The dairy company Land O' Lakes doesn't just sell butter. The brand is also a cooperative with over 3,600 members through its Farmer to Fork approach and is aware of the unique struggles American farmers face, specifically with the recent trade tensions.
The Trump administration has been involved with trade disputes for nearly two years, but Land O' Lakes CEO Beth Ford says the recent USMCA agreement was a major win. "The passage of USMCA is a big victory. Overall economy-wise it's about $1.4 trillion in sales," Ford told Cheddar.
However, some of those sales might not be coming from milk products. As consumers switch to more non-dairy products, milk consumption has seen a drop in sales with the market growth of almond and oat milk. But Ford said that dairy consumption hasn't been stronger. "Dairy prices have come down, but there is still growth in the sector. Cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, all of those areas are growing."
During this time of year there is a peak in demand for butter, and to keep up with it Land O' Lakes has teamed up with the Silicon Valley startup Plus.ai to meet consumers' needs.
With the help of Plus.ai Land O'Lakes was able to complete the first-ever 2,800-mile coast-to-coast delivery with an autonomous truck in less than three days. There was a driver aboard at all times, but the truck drove itself the entire way. Still, "capacity is tight because driver shortages continue to be a pressure on sectors," Ford said.
The company plans to continue to work with innovative partners and digital suppliers to improve customer experience. "So, with this autonomous vehicle, we can see the pathway to the future," Ford said.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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