sales from research firm Numerator, found the brand saw a sales increase driven by first-time Goya buyers who were disproportionately from heavily Republican areas.
However, the revenue bump proved temporary; Goya had no detectable sales increase after three weeks, Tuchman said.
It was a different story for Bud Light, which spent decades as Americas bestselling beer. Sales plummeted in 2023 after the brand sent a commemorative can to a transgender influencer. Bud Lights sales still havent fully recovered, according to alcohl consulting company Bump Williams.
Tuchman thinks a reason is because there were plenty of other beers that the brands mostly conservative customer base could buy to replace Bud Light.
Afya Evans, a political and image consultant in Atlanta, said she would make a point of shopping on Friday but will focus on small businesses and Black-owned brands.
Evans is aware of other boycotts but she said she liked this one because she believes it could have some effect on sales.
Its a broader thing, she said. We want to see what the impact is. Let everybody participate. And plan from there.
Anne D’innocenzio and Haleluya Hadero, AP business writers
AP Business Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.
Love Warby Parker glasses, but not the high price tags? This one’s for you. Target is partnering with Warby Parker to bring designer-quality, affordable eyewear to customers, opening five “shop-in-shops” in 2025, the retailers announced on Thursday.
Warby Parker staff will run the shops within Target locations, which will offer glasses, sunglasses, contacts, eye exams, and vision screenings, consistent with the eyewear brand’s own stores. Prices will start at $95, including prescription lenses.
The first five locations will open in the second half of 2025 at the following Target stores:
Willowbrook, IL
Bloomington, MN
Brick, NJ
Columbus, OH (Polaris)
Exton, PA
Warby Parker at Target will also debut online at Target.com with the opening of the first location. More Warby Parker shops are slated to open in 2026.
“Warby Parker at Target reflects both brands’ commitment to style, affordability, quality and convenience,” Christina Hennington, executive vice president of Target said in a statement. “As we test and learn with this new partnershipbringing Warby Parker’s expertise into select storeswe’re enticing new consumers to discover more of Target.”
The new partnership will complement, not replace the Minneapolis-based retailer’s growing Target Optical business, which offers a range of products and services at more than 500 of Target’s 2,000 stores nationwide.
The Warby Parker shops are the latest addition to Target’s growing number of in-store partnerships, which already include Starbucks, Apple, and Ulta.
The news comes after Target announced it was rolling back its DEI efforts, ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and investments. The move has angered activists, who are calling for customers to boycott the brand as part of both the Target Fast and “Feb. 28 Economic Blackout” movements.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation will increase its giving over the next two years in response to what it calls a crisis” prompted by the Trump administration‘s freeze on federal foreign aid and the now- suspended freeze on federal grants.
“This is a major crisis for our sector and its a time when those of us who can do more should do more,” said John Palfrey, president of MacArthur Foundation, in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.
Palfrey announced the increase in a blog post on the foundation’s website, saying, The cliff of funding from federal programs has sent budgets underwater in field after field, and people and communities in the United States and abroad will suffer.
Palfrey said the foundation would increase giving from 5% of its endowment, which is the minimum required by the Internal Revenue Service, to at least 6% for the next two years. The foundation reported it had $8.7 billion in assets in 2023 and it pays out around $400 million annually. Palfrey said he expected to grant out around $150 million more over the next two years.
In his first days in office, President Donald Trump suspended foreign aid and directed the Office of Management and Budget to temporarily suspend all federal grants and contracts. Trump said he wanted to review whether all the grants aligned with his policies. The moves have had profound impacts across many sectors.
The U.S. is the largest funder of global humanitarian responses and spent $68 billion on foreign aid in 2023. In 2021, nonprofits reported receiving $267 billion in government grants, according to an analysis of the tax forms that nonprofits file by the Urban Institute.
In comparison, foundations granted out $103 billion in 2023, according to research from GivingUSA.
Palfrey called on other foundations to join them in the commitment to increase their giving.
Philanthropy should act in a different way than we have in the past, which is historically, weve simply given out more money when the stock market has gone up and weve given out less money when the stock market has gone down, he said.
Freedom Together Foundation, formerly called the JPB Foundation, also announced that it would double its grantmaking to 10% of its endowment in response to the Trump administration’s policies.
Deepak Bhargava, the foundation’s president, wrote in a letter that the current moment reminds him of the AIDS crisis, when activists pushed the government to find a cure and changed the place of LGBTQ+ people in society.
The movement made a way out of no way. That can happen again, as it has so many times throughout American history, Bhargava wrote. There is a dispiriting tide of fear right now, and Im disappointed by how few leaders and institutions are stepping up. But my own experience and our shared history teaches us a hopeful lesson: courage is contagious.
The Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation is best known for its genius fellowship, which recognizes extraordinary people who work across disciplines and awards them a $800,000 grant. The foundation also focuses on climate, criminal justice and journalism initiatives and has ongoing commitments to Chicago and Nigeria.
Palfrey said foundations found ways to make more money available to their grantees during the COVID-19 pandemic and could do so again now. For example, the MacArthur Foundation was one of eight foundations that issued bonds, essentially borrowing against their endowments to be able to pay out more in the short term.
I think we need to do something different in 2025, Palfrey said. But I think its the same rationale.”
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, vice president of research at The Center for Effective Philanthropy, said nonprofits report feeling a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety because of the president’s executive orders.
Really what nonprofits do is that they stand in the gap for all Americans,” she said. “So my hope is that organizations and individuals across this country doing this work in their communities will stand up for the nonprofits that they support, especially at a moment like this.
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
Thalia Beaty, Associated Press
