
Shoppers are wary of digital shelf labels, but a study found they don't lead to price surges
Digital price labels, which are rapidly replacing paper shelf tags at U.S. supermarkets, haven't led to demand-based pricing surges, according to a new study that examined five years' worth of prices at one grocery chain.
But some shoppers, consumer advocates and lawmakers remain skeptical about the tiny electronic screens, which let stores change prices instantly from a central computer instead of having workers swap out paper labels by hand.
'It's corporations vs. the humans, and that chasm between us goes further and further,' said Dan Gallant, who works in sports media in Edmonton, Canada. Gallant's local Loblaws supermarket recently switched to digital labels.
Social media is filled with warnings that grocers will use the technology to charge more for ice cream if it's hot outside, hike the price of umbrellas if it's raining or to gather information about customers.
Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania fired off a letter to Kroger last fall demanding to know whether it would use its electronic labels as part of a dynamic pricing strategy.
Lawmakers in Rhode Island and Maine have introduced bills to limit the use of digital labels. In Arizona, Democratic state Rep. Cesar Aguilar recently introduced a bill that would ban them altogether.
The bill hasn't gotten a hearing, but Aguilar said he's determined to start a conversation about digital labels and how stores could abuse them.
'Grocery stores study when people go shopping the most. And so you might be able to see a price go down one day and then go up another day,' Aguilar told The Associated Press.
Researchers say those fears are misplaced. A study published in late May found 'virtually no surge pricing' before or after electronic shelf labels were adopted. The study was authored by Ioannis Stamatopoulos of the University of Texas, Austin, Robert Evan Sanders of the University of California, San Diego and Robert Bray of Northwestern University
The researchers looked at prices between 2019 and 2024 at an unnamed grocery chain than began using digital labels in October 2022. They found that temporary price increases affected 0.005% of products on any given day before electronic shelf labels were introduced, a share that increased by only 0.0006 percentage points after digital labels were installed.
The study also determined that discounts were slightly more common after digital labels were introduced.
Economists have long wondered why grocery prices don't change more often, according to Stamatopoulos. If bananas are about to expire, for example, it makes sense to lower the price on them. He said the cost of having workers change prices by hand could be one issue.
But there's another reason: Shoppers watch grocery prices closely, and stores don't want to risk angering them.
'Selling groceries is not selling a couch. It's not a one-time transaction and you will never see them again,' Stamatopoulos said. 'You want them coming to the store every week.'
Electronic price labels aren't new. They've been in use for more than a decade at groceries in Europe and some U.S. retailers, like Kohl's.
But they've been slow to migrate to U.S. grocery stores. Only around 5% to 10% of U.S. supermarkets now have electronic labels, compared to 80% in Europe, said Amanda Oren, vice president of industry strategy for North American grocery at Relex Solutions, a technology company that helps retailers forecast demand.
Oren said cost is one issue that has slowed the U.S. rollout. The tiny screens cost between $5 and $20, Oren said, but every product a store sells needs one, and the average supermarket has 100,000 or more individual products.
Still, the U.S. industry is charging ahead. Walmart, the nation's largest grocer and retailer, hopes to have digital price labels at 2,300 U.S. stores by 2026. Kroger is expanding the use of digital labels this year after testing them at 20 stores. Whole Foods is testing the labels in nearly 50 stores.
Companies say electronic price labels have tremendous advantages. Walmart says it used to take employees two days to change paper price labels on the 120,000 items it has in a typical store. With digital tags, it takes a few minutes.
The labels can also be useful. Some have codes shoppers can scan to see recipes or nutrition information. Instacart has a system in thousands of U.S. stores, including Aldi and Schnucks, that flashes a light on the digital tag when Instacart shoppers are nearby to help them find products.
Ahold Delhaize's Albert Heijn supermarket chain in the Netherlands and Belgium has been testing an artificial intelligence-enabled tool since 2022 that marks down prices on its digital labels every 15 minutes for products nearing expiration. The system has reduced more than 250 tons of food waste annually, the company said.
But Warren and Casey are skeptical. In their letter to Kroger, the U.S. senators noted a partnership with Microsoft that planned to put cameras in grocery aisles and offer personalized deals to shoppers depending on their gender and age.
In its response, Kroger said the prices shown on its digital labels were not connected to any sort of facial recognition technology. It also denied surging prices during periods of peak demand.
'Kroger's business model is built on a foundation of lowering prices to attract more customers,' the company said.
Aguilar, the Arizona lawmaker, said he also opposes the transition to digital labels because he thinks they will cost jobs. His constituents have pointed out that grocery prices keep rising even though there are fewer workers in checkout lanes, he said.
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'They are supposed to be part of our community, and that means hiring people from our community that fill those jobs,' Aguilar said.
But Relex Solutions' Oren said she doesn't think cutting labor costs is the main reason stores deploy digital price tags.
'It's about working smarter, not harder, and being able to use that labor in better ways across the store rather than these very mundane, repetitive tasks,' she said.
___
AP Writers Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix contributed.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Georgia Supreme Court overturns some election rules, curbing State Election Board's power
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's highest court on Tuesday overturned four rules passed by the State Election Board just before last year's general election, ruling the board overstepped its authority and intruded on lawmaking power reserved for legislators under the state constitution. The state Supreme Court's unanimous decision limits the future rulemaking ability of the State Election Board and other executive branch agencies of Georgia's government. The board passed a slate of new rules in August and September that mostly had to do with processes after ballots are cast, spawning a flurry of lawsuits. President Donald Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020 and alleged without evidence that election fraud had cost him victory. Three Trump-endorsed Republicans hold the majority on the five-person State Election Board. The new rules brought an outcry that the board's majority was trying to improperly use its power to help Trump. The board members claimed the changes were needed to improve the accuracy of results. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox ruled in October that seven of the rules were 'illegal, unconstitutional and void,' but the board appealed. Trump beat Democratic former Vice President Kamala Harris in November to win Georgia. In its decision, the state Supreme Court invalidated the requirements that ballots be hand-counted after the close of polls, that someone delivering an absentee ballot in person provide a signature and photo ID, that county election board members be allowed to conduct a 'reasonable inquiry' before certifying results and that county election board members be granted broad access to election-related documents. The court let stand a rule requiring video surveillance and recording of ballot drop boxes after polls close during early voting. It told a lower court to decide whether Chatham County Board of Elections member James Hall has the right to challenge two other rules, which expand designated areas where partisan poll watchers can stand at tabulation centers and require daily public updates of the number of votes cast during early voting. As part of its decision, the court overturned a 1990 decision that widened the rulemaking power of state agencies. Chief Justice Nels Peterson wrote that the decision was a mistake because it doesn't 'provide clear, objective guidelines that cabin an executive branch agency's exercise of discretion.' The reversal parallels the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning last year of a doctrine that said courts had to defer to how administrative agencies interpreted laws in writing rules. What was called the Chevron doctrine gave federal agencies the authority to make rules for implementing laws passed by Congress that were unclear. Scot Turner, a former state representative and one of the people who challenged the rules, said the court's decision will rein in 'unelected bureaucrats.' 'This ruling makes clear: the legislative power belongs to the General Assembly, not executive branch agencies operating without proper constraints,' Turner said in a statement. The court ruled that the State Election Board had asserted 'the type of unfettered discretion that we have now reiterated is constitutionally intolerable.' That analysis applied to the rule allowing county board members to conduct 'reasonable inquiry' into whether results are valid, which the court said could delay finalizing votes and contradicted state law that says counties 'shall' certify results. The court also ruled that election board members could only examine documents when there were discrepancies in the number of voters or ballots. The court ruled that the rule requiring poll officials to hand-count the total number of ballots — not individual votes — contradicted state law. That's because it allowed the hand-count to take place after Election Day, while state law requires ballots to be tabulated 'as soon as' polls close. A rule requiring people to provide a signature and photo ID when delivering an absentee ballot was invalid, the court ruled, because it 'invents new requirements' not found in law.


Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Walmart Stock Trades at a Premium Valuation: How to Play the Stock
Walmart Inc. WMT continues to lead the retail space with its diversified business model, robust omnichannel presence and advanced retail capabilities. These strengths have positioned the company well in an evolving retail landscape. However, Walmart's current forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 36.07X raises valuation concerns. This figure is significantly higher than the Zacks Retail - Supermarkets industry's average of 33.07X and the S&P 500's average of 21.96X, making WMT stock appear relatively expensive. When compared to key retail peers, Walmart's valuation looks even steeper. For instance, The Kroger Co. KR trades at 13.54X, Target Corporation TGT at 12.63X, and Ross Stores, Inc. ROST at 22.14X — all notably lower than Walmart's multiple. Moreover, WMT holds a Zacks Value Score of C, signaling a limited value appeal at current price levels. Despite this, investor optimism around Walmart remains robust, thanks to its consistent growth and strong fundamentals. Over the past three months, WMT shares have surged 11.4%, outpacing the industry (+10.7%), the broader Zacks Retail – Wholesale sector (+6.3%), and the S&P 500 (+7.5%). In contrast, Kroger and Target stocks have declined 1.6% and 13.7%, respectively, while Ross Stores gained 10.5% during this time. Walmart's Price Performance Adding to the bullish sentiment, Walmart trades above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating sustained momentum and investor confidence. These technical indicators reinforce the stock's upward trend and price stability. Given these dynamics, investors should weigh Walmart's strong growth potential against its elevated valuation before making a decision. WMT Trades Above 50 & 200-Day Moving Average Understanding WMT's Growth Drivers Walmart continues to thrive on the back of its robust, diversified business model and consistent performance across segments, geographies, and sales channels. The retail giant is successfully capturing increased customer traffic both in-store and online, highlighting its ability to evolve with the changing dynamics of the global retail industry. With a multi-channel revenue strategy — spanning physical retail, e-commerce, advertising, and memberships — Walmart is building a solid foundation for sustained long-term growth. A core driver of Walmart's momentum is its powerful omnichannel ecosystem, which seamlessly integrates brick-and-mortar locations with digital capabilities. The company is leveraging data analytics, technology investments, and in-store operational enhancements to deliver a superior customer experience. With the majority of Americans living close to a Walmart store, the retailer can efficiently fulfill online orders through store-based logistics, offering speed and convenience. Retail giants such as Kroger, Target and Ross Stores are also advancing in omnichannel strategies, underscoring the industry's pivot toward this model. Meanwhile, Walmart has made significant strides in strengthening its e-commerce operations. Strategic acquisitions, tech upgrades, and delivery partnerships have fueled growth. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, global e-commerce sales surged 22%, led by strong adoption across all business segments. In the United States, e-commerce sales jumped 21%, driven by fast fulfillment, robust marketplace activity, and growing advertising revenues. International e-commerce rose 20%, while Sam's Club U.S. saw a 27% spike, fueled by growth in club-fulfilled delivery and pickup services. The company also reported impressive comparable sales growth, underpinned by ongoing store upgrades and digital innovations. U.S. comparable sales (excluding fuel) rose 4.5%, with a 1.6% increase in transactions and a 2.8% rise in average ticket size, reflecting strong consumer engagement and value-driven shopping behavior. The grocery segment remained a standout, achieving mid-single-digit comp sales growth and expanding market share. Walmart is now intensifying its focus on high-margin revenue streams, including advertising, membership programs, and marketplace expansion. Key growth engines like Walmart Connect (its advertising platform) and Walmart+ (its subscription-based membership offering) are delivering robust results. In the fiscal first quarter, advertising revenues soared 50%, while membership income climbed 14.8%, showcasing the success of Walmart's shift toward tech-enabled, margin-accretive services that boost customer loyalty and earnings quality. What's Not Working for WMT? While Walmart continues to demonstrate strong operational momentum, the company is facing increasing challenges from tariff pressures that could weigh on near-term financial results. On its last earnings call, the company acknowledged it is not fully immune to the short-term effects of ongoing tariffs, warning that a return to sharply higher tariff levels could jeopardize its ability to grow earnings year over year. Management also withheld second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) guidance, citing a highly fluid environment and the difficulty of forecasting amid ongoing volatility. In addition to tariff concerns, Walmart has substantial exposure to global markets, making it vulnerable to foreign exchange fluctuations. In first-quarter fiscal 2026 alone, unfavorable foreign exchange rates reduced reported sales by $2.4 billion. Together, these external pressures introduce a layer of uncertainty into Walmart's near-term outlook, even as its core business remains fundamentally strong. How are WMT's Estimates Shaping Up? The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Walmart's EPS for the current fiscal year has dipped by one cent over the past 30 days, now standing at $2.59. Despite the minor downward revision, the estimate still suggests a 3.2% year-over-year increase, signaling modest earnings growth for Walmart in fiscal 2026. Investment Guidance for WMT For investors, Walmart presents a compelling mix of long-term growth potential and near-term valuation caution. While the stock trades at a premium compared to industry peers, its strong omnichannel strategy, expanding high-margin revenue streams, and consistent comparable sales growth offer solid upside. However, macroeconomic risks like tariffs and currency fluctuations could put pressure on short-term performance. For long-term holders, the fundamentals remain compelling — yet those seeking value may prefer to wait for a better entry point. At present, WMT carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and Sells We're not kidding. Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent. Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators, and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone. See Stocks Now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Target Corporation (TGT): Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT): Free Stock Analysis Report The Kroger Co. (KR): Free Stock Analysis Report Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST): Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (


Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
The Latest: Hegseth suggests National Guard use for homeland defense will expand under Trump
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is fielding sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat, in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday. During Tuesday's hearing, Hegseth suggested the use of the National Guard for homeland defense will expand under President Donald Trump. Here's the latest: Los Angeles deployment to cost at least $134 million and last 60 days, Pentagon says ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We stated very publicly that it's 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we're not going anywhere,' Hegseth told members of the House appropriations defense subcommittee. The current cost estimate for the deployment is $134 million, which is largely just the cost of travel, housing and food,' said Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, special assistant to the secretary of defense who's currently performing the duties of the Pentagon's top financial officer. Hegseth: Funding for Ukraine military aid will be reduced in upcoming defense budget That could mean Kyiv will receive fewer critical air defense systems in the future that have been key to countering a continuous onslaught of Russian missiles. 'It is a reduction in this budget,' Hegseth told lawmakers. 'This administration takes a very different view of that conflict. We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests, especially with all the competing interests around the globe.' The U.S. to date has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion in aid since Russia invaded in February 2022. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump's handling of protests in Los Angeles And he echoed the president's attacks on Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'That's not my lane,' Johnson said in response to a question about whether Newsom should face legal consequences such as arrest. Johnson, speaking at a news conference at the RNC on Tuesday, continued that Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered'— eliciting chuckles from members of House Republican leadership at the news conference — for 'standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law.' Thune says 'federal response' necessary to protests in Los Angeles Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Tuesday there were 'clear failures on the part of state and local officials' in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and a 'federal response' was necessary. President Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines to quell the protests despite the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and local leaders. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I don't know exactly the authorities that they are using,' Thune said, referring to the Marine deployment. 'But obviously, there was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed. And I think ultimately the president's objective is to keep people safe.' Hegseth suggests National Guard use for homeland defense will expand under Trump 'I think we're entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,' Hegseth told lawmakers. Hegseth earlier refused to answer a lawmaker's questions on how much a deployment of active duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles will cost. Greta Thunberg isn't fazed by Donald Trump After the activist joined a flotilla seeking to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians, the U.S. president described Thunberg as a ″young, angry person.″ He said she should go to ″anger management class.' Thunberg was detained then deported by Israel on Tuesday and sent to Paris. Asked upon arrival about Trump's comments, she replied in a matter-of-fact tone: 'I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest. Especially with everything going on right now.' Head of Marine Corps says battalion deployed to LA is there, ready to respond but hasn't engaged ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Gen. Eric Smith testified at a budget hearing before senators that those Marines are trained for crowd control and they would have shields and batons as their equipment. He said they have no arrest authority and are only there to protect federal property and federal personnel. When asked by Sen. Richard Blumental, a Connecticut Democrat, about the danger Marines would use lethal force that could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said he had faith in them. 'I am not concerned. I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.' Ukraine's surprise drone attack on Russia has the US rethinking its own defenses, Hegseth says The attack in early June that destroyed a large number of Russian bomber aircraft caught the U.S. off guard and represented significant advances in drone warfare, Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday. The attack has the Pentagon rethinking drone defenses 'so we are not vulnerable to a threat and an attack like that,' Hegseth told the House appropriations subcommittee on defense. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hegseth said the Pentagon 'is learning everyday from Ukraine,' and focused on how to better defend its own military airfields. Hegseth refuses to provide lawmakers details on costs of sending Marines to Los Angeles In a back an forth with the defense appropriations subcommittee's top Democrat, Hegseth refused to answer basic questions on the cost of deploying Marines to Los Angeles, instead falling back on political talking points. In a series of questions on the news that Marines would be sent to Los Angeles, House Appropriations defense subcommittee ranking member Rep. Betty McCollum told Hegseth 'this is a deeply unfair position to put our Marines in,' she said. 'There's no need for the Marines to be deployed.' McCollum asked what the cost of the deployment would be. Hegseth deflected on the costs, attacked the decisions of the previous Biden administration instead and talked about illegal immigration. 'Could the Secretary please address the budget' McCollum asked him. Hegseth again refused to acknowledge McCollum's question and attacked the politics of the past administration again. McCollum took back her time and Hegseth was instructed by the committee chairman to provide the costs in writing instead. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW California Democrats accuses Trump of inciting unrest Democratic members of California's congressional delegation are accusing the president of creating a 'manufactured crisis' in Los Angeles with his orders to send in thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines. 'It's a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power and distract from the lawlessness of his administration,' said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who organized a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday morning. Rep. Jimmy Panetta said Trump's decision to send in the military was designed to 'give him the image and give him the fight and give him the pictures that he wants.' Rep. Nancy Pelosi contrasted Trump's actions now with his handling of the Jan. 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when law enforcement officers were being beaten. 'We begged the president of the United States to send in the National Guard. He would not do it,' Pelosi said. Hegseth skirts acknowledging key controversies in opening remarks Based on his opening remarks in his first appearance before lawmakers since taking office, there's been nothing but smooth sailing in the defense chief's office. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hegseth completed his opening statement with no mention of his controversial use of Signal, of the lack of defense budget details to guide Congress, or his controversial firings of his own staff or military leaders. Hegseth also made no mention of a decision to deploy Marines into Los Angeles to respond to immigration raid protests. Instead, he clung closely to the talking points he's used since taking office, such as emphasizing that 'DEI is dead,' and that he's focused on a return to 'lethality.' Pentagon mired in 'controversy and chaos,' lawmaker says in Hegseth hearing Trump's defense chief faced a litany of questions on what some lawmakers called 'rash' or 'reckless' decisions or actions dating back to his first day in office, as Tuesday's hearing before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee began. In opening statements, lawmakers asked about Hegseth's decisions to fire top military leaders, his use of Signal and other controversies, including his firing of several staff members in his inner circle. 'The Department of Defense is mired in controversy and chaos,' said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the full committee. Citing trade wars, the World Bank sharply downgrades forecast for global economic growth ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW President Trump's trade wars are expected to slash economic growth this year in the United States and around the world, the World Bank forecast Tuesday. Citing 'a substantial rise in trade barriers'' but without mentioning Trump by name, the 189-country lender predicted that the U.S. economy — the world's largest — would grow half as fast (1.4%) this year as it did in 2024 (2.8%). That marked a downgrade from the 2.3% U.S. growth it had forecast back for 2025 back in January. The bank also lopped 0.4 percentage points off its forecast for global growth this year. It now expects the world economy to expand just 2.3% in 2025, down from 2.8% in 2024. ▶ Read more about the World Bank's forecast Trump links protests in Los Angeles to home rebuilding after wildfires Trump said his decision to 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles spared the city from burning to the ground like thousands of homes after wildfires this year. He wrote on his social media site that people want to rebuild, and that the federal permitting process is 'virtually complete on these houses.' Trump claimed 'the easy and simple City and State Permits are disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE!' and blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'People want to rebuild their houses. Call your incompetent Governor and Mayor, the Federal permitting is DONE!!!' he wrote. Trump's Tuesday schedule, according to the White House 12:25 p.m. — Trump will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina 2:40 p.m. — Once he arrives, Trump will observe a military demonstration 4:00 p.m. — Trump will deliver remarks to service members, veterans and their families 6:00 p.m. — Trump will travel back to the White House Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to face Congress for first time since Signal leaks He's expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat, in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday. Lawmakers also have made it clear they're unhappy that Hegseth hasn't provided details on the administration's first proposed defense budget, which Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion. It will be lawmakers' first chance to ask Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army's 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Trump's birthday on Saturday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ▶ Read more about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee Kennedy on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the CDC on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy, who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation's top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta. Although it's typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire current roster of committee members were Biden appointees. ▶ Read more about Kennedy's latest move Trump pushes ahead with his maximalist immigration campaign in face of LA protests Trump made no secret of his willingness to take a maximalist approach to enforcing immigration laws and keeping order as he campaigned to return to the White House. The fulfillment of that pledge is now on full display in Los Angeles. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW By overriding California's Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump is already going beyond what he did to respond to Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, when he warned he could send troops to contain demonstrations that turned violent if governors in the states did not act to do so themselves. Trump said in September of that year that he 'can't call in the National Guard unless we're requested by a governor' and that 'we have to go by the laws.' But now, he's moving swiftly to test the bounds of his executive authority in order to deliver on his promise of mass deportations. What remains to be seen is whether Americans will stand by him once it's operationalized nationwide. For now, Trump is betting that they will. ▶ Read more about Trump's efforts to fulfill his immigration promises Trump heads to Fort Bragg while facing criticism for deploying military at Los Angeles protests Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles. Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday's event, along with service members, veterans and their families. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Trump has promoted the Army's anniversary as a reason to hold a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday. Trump, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids. ▶ Read more about Trump's Fort Bragg trip