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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing fresh criticism after taking credit for a reported $104 million increase in delivery worker tips that critics say was made possible by legislation enacted before he took office and will likely only exacerbate cost of living issues in the city.The criticism comes after Mamdani declared at a Wednesday press conference and in a social media post that: “We’ve put $104 million back in delivery workers’ pockets,” citing changes to Uber Eats’ and DoorDash’s apps that made tipping more prominent.”This is only the beginning,” Mamdani wrote.Those changes stem from a city law approved by the New York City Council before Mamdani became mayor. Former Mayor Eric Adams neither signed nor vetoed the measure, allowing it to become law after 30 days. The rules took effect in January under the Mamdani administration, which implemented and enforced the requirements.MAMDANI’S ‘RATION SHOP’ GROCERY PLAN FACES BLISTERING ECONOMIC CRITIQUE AS OPPONENTS BLAST SOCIALIST POLICYBefore the law took effect, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found that Uber Eats and DoorDash had hidden tip buttons and set default tips below 10%, contributing to a 79% decline in tips for delivery workers. The law required the companies to make tipping more prominent, and city officials say the resulting changes have since generated an estimated $104 million in additional tips.Mamdani’s office rejected the criticism that the mayor was taking credit for someone else’s work, arguing that while the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection pushed for the reforms before he took office, the rules were implemented under his administration beginning Jan. 26. “A law is only as good as its implementation,” a spokesperson for Mamdani told Fox News Digital. “We have been intentional about enforcing the laws on the books so that we are putting money back into the pockets of working New Yorkers,” the spokesperson added.Conservatives and political commentators on social media quickly blasted Mamdani for the already high costs of goods and services in New York City and some accused the mayor of taking credit for legislation that was birthed before his term.”This guy is a fantastic lying politician,” actor Michael Rapaport posted on X. “He had literally nothing to do with this. City Council passed the bill last August and 419 Eric Adams never signed it. 30 days the bill became law. It went into effect when Mamdani was in office. He just taking the credit. “MAMDANI’S RENT FREEZE, TAX HIKES A ‘ONE-TWO WEALTH DESTRUCTION PUNCH,’ ECONOMISTS WARN”In other words you are trying to say that you forced Uber and Doordash to make it that New Yorkers pay more for their food deliveries by having the default tip amount be a lot higher,” conservative influencer account Leftism posted on X. “Socialism 101 — have others pay for things and make as if it’s your accomplishment.””Coming soon — $50 avocado toast,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Jon Levine posted on X.”So you increased prices for your citizens?” National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker posted on X. “Congrats.”What really happened,” finance podcaster Joseph Carlson posted on X. “They forced delivery drivers to be paid minimum wage of $22/hr. This wage is paid by higher fees passed on to DoorDash or Uber customer. Since the customer was already paying these higher fees, these apps made tipping optional. Then New York required them to also be tipped on top of the higher fees.”Carlson continued, “So now New York residency get to enjoy paying both a high base pay and a tip on top of it. The customer is double-paying for delivery. All of this cost is passed onto the New Yorker resident. They’re paying more than the market demands for a product and service because of market manipulation.”

The socialists have completely taken over the Democrat party. Schumer is too afraid to oppose ABOLISHING THE SENATE… despite being IN the senate. pic.twitter.com/1FgmzvctGs
— Victor Nieves (@ItsVictorNieves) July 30, 2026

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has now shown that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are in control of the Democrat party.
When asked about the DSA plan to abolish the Senate, Schumer dodged the question and said that all Democrats are united against Trump.
Party leadership, like Schumer, is now so afraid of the DSA that they won’t even speak out against proposals to abolish the very body that they are members of.
The Gateway Pundit reported,
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was caught off guard when asked about the Democratic Socialists of America’s plans to abolish the Senate on Wednesday.
Instead of answering the question, Schumer ignored it and claimed that the party is united in “working to defeat Trump.”
Earlier this week, Fox’s Shannon Bream went through the DSA’s Workers Deserve More Platform with Megan Romer, National Co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“Just give me sort of a true or false on these,” Bream said before listing the radical policies, including abolishing the Senate, replacing the President and Supreme Court with Congressionally appointed leaders, abolishing ICE, abolishing borders and granting mass amnesty, defunding the Pentagon, abolishing prisons, and government ownership of business.

During a press conference on Wednesday, a reporter noted that the DSA’s new platform calls for abolishing the Senate and attempted to ask Schumer whether their views are replacing the Democratic Party’s positions.
But before the reporter could even finish, Schumer smiled awkwardly as he cut her off.
“Look, the bottom line is Democrats from one end of the spectrum to the other are going to be working to defeat Trump, to bring down costs, to go after his corruption, and to end the chaos,” Schumer said.
As open socialists continue to win in Democrat strongholds, the party leadership has taken notice.
They know that the driving force of their party has breached containment and can no longer hide their hunger for socialism.
If Democrats take power anytime soon, our country may never look the same again.
History shows that you can vote your way into socialism, but you can seldom vote your way out of it.

The post Victor Reacts: The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Now Control the Democrat Party (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Coca-Cola’s glass bottle has become one of the most recognizable pieces of packaging in history. PepsiCo has spent decades trying to create a similar connection with consumers.”Every consumer goods company wants to find a unique way to present itself to the public, and this, for us, has been the Holy Grail,” Phil Mooney, Coca-Cola’s company historian, told CBS News, speaking of the chain’s iconic glass bottle.And even though less than 1% of Coke has been sold in glass bottles since the early 1990s, Coca-Cola has leaned into using the iconic imagery in its advertising.”Coca-Cola’s advertising sought to evoke nostalgia, and for this the company used imagery of the old hobble-skirt glass bottle, often ice-cold with beads of condensation dripping down it. It had used the distinctive bottle since 1916,” according to Wired.It’s an image people know, even if that’s no longer what they drink their soda out of.PepsiCo has never had the same connection to glass bottles, but it has used them and recently tried to rival the success of a classic Coke product that’s still sold in a glass bottle.Pepsi Real Sugar, launched in 2009 as Pepsi Throwback, is essentially PepsiCo’s answer to Mexican Coke, a version of Coca-Cola sold largely in the country from which it derives its name, and also found on U.S. shelves.Now, while Coca-Cola has a new take on real-sugar Coke, PepsiCo has quietly pulled back its efforts in that emerging space.Americans say they want real sugar in Coca-ColaIn recent years, there has been pushback against the artificial sweeteners used in soda. A number of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo rivals, including Jones Soda and Jarritos, built their brands around the idea of using real sugar to sweeten their drinks.Americans do seem to prefer real sugar, according to a poll conducted by MarketWatch in July 2025.The website asked people, “Which sweetener would you prefer in your Coca-Cola?”Cane sugar was the overwhelming winner at 76%. “It doesn’t matter” came in second at 18.6%. High fructose corn syrup snagged only 2.8% of the vote, while corn syrup received 2.2%.”Some users shared alternative sweeteners they’d prefer — like monk fruit and stevia — while others claimed to either not have a problem with high-fructose corn syrup or not have a preference. Others pointed out the alleged health benefits of swapping out high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar,” MarketWatch reported.Medical science actually doesn’t generally agree with the idea that one sugar is better than the other.”Added sugars come from a variety of sources and go by many different names, yet they are all a source of extra calories and are metabolized by the body the same way. A common misconception exists that some added sugars such as high fructose corn syrup are unhealthy, while others such as agave nectar (from the succulent plant) are healthy,” according to Harvard Medical School.

Coca-Cola still sells Coke in glass bottles. Shutterstock

Americans want real sugar sodasThe Food and Drug Administration also says there is no evidence of any difference in safety among foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup as opposed to cane sugar, honey, or other traditional sweeteners.Despite what medical science says, there has been significant demand for so-called “real sugar sodas.” Coca-Cola has been offering a version of its classic product made with cane sugar for more than 20 years.”Coke has indulged U.S. fans by importing Mexican Coke, which is made with cane sugar, since 2005. Coke positions Mexican Coke as an upscale alternative and sells it in glass bottles,” Beverage Digest Editor Duane Stanford told the Associated Press.In addition, Coca-Cola recently added a cane-sugar version of its classic beverage that’s made in the United States.”As part of our ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, we plan to expand our trademark Coca-Cola product range with U.S. cane sugar to reflect consumer interest in differentiated experiences,” former CEO James Quincey said during the company second-quarter 2025 earnings call.PepsiCo quietly discontinued a cane-sugar PepsiPepsiCo launched its “Throwback” products in 2009 as an answer to Mexican Coke and an attempt to win business using a variation on its rival’s classic glass bottle.”Pepsi and Mountain Dew are offering consumers a taste of the past with their own versions of Throwback, two new limited time only products inspired by the ’60s and ’70s, sweetened with natural sugar in a retro-look package,” the company shared in a press release.At launch, the line, which in Pepsi’s case was renamed “Pepsi Made With Real Sugar,” was only sold in glass bottles. Cans were added to the line, and now, without an announcement, PepsiCo has stopped offering Pepsi Made With Real Sugar in glass bottles.That was confirmed using Pepsi’s Product Locator feature on its website.Pepsi’s strategy made sense, but Coca-Cola had too much of a head start in the category, RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino told TheStreet.”Mexican Coke in the iconic glass bottle became a cultural phenomenon and a restaurant staple precisely because Coke understood the power of tactile packaging and real cane sugar. Pepsi was moving in on that tactile real sugar market but everybody knows Mexican Coke,” he said.Pepsi Made With Real Sugar could make a comebackSometimes soda companies remove a product in order to get media attention when it returns. That’s what happened with the glass bottle version of Mountain Dew Throwback.“Mountain Dew eventually rebranded Throwback as Mountain Dew Real Sugar in November 2019, though this didn’t last very long. Despite limited regional availability in 2020, this flavor was finally discontinued as of February 2024,” according to Tasting Table.PepsiCo never issues press releases when it discontinues a product, but Mountain Dew Real Sugar is no longer listed on the Mountain Dew product page.The product, however, recently made a comeback at very select retailers.“Mountain Dew with Real Sugar just got a brand new look,” the Sodaseekers Instagram page reported. “Select retailers, including @kcsodaco in Kansas City, Missouri.”In addition to the Sodaseekers report, which references new inventory, Amazon, eBay, and specialty shops, including Concord Market, offer legacy or imported versions of Mountain Dew Real Sugar.Related: Costco’s members get 1 big benefit they may not even think about

Porsche has long occupied a rare position in the auto industry as a premium sports-car brand capable of delivering some of the industry’s strongest profit margins.But weaker demand, slowing sales in China, and the high cost of supporting electric, hybrid, and combustion-engine vehicles simultaneously are forcing the company to rethink its operations.Porsche has now reached a sweeping cost-cutting agreement that will eliminate another 5,000 jobs by 2035 while requiring employees to accept slower pay growth, smaller bonuses, and reduced remote-work flexibility.The reductions will primarily come through retirements, natural attrition, and voluntary severance rather than compulsory layoffs, Porsche announced.The agreement centers on Porsche’s core German operations and does not specify whether employees in the U.S. or other countries will be affected.The agreement comes as parent company Volkswagen Group pursues a much broader restructuring across its brands, factories, and German workforce in response to weaker profitability and rising competition from Chinese automakers.Porsche workers give up pay and benefitsThe 5,000-position reduction is only one part of Porsche’s new cost-cutting package.Employees who remain will accept slower pay growth, smaller bonuses, and less remote-work flexibility in exchange for protection against compulsory layoffs through 2035 and €2.1 billion of investment in Porsche’s key German sites.The reduction comes on top of measures announced in 2025. More Automotive:Uber changes key rule for drivers amid rider safety lawsuitsVolkswagen may cut 100,000 jobs in brutal resetHonda CEO withstands investor backlash after $9B EV misstepPorsche previously said it would eliminate about 1,900 permanent positions by 2029 and allow another 2,000 fixed-term jobs to expire.Together, the earlier measures and the new agreement could reduce Porsche’s workforce by nearly 9,000 positions. Porsche will defer 3.5% of current and future collectively negotiated pay increases until 2035, while senior managers will make a comparable contribution from compensation increases in 2027 and 2028.The voluntary company portion of Christmas bonuses will gradually fall from 45% to 5%, and employees will be allowed to work remotely for eight days per month, down from 12.Workers will receive a one-time €1,500 transformation bonus in August. IG Metall members will receive an additional €411.IG Metall said the agreement gave employees a role in shaping Porsche’s restructuring.“The employees are contributing, and this must pay off,” Tamara Hübner, a senior representative of IG Metall Stuttgart, said. She added that Porsche was now responsible for delivering the promised investments and returning the company to a stronger financial position.Porsche General Works Council Chairman Ibrahim Aslan described the agreement as “hard-fought” and said it secured investment commitments and employment protections for the company’s core German workforce through 2035.Porsche said the agreement supports its broader 2035 strategy to cut costs, speed up decision-making, and strengthen the appeal of its vehicles.

Porsche employees who remain will accept slower pay growth, smaller bonuses, and less remote-work flexibility in exchange for protection against compulsory layoffs.Brandon Woyshnis / Getty Images

Porsche struggles with weaker demandThe restructuring comes as Porsche faces a sharp decline in sales, particularly in China.The automaker delivered 122,306 vehicles during the first half of 2026, down 16% from a year earlier, as German luxury brands face tougher competition from Chinese automakers and weaker demand for high-priced vehicles.Porsche has also softened its electric-vehicle ambitions as EV adoption develops more slowly than expected. The company is now preparing to offer combustion-engine, hybrid, and fully electric models for longer, which will increase the cost of supporting multiple technologies at once.Porsche expects the restructuring to generate costs of approximately €300 million to €400 million in 2026, with similar expenses next year. The company expects more substantial savings to emerge from 2028.Volkswagen pursues deeper job cutsPorsche’s reductions are part of a much larger restructuring across Volkswagen Group, whose brands also include Audi, Škoda, Seat, Bentley, and Lamborghini.Volkswagen is officially targeting more than 35,000 job reductions at its German namesake operations by 2030. Reuters, citing people familiar with the plans and an internal message from CEO Oliver Blume, reported that the group is considering roughly 50,000 additional cuts.This potentially brings total reductions across Volkswagen Group to as many as 100,000.Volkswagen is also reviewing factory capacity and its vehicle lineup as it responds to high labor and energy costs in Germany, weaker sales in China, U.S. tariffs, and the heavy expense of investing in electric vehicles and software.The group reported €158.1 billion in first-half revenue, little changed from a year earlier, while operating profit fell to €5.9 billion and its operating margin narrowed to 3.8%.For Porsche employees, the agreement provides protection from forced layoffs for nearly a decade.But preserving the company’s German factories will come with some trade-offs as one of the world’s most profitable sports-car brands adapts to a far more difficult auto market.Related: Major supermarket chain closing more stores

The USS George Washington arrived in Da Nang one day after Russian naval vessels left Vietnam, highlighting Hanoi’s balanced defense diplomacy.

Police referred a woman in her 20s to prosecutors for allegedly posting false claims about the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement on Instagram.

When couples take wedding pictures, they usually want to get as many as they can of just the two of them.But, on the off chance an NHL legend happens to come wandering through the frame, well, you might as well get that photographer you’re paying by the hour to start snapping.That’s what one couple in Russia did when none other than the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Alex Ovechkin, happened to stumble upon their photo sesh.The Great 8 was in his native Russia this offseason, and there, he took part in a charity game called the Match of the Year that included a bunch of familiar names from the NHL and KHL.In fact, this year, Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov scored a slick Michigan move goal that made the rounds on social media.Anyway, while he was in Saint Petersburg for this match, Ovechkin found himself strolling down a hotel staircase, where a nice couple just so happened to be getting some photos taken to commemorate their big day.Easily the best part of that video is when you see the blade of the hockey stick come into frame and you know what’s about to happen. It’s like when Kramer would come sliding through the door and into Jerry’s apartment.Also, the fact that he was just wandering around with a CCM twig in his hands is just perfect in general.That’s how you become an elite goal-scorer, kids: cart the lumber with you just about everywhere.Ovechkin will be headed back to the States in a little over a month for the Capitals’ training camp.He spent last season on what some thought might be his final year in the NHL, but signed a one-year deal with the Capitals earlier this month.While the Capitals missed the playoffs last season, they brought in some key pieces over the summer, including former Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch, former St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou, and former Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner.

Elijah Bieniemy, the son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, won’t make a court appearance until he has completed a mental-health competency evaluation, court records show.The 27-year-old was arrested on Monday after shooting his mother, Mia, who suffered “multiple gunshot wounds” at their home in Ashburn, Virginia on Sunday.Elijah was arrested on charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMA new court filing has Elijah’s public defender arguing the client “appears to suffer from significant mental health issues,” according to The Athletic.The filing also said Elijah “does not appear able to assist in his own defense at the present time.”ERIC BIENIEMY SON JAILED FOR SHOOTING HIS MOTHER WHILE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS COACH IS AWAY AT TRAINING CAMPThe mental-health competency evaluation has reportedly been granted, while a motion for a request for a mental-health evaluation was temporarily withdrawn.Elijah’s preliminary hearing is now set for Sept. 9 — days before the Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football” to begin the 2026 NFL season.Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave an update on Mia on Wednesday while addressing the media, saying “she’s doing great.””She’s doing better and great from where she was,” Reid said at training camp. “Out of the ICU unit, happy about that. EB is still with her, that part’s important.”After the arrest, Elijah was transported to Loudon County Adult Detention Center, where he is currently being held without bond.The Chiefs coaches and team are set to report to camp at Missouri Western State’s campus this Friday, with veterans having already reported on Tuesday.The 56-year-old Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs as their offensive coordinator this offseason following time with the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears and UCLA’s football squad in collegiate ball.As offensive coordinator in Kansas City from 2018-22, Bieniemy oversaw one of the league’s most productive offenses to become an AFC stalwart, winning two Super Bowls in his tenure.OutKick’s Armando Salguero and Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A government audit found that South Korea’s state-run housing guarantor failed to recover about $8.2 billion and improperly reviewed guarantees.

Musk’s America PAC Reportedly Plans $120 Million Midterm Blitz, Setting Stage For Renewed Left-Wing War On Elon

The New York Times reports that Elon Musk’s America PAC plans to spend as much as $120 million to help Republicans in November’s midterm elections, signaling that the world’s richest man is preparing to reenter the political game with fewer than 100 days until voters head to the polls.

America PAC’s spending surge will likely spark a coordinated opposition campaign from Democratic groups and left-wing NGOs, ranging from protests and activist pressure to sustained negative press coverage of Musk, as well as attempts to damage his brands, including Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI.

The Democrats’ playbook could resemble their coordinated pressure campaign against Musk when he was involved with DOGE and the dismantling of most of USAID. This sparked street demonstrations by left-wing and far-left activist networks supported by left-wing NGOs, along with an aggressive left-leaning media campaign that sought to make him the public face of the administration’s agenda.

The NYT report is based on “two people briefed on the plans,” and like many stories run by left-leaning corporate media. Musk usually denies the reports on X, but if this report is correct, it says Musk authorized America PAC to build a field operation across at least eight states, targeting Senate races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio, while considering contests in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.

America PAC is also gearing up to support House candidates in California, Wisconsin, and Washington, according to those people.

Musk’s nearly $300 million bet on the 2024 campaign proved politically successful. Still, it came at a steep cost to his brands, which became targets of information warfare operations with coordinated pressure from left-wing journalists and NGO-backed activist groups.

Remember when MSM outlets ramped up stories portraying Musk as a Nazi while he was at DOGE, dismantling the left’s USAID slush fund?

This is how the information operations game is played, and the ones being played were the American people.

Remember, the far-left even launched a firebomb campaign against Tesla service centers, as the left fringe rules through intimidation, violence, and terrorism.

JUST IN: Tesla firebomb attacker indicted by federal grand jury, facing 20 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/uj94L8ym6t
— Remarks (@remarks) April 1, 2025
Judging by Musk’s X posts and the broader Republican Party’s increasingly new messaging, the GOP appears to be converging on a single marketing platform ahead of the midterms: Democrats serve as the political vehicle for a socialist and Marxist takeover. It’s that simple.

That narrative is not being manufactured from nothing. The Democratic Socialists of America’s own rhetoric about dismantling the American “empire” from within gives Republican strategists a political gift in the market while establishment Democrats fret over their party fracturing in a far-left revolutionary takeover.

The emerging theme for America PAC and Republican candidates will likely focus on anti-communism, framing the election as a choice between capitalism vs. socialism, national sovereignty vs. border abolition, and law and order vs. violent crime and revolution.

DSA has effectively handed Republicans the advertising material to connect illegal alien invasion, violent crime, attacks on law enforcement, street unrest, and all other failed globalist policies under a single ideological threat narrative. That is precisely the political branding that establishment Democrats fear and are melting down over (read here & here).

Tyler Durden
Thu, 07/30/2026 – 19:40