Free Republic

In 2003, former McDonnell Douglas executive Harry Stonecipher became the CEO of Boeing and described the company as "run like a business rather than a great engineering firm." Stonecipher made the fateful decision to reject proposals to design a clean-sheet airplane to replace the aging Boeing 727, 737, and 757. By 2011, Boeing's aging 737 was losing to rival Airbus's A320neo, but instead of a new aircraft, the decision was made to upgrade the 737 NG to the 737 MAX. This would allow it to stay within the FAA's original type certification and operate with the same flying characteristics. It...

Sydney Kasin spends her days learning to cut precise angles with a miter saw, but she's also cutting a different path than many of her peers. The Waunakee High School senior splits her time between the classroom and construction job sites as a carpentry apprentice, part of a growing trend of students choosing trades over traditional four-year college degrees. "I really wanted to use my hands and see what I'm building instead of sitting in an office every day," Kasin said. Her decision reflects a broader shift in American attitudes toward higher education. About 1 in 4 Americans now say...

Several restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about their customers’ attitudes as the country’s economy worsens due to inflation and slow hiring numbers. Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava — all purveyors of “slop bowls” — have seen their stocks drop dramatically in 2025. Chipotle’s stock is down about 50% for the year, while Cava has seen a 60% decline. Sweetgreen last week revealed in its earnings that same-store sales slid 9.5% and visits fell nearly 12%. “The 25-to-35 (year old) consumer is the most under pressure, and they make up about 30% of our consumer base,” Sweetgreen’s CFO Jamie McConnell said....

The upbeat, Spanish music still floats through the aisles of Sav/Way Foods, the Latino supermarket in the heart of the bustling and boisterous Plaza Midwood neighborhood. But at 8:30 on a chilly morning this week, the songs on the loudspeakers are about all the Spanish you hear. “It’s been really, really slow,” says employee Bella Duran as a half-dozen shoppers silently mill about the store. “A lot of our customers have been scared to come out.” Some patrons now afraid to leave their homes are taking Sav/Way up on its offer of free home delivery. Inside the store, rows of...

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has picked former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan to serve as co-chair of his transition team…Khan — a 36-year-old Democrat who bought major cases against Meta and Amazon while running the FTC from 2021 to 2025 — surprised some onlookers on Wednesday as she appeared alongside Mamdani at his first post-election press conference. During her time at the FTC, Khan waged an unsuccessful fight to stop Microsoft’s acquisition of video game giant Activision-Blizzard; blocked an attempted merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons and enacted a ban on non-compete agreements when workers switch jobs, which was...

Patty DeMint and Michelle Robey, affectionately known to employees as the “DQ Sisters,” own the Dairy Queen Grill & Chill in Medford and have long been described as surrogate mothers, mentors, and champions for people seeking second chances, according to a GoFundMe. “They’ve pulled off Christmas miracles for employees’ kids, quietly paid for funerals, celebrated graduations, and lifted us up through struggles big and small,” employee Tammy Gonzales wrote. DeMint and Robey have also made the restaurant a “second chance” company, hiring people with disabilities, those recovering from addiction, and even individuals with felony records who needed a fresh start....

"There is a lot of chatter these days about holding those evil companies that hire illegals to some type of legal retribution. Let me explain why this is the willful failure of government, not the actions of some greaseball company owners." ... "When the first unscrupulous contractors started working with illegal aliens, they generally paid cash under the table. No payroll taxes or anything like that were paid. When this percolated up to the powers that be, there was an outcry. About hiring illegal aliens and putting hard working American citizens out of work? Not a chance. They came down...

The US Federal Reserve’s decision to ease monetary policy is inflating an economic bubble that could drive up the prices of hard assets, but also marks the final phase of a 75-year economic cycle, according to former hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. Typically, as CoinTelegraph’s Vince Quill reports, the Federal Reserve typically eases interest rates when economic activity is stagnating or declining, asset prices are falling, unemployment is high and credit dries up, as seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s or the 2008 financial crisis, However, as Dalio wrote in an article posted to X this week, the...

Kevin Hincks reporting from the ‪@CboeGlobalMarkets‬ breaks down a pair of economic data prints that aren't impacted by the government shutdown. He shares the details on the ADP Employment Report and the weekly MBA Mortgage Applications. Kevin looks at a few earnings movers ahead of Wednesday's open calling McDonald's (MCD) move "impressive" and an important indicator of consumer behavior. ADP Payrolls Rise, Mortgage Rates Stall and "Impressive" MCD Earnings | 6:03 Schwab Network | 240K subscribers | 1,405 views | November 5, 2025

History is absolutely clear – Capitalism is the best system ever developed (actually evolved by human experiment) to boost living standards. At the same time, Socialism has a seriously lousy record. In the most recent attempt, Venezuela has gone from one of the wealthiest countries in South America, to one of the poorest. In spite of the very clear record of capitalism’s success, many want to “bite the invisible hand” that feeds us. On Tuesday, it appears that New Yorkers – who live arguably at the historic center of American capitalism – will elect an avowed “democratic socialist” as mayor,...

President Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia is a reminder that his trade philosophy has not changed: America’s economic strength is the foundation of its global influence. His mission is to turn high-stakes negotiations into opportunities for American workers and investors. But as trade tensions with China ignite again, business leaders should prepare for volatility and opportunity to rise in tandem.The White House hopes to announce a series of trade agreements during his trip to Malaysia, Korea, and Japan. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has indicated that the administration expects to sign multiple deals during the Asia swing. The agreements would...

Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer said President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have created a “level playing field” for expanding U.S. manufacturing and incentivizing companies to invest in domestic production. “What the tariff policy does [is] it makes a business case, an economic business case, just much more attractive,” Bitzer told Fox News in an Oct. 15 interview. His remarks came as Whirlpool announced a $300 million investment in its U.S. laundry manufacturing facilities, a move the company described as “one in a series of strategic commitments to grow its American manufacturing footprint.” Bitzer told Fox News that without Trump’s tariff measures,...

Just started this afternoon...attempting to play Newsmax (Xfinity channel 1115). I'll get sound for about 3 seconds then it cuts off. EVERY other channel has sound working perfectly. If I jump channels and return to Newsmax, same thing: Two seconds of sound, then silence. I smell a 'RAT.

How does a mere mortal—in this case, an average American girl in a stars-and-stripes dress with a red cardigan—transform into a Beatles-esque global phenom? Taylor Swift was performing from a young age and showed potential for success, surely, but few could have anticipated the unprecedented level of stardom she’d reach. By pairing her talent and artistry with incredible entrepreneurial instincts, Swift is not only building a musical legacy; she has built a reputation for bold, effective fanbase development. Swift’s early success as a teenage country music star was straight out of the entrepreneur’s playbook. She seized an opportunity that other...

“Just be yourself” may be an oft-given piece of advice, but it won’t take you in the right direction as a workplace leader, one psychology of business professor argues. While authenticity has been linked with increased self-esteem, it can also hamper a leader’s ability know when to stop advocating for one’s personal values and start advocating for their team, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor of business psychology at University College London and Columbia University adjunct professor, says in his new book Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead).

MARYVILLE, Tenn.—Tucked in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains is a factory that has figured out a way to manufacture in America that’s cheaper, quicker and better. It’s the home of a famous American writing implement: the Sharpie marker.Pen barrels whirl along automated assembly lines that rapidly fill them with ink. At least half a billion Sharpie markers are churned out here every year, each one made of six parts. Only the felt tip is imported, from Japan. [snip] Newell began moving some Sharpie production to China in the 2000s, part of the wave of outsourcing by U.S. companies looking...

America's super rich are swapping Silicon Valley for Utah's Silicon Slopes and Manhattan for Miami. In the next five years, Republican states are set to see the largest influx of ultra high net worth individuals, according to a new report. The analysis, from wealth intelligence firm Altrata, defines these people as those worth more than $30 million. While the traditional wealth hubs of California and New York still lead in terms of the number of ultra wealthy Americans living there, they are lagging when it comes to growth. Instead Florida is leading the way, with an estimated 8.8 percent yearly...

Hertz's partnership with Amazon is another step in the e-commerce giant's slow march into auto sales. The deal could be a boon for the rental car giant, which is trying to sell more of its cars directly to consumers. Some experts say the shift toward direct online sales, especially involving e-commerce giants like Amazon, could spell trouble for dealerships, possibly even large publicly traded companies such as AutoNation, Group1, Sonic Automotive, Penske, and Asbury. Wholesale auction companies such as Manheim and AVC are also liable to be watching the shift, as direct to consumer sales could threaten their inventories. Why...

- I visited a public high school in Upton, Wyoming, that's changing the conversation around college. - The school has a personalized learning structure, preparing students for one of three futures. - I was surprised at the level of individualization for every student's career and education path.

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit the ice cream brand he started in 1978 amid a dispute with its British owner Unilever, according to a post by the company’s other co-founder, Ben Cohen. Cohen shared a statement from Greenfield that said quitting was “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” he has made. He accused Unilever of curtailing Ben & Jerry’s ability to speak out on social and political causes – which became synonymous with the brand’s identity. “It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years,...