The dollar has its worst start to a year since 1973
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
RETAIL
Advertisement
Lululemon's lawsuit against Costco highlights the rise of fashion 'dupes'
Advertisement
A Lululemon store in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty
Fashion 'dupes,' or less expensive versions of high-end clothing and other accessories, are just about everywhere these days. They're also drawing some businesses into legal battles. In the latest example, Lululemon slapped a lawsuit against Costco on Friday, accusing the wholesale club operator of selling lower-priced duplicates of some of its popular athleisure apparel. Across the retail industry, it's far from a new phenomenon. But social media is pushing the culture of online dupe shopping to new heights as influencers direct their followers to where they can buy the knockoffs. Want a taste of Hermès's $1,000 fuzzy slippers? Target has a version for $15. Looking for a $2,800 price Bottega Veneta hobo bag? There's a version for $99 on online clothing and accessories upstart Quince, which has become a go-to for fashionistas. It's not even the first time Lululemon has encountered what it says are knockoffs of its clothing, which often carry steep price tags of over $100 each for leggings and sporty zip-ups. Without specifying additional sellers beyond Costco in Friday's complaint, Lululemon noted that a handful of companies have 'replicated or copied' its apparel to sell cheaper offerings — including those popularized online through hashtags like 'LululemonDupes' on TikTok and other social media platforms. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
TECH
Cloudflare introduces default blocking of AI data scrapers
The Cloudflare headquarters in San Francisco in 2019.
Michael Short/Bloomberg
Cloudflare, a tech company that helps websites secure and manage their internet traffic, said Tuesday that it had rolled out a new permission-based setting that allows customers to automatically block artificial intelligence companies from collecting their digital data, a move that has implications for publishers and the race to build AI. With Cloudflare's new setting, websites can block — by default — online bots that scrape their data, requiring the website owner to grant access for a bot to collect the content, the company said. In the past, those whom Cloudflare did not flag as a hacker or malicious actor could get through to a website to gather its information. 'We're changing the rules of the internet across all of Cloudflare,' said Matthew Prince, the chief executive of the company, which provides tools that protect websites from cyberattacks and helps them load content more efficiently. 'If you're a robot, now you have to go on the toll road in order to get the content of all of these publishers.' Cloudflare is making the change to protect original content on the internet, Prince said. If AI companies freely use data from various websites without permission or payment, people will be discouraged from creating new digital content, he said. The company, which says its network of servers handles about 20 percent of internet traffic, has seen a sharp increase in AI data crawlers on the web. Data for AI systems has become an increasingly contentious issue. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other companies building AI systems have amassed reams of information from across the internet to train their AI models. High-quality data is particularly prized because it helps AI models become more proficient in generating accurate answers, videos, and images. But website publishers, authors, news organizations, and other content creators have accused AI companies of using their material without permission and payment. — NEW YORK TIMES
Advertisement
ENTERTAINMENT
New 'Squid Game' season breaks Netflix records in win for Korea
Participants performed during the "Squid Game" Season 3 parade and finale event on June 28 in Seoul.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty
The third season of Netflix Inc.'s blockbuster series Squid Game racked up record viewership in its first three days, reinforcing the Korean survival drama's status as a global cultural phenomenon. The final season of the dystopian thriller logged more than 60 million views in its first three days — the biggest debut in that time frame — and ranked No. 1 across all 93 countries with top 10 rankings, according to Netflix. That compares with the debut of the previous season, which drew 68 million views in the first four days. The runaway success of Squid Game highlights the enduring international appeal of Korean storytelling and Netflix's pivotal role in amplifying it. The series reflects deep-seated social anxieties while spotlighting South Korea's creative firepower. For Netflix, which has invested billions of dollars into Korean content, the challenge now is sustaining momentum with a pipeline strong enough to command global attention. Originally released in 2021, Squid Game was an instant hit and a cornerstone of Netflix's local-for-local strategy. The series remains Netflix's most-watched title of all time, amassing approximately 600 million views across its first two seasons to date. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
Advertisement
MEDIA
Trump and Paramount in 'advanced' talks to settle '60 Minutes' suit
Shari Redstone, Paramount's controlling shareholder.
Martina Albertazzi/Bloomberg
Lawyers for President Trump and the parent company of CBS News said in a legal filing Monday that the two sides were 'engaged in good faith, advanced, settlement negotiations' over his suit against the company and requested that the court stay its proceedings until Thursday. Trump's lawyers have argued that CBS News misleadingly edited a '60 Minutes' interview with former vice president Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign, tipping the scales toward the Democratic Party. CBS News has denied wrongdoing. The filing is the clearest sign yet that the two sides are nearing a settlement that they have discussed for several months. The lawsuit, which many legal experts have said was baseless, was viewed by some executives at Paramount, which owns CBS, as a potential hurdle to completing a multibillion-dollar sale of the company to the Hollywood studio Skydance. Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, has said the president's lawsuit against Paramount was not linked to the FCC's review of the company's merger with Skydance. Paramount has said that the lawsuit with Trump is 'completely separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction.' — NEW YORK TIMES
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Kansas City area could get a new Costco. Here's where it's planned
A developer has filed plans to build a new Costco in Lee's Summit. Overland Park-based Drake Development filed plans with the city to build a new Costco near U.S. Highway and Missouri Route 291, according to documents provided by the city of Lee's Summit. A fueling station is included in those plans. The membership-based warehouse grocer would be part of a development called Oldham Village East — a $416 million project Drake proposed earlier this year. Costco would anchor the 120-acre mixed use development. Plans call for apartments, townhomes, and space for more restaurant and retail tenants that have yet to be determined. Drake's Costco plans are still in review and must first be approved by the city. Costco has five locations in the Kansas City area, including one in Independence at19040 E. Valley View Parkway. Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
10 hours ago
- CNET
5 Costco Hacks for Shopping Without a Membership
Although a Costco membership is well worth it if you enjoy buying in bulk or visiting the remarkably affordable food court, there are still a few ways to access Costco's aisles without forking over the annual fee. Here are four ways you can shop the warehouse store, from eye exams to grocery delivery services. That's right, there are ways to shop certain products at Costco without a membership card. Be warned, however: These tips and tricks aren't the silver bullet they may seem to be. Costco has cracked down on offering free shopping passes, so even if you're able to buy some goods at Costco without a membership, you still won't be able to grab, say, a mattress or a phone. But if there are certain services you want to take advantage of, you're golden. Read on for tips on how to shop at Costco without paying for a membership. Plus, here are our picks for the best healthy snacks to pick up at Costco -- you'll need a membership for those -- and how much you can save by shopping at Costco for a year. How do you get inside Costco without a membership card? Costco requires you to show your membership card to even get inside, so if you don't have one, you'll have to speak to the employee at the front door to gain entrance. Simply mention that you're there to pick up a prescription, browse the alcohol aisles or to inquire about getting your own membership card and you should be let in the warehouse without a problem. If the employee is unaware of these policies, kindly ask to speak to a supervisor, but every time I've spoken to a front-door employee, I've always been let in with no problem. Costco You can use Instacart to shop at Costco, but expect to pay more If you want to shop Costco, but without taking the plunge on a membership card, you can use Instacart to shop at Costco. However, this isn't a great money-saving option, because the items you see on Instacart may be more expensive than they would be in person. Also, not everything in the store is available on Instacart. At this point, it's probably cheaper and more convenient to just get a Costco membership. You can use Instacart to shop at Costco, but you may miss out on some of the savings. Instacart You can shop at Costco with a gift card, as long as a member buys it for you Another common loophole for shopping in-person or online at Costco without a membership is by using a Costco Shop Card -- aka a Costco gift card. However, the catch is that non-members can't purchase Shop Cards, so you'll have to be gifted one by a Costco member. Additionally, non-members can't reload their Shop Cards. You'll need to present your Shop Card in lieu of a membership card when you enter the Costco. If you receive a digital gift card, make sure you print it out before shopping. You can buy alcohol at Costco without a membership in these states You can buy alcohol at Costco without a paid membership, as long as you're in an eligible state, like California or New York. Local laws prevent membership-only clubs like Costco or Sam's Club from withholding alcohol sales to the general public. The full list of states includes: Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Hawaii Indiana Kentucky Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New York Texas Vermont Once you've picked out your alcohol and you're in line to pay, let the cashier know that you don't have a membership card, and they'll scan you with a generic membership number. A supervisor may be required, so be patient as you wait to make your purchase. You don't have to be a Costo member to enjoy discounts on wine and beer. Taylor Martin/CNET Every state lets you buy prescriptions at Costco without a membership If you don't have health insurance and pay high prices for prescription drugs, you can take advantage of Costco's discounts. Buying prescriptions without a membership is allowed in every Costco with a pharmacy across the country, regardless of state. Costco even has a customer service advice page explaining how you can buy prescriptions without a membership. According to its website: You don't need to be a Costco member to purchase Costco Pharmacy prescriptions online or at our warehouses. Our Pharmacy counter will accept several different forms of payment, including cash, debit/ATM cards, Costco Shop Cards and Visa. You'll need to have a doctor's written prescription to buy most drugs available at a Costco Pharmacy. You can still save on prescription drugs even if you're not a Costco member. Design by Brandon Douglas/CNET You can get eye exams at Costco without a membership A lesser-known Costco perk you can take advantage of without a membership is getting an eye exam with the in-house optometrist at the Costco Optical center. If you don't have medical insurance, this is another way you can save money, thanks to the discounts that Costco offers. Unfortunately, though, you can't buy prescription glasses or contacts there without a Costco membership. You can only pay for an eye examination, which may or may not include services to monitor your visual sharpness, whether you're nearsighted or farsighted, the health of your retinas and more. This trick works at every Costco location across the country that has an optometrist. Hungry for a $1.50 hot dog and soda? Pony up for a membership It used to be that anyone could go to the Costco food court. Even if you weren't a member, you could buy a slice of pizza for $2 and a hot dog and soda combo for only $1.50. Sadly, this is no longer true. Since early 2020, Costco has required a membership card to buy anything at the food court, including chicken bakes, barbecue beef brisket sandwiches, ice cream and churros. Costco no longer allows food-court purchases for nonmembers. Booo. Getty Images If you're in the market for a paid membership to help you save on costs, you might also be interested in Amazon Prime. Learn more about Amazon's discount prescription drug service and the hidden Amazon Prime perks you may not know about. FAQs What can I purchase inside of Costco without a membership card? You're able to fill prescriptions and buy alcohol (in certain states) without paying the Costco yearly membership fee. Eye exams are also available in the store.
Buzz Feed
11 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
People Are Upset AriZona Iced Teas May Increase Prices
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but... it's happening: companies have continued dealing with the consequences of President Trump's tariff war, and they're finally beginning to pass tariffs on to consumers as a result. And as a regular consumer of Arnold Palmers, I'm even sorrier to tell you that one of the victims of these tariffs could potentially be the one and only 99-cent AriZona canned iced teas. The New York Times reported this week that Don Vultaggio, the CEO of AriZona, has spent weeks contemplating something he thought "he would never do: raise the 99-cent price of its canned iced teas," which has stayed the same since 1997. They noted that "About 80 percent of the aluminum AriZona uses to make its tallboys comes from recycled material produced in the United States. The rest is imported from Canada, and subject to a 50 percent import duty."The prices haven't officially been raised just yet, and Vultaggio is supposedly "clinging to cautious optimism." On X (formerly Twitter), people were absolutely devastated by the possible price increase. "my faith in society is gone. even the arizona iced tea couldn't escape the tariffs." "YOU'VE TAKEN THE ONE GOOD THING IN MY LIFE" "if Arizona tea has to increase their can prices, its a sign we should just go extinct as a species." "this literally the only thing left that stayed true to their code." "True sign of a recession." "this is an apocalypse indicator, end times are nigh." And finally, this person had a liiiiiiiittle history lesson for us all: "You know what happened last time Americans were mad about tariffs raising the price of tea?" At least we'll still have the $1.50 Costco hot dogs. Right? Right?
